A creater who “has arrived at this point with an assured, gripping aesthetic marked by contemplative patience” – Peter Margasak, Bandcamp Daily
Canadian composer Emilie Cecilia LeBel specializes in concert music composition, and creation of mixed works that employ digital technologies. LeBel’s work inhabits sonic worlds that are primarily concerned with textural landscapes, resonance, and variances in colour. LeBel’s artistic practice has been recognized through several awards and appointments, including Affiliate Composer with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (2018–2022), Composer-in-Residence with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada (2015), SoundMakers Composer in Residence with Soundstreams Canada (2015–2016), Land’s End Ensemble Composers Competition (2016), Toronto Arts Foundation Emerging Artist Award (2015), Canadian Music Centre Toronto Emerging Composer Award (2012), and Canadian Federation of University Women Elizabeth Massey Award (2012). LeBel’s debut album of chamber music, field studies (2023), received a JUNO Award Nomination for Classical Composition of the Year (2024), and a Western Canadian Music Award Nomination for Classical Composer of the Year (2024).
Active as an educator and mentor, LeBel is a faculty member at MacEwan University, and Composer Advisor at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Previously, she taught at the University of Montana (2015-2018), and was a lecturer at McMaster University (2012-2015) and the University of Toronto Scarborough (2012-2014). LeBel has served as a mentor composer for several early-career artist programs, including HATCH (Continuum Ensemble, Toronto), PIVOT (Canadian League of Composers), ConneXions (Canadian New Music Network), Explore the Score and NextGen Composers (Toronto Symphony Orchestra), and Young Composers Project (Edmonton Symphony Orchestra). LeBel holds degrees in music composition from the University of Toronto (DMA) and York University (MA, BFA Hons.), and in audio engineering and music production from the Harris Institute for the Arts (Dip. Hons). Her composition teachers included Gary Kulesha, David Mott, William Westcott, and Michael Finnissy.
Canadian composer Emilie Cecilia LeBel specialises in concert music composition, and the creation of mixed works that employ digital technologies. Hear host Janna Sailor and Emilie LeBel in conversation on the Jan. 20th episode of Musing! Emilie discusses her approach to composition, the recent release of field studies, and her latest art song project for release later this year!