News

Caroline Bordignon (BA 2014) is a contemporary composer and fine artist. Her work explores aspects of colour, light, space, time and how they interrelate in visual and musical expression through synaesthesia.

Caroline has always been drawn to both music and visual art. When considering university options, she chose to study at the University of Waterloo and Conrad Grebel University College, where she pursued a joint honours degree in Music and Visual Arts.

The Music Department is delighted to welcome Sonja Seiler to the Grebel community as the new Music Ensemble and Concert Coordinator. Sonja brings nearly two decades of experience in arts programming, student support, and event coordination, grounded in a deep passion for the performing arts and community building.

At Conrad Grebel University College, Angelica has been the logistical mastermind behind more than 400 musical events over the last 13 years, reaching tens of thousands of audience members. With patience and dedication, she worked tirelessly to book venues, select dates, set rehearsal schedules, create and print programs, sell tickets, troubleshoot, move equipment, mobilize volunteers, communicate with students, and coordinate the front of house. 

At each spring Convocation, the University of Waterloo honours the top graduating scholar with the highest cumulative average in each honours program of study. In the Music Department, combining strong scholarship and dedication to her program, Tiffany Chan has emerged as the winner of the 2026 Music Departmental Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement.

Karen Sunabacka’s latest piece "nitatisipwētānān: We are Leaving" for soprano and baroque orchestra will be premiered by Tafelmusik. 

We are proud to have another music student, Josiah Ropp, present his solo tenor performance this Sunday April 19 at 4:30pm at Grebel. 

Together with the Grand River Opera and the University Choir, the Orchestra@UWaterloo presented a stunning showcase of opera classics.

Undergraduate students from a range of culture-related programs in the Faculty of Arts gathered on March 5 for Culture Fest, to share research that they had completed for one of their classes. There were 10 presentations, spanning a great variety of topics. Each student had three minutes, supported by two slides, to explain their research, followed by time for questions from a receptive audience. The presentations were rich and diverse, prompting lively discussions during the informal social time that concluded the event.

Uniting campers in song and harmony, OMMC provides an inclusive two-week camp experience for teens, while developing musical and leadership skills, and exploring questions of faith. Campers are encouraged to carry these skills back to their churches and communities. 

Throughout the stages of her life, music has played an important role for alum Nicole Simone (BASC 2016). After graduating from the University of Waterloo with a joint honours degree in Music and Systems Design Engineering in 2016, she returned to Conrad Grebel University College’s Music department as the accompanist for the University Choir in 2018. “People often come back to choir after graduation, which creates a strong, supportive environment,” she reflected.