Rachel Laurin

Rachel Laurin (August 11, 1961 – August 13, 2023) was a Canadian organist, composer and music educator in Quebec.[1]

Biography

Rachel Laurin was born in Saint-Benoît on August 11, 1961. Laurin studied organ with Lucienne L'Heureux-Arel. She went on to study at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal with Gaston Arel, Raymond Daveluy and Raoul Sosa. In 1985, she received the McAbbie Foundation scholarship and, in the following year, the Bourse d'excellence Wilfrid-Pelletier. She performed in Canada, the United States and France. She received the Conrad-Letendre scholarship five times. From 1986 to 2002, she was assistant organist at Saint Joseph's Oratory. In 1988, she started teaching at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal. From 2002 to 2006, she was titular organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Ottawa.[2][1]

Laurin started composition lessons at age 19 with Raymond Daveluy.[3] She was the "house composer" at Wayne Leupold Editions from 2006.[3] In her latter years, Laurin only composed commissioned pieces. Her very first commissioned piece was requested by Donald Sutherland and his wife Phyllis Bryn-Julson. The piece was premiered at an AGO regional convention in Pittsburgh in 1987.[3]

In 2008, she received the Holtkamp-AGO Composition Award. In 2009, she was awarded first place in the Marilyn Mason New Organ Music Competition.[2] Laurin won the 2022 Pogorzelski-Yankee Composition Competition.[4]

The American Guild of Organists granted her their Distinguished Composer Award in 2020.[5]

Laurin died on August 13, 2023, at the age of 62.[6]

Selected compositions[1]
  • Messe pour les fêtes solennelles Opus 4 (1983)
  • Messe de louange, Opus 15 (1990)
  • Opus 17 for viola, flute, and piano (1990)
  • Opus 18 for chamber ensemble (1990)
  • String Quartet, Opus 19 (1991)
  • Concerto in D for Organ, String Orchestra and Timpani, op. 59

Solo Organ Works[7]

  • Suite Brève, Op. 6 (1988)
  • Sonate en Fa, Op. 7
  • Hommage à Lucien Daveluy, Op. 13
  • Scènes vosgiennes, Op. 16 (1989)
  • Prèlude, Op. 24
  • Variations sur un Noël Lorrain, Op. 26 (1995)
  • Quatre Pèlerinages en Lorraine, Op. 30 (1996)
  • Trois Pièces, Op. 31 (2012)
  • Symphonie No. 1, Op. 36 (2008)
  • Acclamations, Op. 37
  • Étude Héroïque, Op. 38 (2012)
  • Petite Suite sur un Motet de Gerald Bales, Op. 41 (2005)
  • Douze courtes Pièces, Op. 43
    • Volume 1 (2006)
    • Volume 2 (2010)
    • Volume 3, Op. 64 (2014)
    • Volume 4, Op. 68 (2016)
    • Volume 5, Op. 75 (2018)
  • Introduction and Passacaglia on a Theme by Raymond Daveluy, Op. 44 (2011)
  • Prélude et Fugue en Fa Mineur, Op. 45 (2008)
  • Partita on "Nun danket," Op. 47 (2009)
  • Épilogue, Op. 50 (2014)
  • Royal Canadian Fanfare, Op. 53 (2012)
  • Trois Bagatelles, Op. 54
  • Symphonie No. 2, Op. 55
  • Greensboro Suite, Op. 56 (2011)
  • Sept Pièces, Op. 58 (2012)
  • Berceuse à Pierre, Op. 61
  • Fantaisie et Fugue sur le Psaume Genevois 47, Op. 62
  • Suite in D major for Don Menzies, Op. 63
  • Étude-Caprice "Le Rire de Belzébuth," Op. 66 (2016)
  • Poème Symphonique pour le Temps de l'Avent, Op. 69 (2017)
  • Étude Symphonique pour Pédale Solo, Op. 72 (2016)
  • Fantaisie et Fugue en Ré Majeur, Op. 73
  • Aria et Fugue pour Aaron, Op. 74
  • Three Impressions of Kingsfold
  • Humoresque (Hommage à Marcel Dupré), Op. 77
  • Finale, Op. 78 (2018)
  • Pièce de Concert, No. 1, Op. 79
  • Pièce de Concert (Hommage à Buxtehude), No. 2, Op. 86
  • Sonate pour orgue, No. 1, Op. 91
  • Ten Little Sketches for Ten Little Fingers, Op. 92
  • Petit Triptyque, Op. 93
  • Concert Piece No. 3 (Mr. Mistoffelees Overture), Op. 94
  • Fantasia quasi scherzo, Op. 95
  • Concert Piece No. 4 (Sweelinck Variations), Op. 96
  • Concert Piece No. 5 (Tone Poem in Honour of Saint Benedict on "Gaudeamus" and "Laeta Dies"), Op. 97
  • Étude-Esquisse (Bagatelle burlesque, Hommage à Beethoven) No. 2, Op. 98
  • Cantabile à Deux, Op. 99 (duet)
  • Thirteen Easy Pieces, Op. 100
  • Concert Piece No. 6 (Fantasy and Fugue on a Swedish Folk Song), Op. 102
  • Concert Piece No. 7 (Toccata for a Great Space), Op. 103
  • Diptych, Op. 107

References
  1. "Rachel Laurin". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
  2. "Rachel Laurin". Canadian Music Centre.
  3. "Rachel Laurin - Musforum". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  4. "Accueil". rachellaurin.com (in French). Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  5. "AGO New Music Commissions". American Guild of Organists. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  6. In Memoriam | L'organiste et compositrice Rachel Laurin est décédée (in French)
  7. "Orgue". rachellaurin.com (in French). Retrieved 2022-03-23.
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