Choose Music at The University of Waterloo
At the University of Waterloo, you have the freedom to study music as a major or minor, to sample courses, or combine studies in music with almost any program. Waterloo’s diverse selection of courses, choirs, and instrumental ensembles will help you fulfill your musical dreams. Be part of a supportive academic community with flexible programs, inspiring classes, excellent teaching, and extraordinary musical experiences. You’ll receive a University of Waterloo degree and have access to all the resources of a world-class university.
Explore the many ways that music is meaningful in today's world
Conrad Grebel University College is home to the University of Waterloo's Department of Music and offers instruction in more than 20 instruments as well as vocal lessons.
The flexible Bachelor of Arts program will allow you to:
- Pursue a major or minor in music.
- Combine music courses and ensembles with most other areas of study.
- Study performance, music history, and theory while discovering the ways music relates to technology, film, gender, and global culture.
- Be a part of small class sizes to provide opportunity to get to know classmates and professors.
Events
Noon Hour Concert Series - Fall 2024
List of Noon Hour Concerts from September 25 to November 13, all at Noon
Noon Hour Concert: A Gallery Promenade
Felix Hong was the Grand Prize winner of the prestigious Concours Prix d’Europe in 2017, as well as the Prix Jean Marchand for the best collaborative pianist in 2022, and has been performing solo/ chamber music recitals extensively. This concert will feature Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Xxhibition and Los Requiebros by Granados.
Noon Hour Concert: Forest Lullabies
The program primarily features art song and opera from the 19th and 20th centuries including a set of songs by the underappreciated 19th century composer, Peter Cornelius.
News
Artistic Excellence in Worship
Congratulations to Ellen Marguerite Siebel-Achenbach on receiving The Sandra Burt Prize in Gender and Social Justice for her project on “Sisters of Wisdom: Female Hymnists of the Middle Ages.” Ellen graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2023 with a double major in Visual Culture and Medieval Studies and minors in both Fine Arts Studio and Church Music and Worship (CMW). She recently finished her master's degree in Art History at the University of Toronto.
Music Departmental Award
Congratulations to Veronica Champagne (Honours Music) on being this year’s recipient of the Departmental Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement in Music for the graduating class of 2024.
On behalf of the Department of Music, congratulations, Veronica, on your academic achievement and very best wishes from all of us!
We'll also miss you in chamber choir ensembles!
“The Woman Who Walks” in Musical Form
Gradiva, or the “woman who walks,” has been a long-time figure within artistic circles. Believed to originate from Greece in 4th-century BCE, the image of the walking woman has inspired many notable 20th-century artists and scholars. Recently, the famous bas-relief inspired Karen Sunabacka, Associate Professor of Music at Conrad Grebel University College and the University of Waterloo. Grebel’s Chamber Choir will be presenting the world premiere of Gradiva, a choral collaborative project between Sunabacka and visual artist and writer Zsuzsanna Ardó.