News

The connection between music and math is well established, particularly in the Jazz Ensemble at UWaterloo.  Every term the ensemble reforms, with over 50% of the players coming from a Math field of study.  See article from Waterloo News, courtesy of Melodie Roschman and the Math faculty.  If you are interested in joining the Jazz Ensemble next term, here is the link: Jazz Ensemble

Congratulations to Leah Dau (Honours Music) on being this year’s recipient of the Departmental Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement in Music for the graduating class of 2023.

On behalf of the Department of Music, congratulations, Leah, on your academic achievement and very best wishes from all of us! 

We'll also miss you in our choral ensembles!

Learn the names of the three winners ...

The University of Waterloo Music Department at Grebel was pleased to welcome small audiences back in person to enjoy end-of-term ensemble concerts this April. Also recorded for a broader audience, this treat for the ears showcased musical talent from the Chamber Choir, University Choir, Balinese Gamelan, Orchestra@UWaterloo, Jazz Ensemble, and small instrumental chamber ensembles. Participants include students from all faculties at UWaterloo, strengthening the connection between science, technology, engineering, math, and arts!

Gathering to create, share, and experience music together is an important part of the Conrad Grebel University College community. In an effort to stay connected and fulfill musical wishes, Grebel’s Noon Hour Concert series will go virtual for the fall 2020 term.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the University's suspension of all in-person courses for Spring term 2020, we regret that ensembles are cancelled for the term. This is a disappointment for students who look forward to participating in ensembles, as it is for ensemble directors and all of us in the Music Department. We hope that ensembles can resume in fall term but we will update the website once we hear from the University.

Music and Mathematics have been connected disciplines in the minds of psychologists and neuroscientists for years. An increasing number of studies have been carried out to link the effects of music on mathematical skills and vice versa. Many of these studies have found correlations between above-average musical abilities and above-average math performance.

Every two years, orchestra@uwaterloo holds a Concerto and Aria Competition that is open to University of Waterloo students and recent graduates, and is judged by a panel of professional musicians. Winners perform as soloists with the orchestra in a public concert.

2020 Concerto and Aria Competition: February 1, 2020.

Deadline for application: October 25, 2019.  See orchestra website for entry forms.

Competition sponsored by Professor David Taylor

The University of Waterloo Department of Music at Conrad Grebel University College invites all students, faculty, staff, and community members to join most of the eight ensembles that it sponsors and organizes.

Instrumental: Instrumental Chamber Ensemble; Jazz Ensemble; Orchestra; World Music Ensemble (Balinese Gamelan)

Choral:  Chapel Choir; Chamber Choir; University Choir; Vocal Techniques. 

See webpage for details. 

Pursuing Music’s Healing Effects

The Music program at Grebel and the University of Waterloo consistently appeals to students who are looking for a balanced and broad music education. When searching for a program that fit him best, student Tyler Reidy immediately felt comfortable when he arrived at Grebel for his pre-enrolment studio audition. “The faculty was incredibly welcoming, the students were encouraging and excited to get to know me during my audition process, and Grebel was small enough that I was immediately drawn to the community.” Tyler maintained a strong link to the department through all four years of his university career, and he is now set to graduate this spring with a Major in Music and an Intensive Music Specialization.