Laurel Swinden
Canadian flutist and Avanti Flutes Artist Laurel Swinden maintains an active career as a performer, pedagogue and researcher. Principal Flute of the Stratford Symphony since 2004, Laurel has performed with Orchestra London, and the Memphis, Tupelo, Mississippi, Kingston, Scarborough, and Oakville Symphonies. Ms. Swinden performs on chamber music series throughout Ontario with pianist Stephanie Mara, guitar duo partner Kevin Ramessar and others.
Laurel is a Doctoral Candidate in Flute Performance, and a Fellowship recipient at the University of Toronto, as a student of Nora Schulman and Alison Melville (traverso). Ms. Swinden has undertaken additional baroque flute study at the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, and, over several summers, both Baroque and traditional music with guest artists at the Boxwood Festival in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Past influential teachers include Jeffrey Zook, Jim Walker, Chris Norman, Lisa Beznosiuk, Philippe-Alain Dupré, Fiona Wilkinson and Kathleen Rudolph. Laurel's dissertation examines eighteenth century Scottish flute literature. Ms. Swinden has been the recipient of both performance and academic awards and grants, including awards from the Canadian Federation of University Women, David and Marcia Beach Study Award, Tafelmusik scholarship, the Ontario Arts Council and the London Music Scholarship Foundation.
Laurel joined the faculty of the Don Wright Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario in 2010, teaching Flute and directing the DWFOM Flute Ensemble. She is also a sessional Instructor of Flute at the University of Guelph. In addition, Ms. Swinden has coached university chamber ensembles at the University of Toronto and held a faculty position at the University of Mississippi. Her private students have gained acceptance to music programs at New York University, McGill, Acadia, Wilfrid Laurier and the University of Western Ontario.
Ms. Swinden serves as a Winds Examiner for Conservatory Canada. She has performed and presented workshops across the United States and Canada, with performances broadcast on NPR. She has premiered several contemporary works for flute, and flute with electronics, on concert series throughout the US.
A new CD with pianist Stephanie Mara; Celebrating Women: Music for Flute and Piano by Women Composers is forthcoming in 2011-2012, assisted by a grant from the Waterloo Region Arts Fund.
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