Homecoming Weekend

Homecoming Weekend (September 22-24, 2023) kicked off with an exceptional “Fridays” concert of Brazilian and Canadian Music for Trumpets featuring faculty member and alumnus Aaron Hodgson and DMA student Nikola Locatelli, trumpets, with alumna Yolanda Tapia, piano. On Saturday, we celebrated the 2023 Music Alumni Wall of Fame inductees Jacquelyn Norman, BMus'90, BEd'91 and Bruce Vogt, BMus'74 at Western’s Alumni Awards Dinner in The Great Hall. On Sunday, alumni, students and friends gathered in person and online live via livestream for a concert featuring the student winners of the 2022–23 Maritsa Brookes Concerto Competition. Accompanied by Associate Professor Kyung Kim and Dean Michael Kim, selections were performed by Songlee Kim, piano, Madeline Hall, guitar, Daryn Nowlin, voice, and William Kim, percussion. A reception with Dean Michael Kim followed the concert, along with student-led tours.

2022 marked the return to in-person Homecoming celebrations, a first since 2019. The weekend started with a recital of songs representing the richness and diversity of Latin America, presented by alumna and faculty member Margie Bernal (MMus’09, DMA’22) and opera music director/head coach and orchestra conductor Simone Luti.

Saturday saw 100+ alumni, faculty, students, and staff perform Terry Riley's "In C" Plein Air across Western’s campus, organized by alumna and faculty member Sharon Wei (BMus '00), followed by an information meet-and-greet with Dean Michael Kim, who started his tenure as dean in August 2021, and student-led tours. The day concluded with honouring the 2022 Wall of Fame inductees Gwyn Beynon (BA' 67 Music Education) and Victor Micallef (BMusA' 96) during the Alumni Awards Dinner in The Great Hall.

The weekend festivities came to a close with a piano duo concert featuring piano faculty member Kyung Kim and Dean Michael Kim.

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Our first-ever virtual Western Homecoming featured a Creative Coffeehouse produced in partnership with the Faculty of Information & Media Studies, and Arts & Humanities on the evening of October 16, 2020.

Betty Anne Younker, Dean of the Don Wright Faculty of Music opened the event, which presented collaborative performances from alumni, students, and faculty from all three faculties included Ivan Coyote, Western’s Alice Munro Chair in Creativity, and alumni Louise Pitre (BMus’79, DMus’06), Chad Louwerse (MMus’15), Nicole Bellamy (MMus'01), Tracy Cantin (MMus'11), Kelly Bylica (PhD’20), Dorothy Lin (HBA/BMus’20), Jessica Sherman (BMus’02), Peter Cavell (BMus’04), and many more.

2019 Homecoming reunited our Music alumni, faculty, staff and students for a series of marvelous events on a warm and sunny October 18-20 weekend.

On Friday, the Jazz Ensemble performed for alumni and more than 140 Western/OBA Intermediate Honour Band members, and choirs Les Choristes and St. Cecilia Singers gave an evening performance downtown at St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica. On Saturday morning, approximately 30 alumni gathered to rehearse for that afternoon’s special Music Alumni Concert, guest conducted by Rod Culham (Class of ’84) and Lydia Kendell (Class of '04), with accompanist Andrew Petrasiunas (Class of ’84). Saturday afternoon brought a special reunion lunch held for those celebrating their 60th reunion, and a FIMS Media Arts alumni panel discussion including alumna Kara-Lis Coverdale, BMus'08, MA’10 (PMC) and faculty member moderator Norma Coates. Music students were on hand to give tours of Talbot College and Music Building to returning alumni. The Western/OBA Honour Band finale performance in Paul Davenport Theatre, under the baton of Dr. Colleen Richardson, capped off two days of masterclasses and rehearsals. And in von Kuster Hall, alumni and students celebrated Homecoming in song for our annual Alumni Concert, followed by a reception in the Music Building lobby. Finally, on Saturday evening, Chorale and Western University Singers sang “The Farthest Shore” a choral concert of music of aspiration and exploration.

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Watch Alumni Choir Concert (YouTube)

Homecoming 2018 – combined with the exciting celebration of the Grand Opening of our new Music Building – was one for the books! With more than 1,000 people attending events throughout the weekend, we were honoured to welcome alumni and special guests home to the Don Wright Faculty of Music for an incredible weekend of reminiscing and celebration. Extraordinary Canadian soprano and alumna Adrianne Pieczonka, BMus'85, DMus'12, treated alumni, students and friends to a concert, Q&A session, and two generous masterclasses. More than 40 alumni and students united in song for the Alumni Choir Concert under the leadership of guest conductors Bob Anderson, BMus'77, BEd'78, and Carol Beynon, BMus'71, DipEd'72, MEd'83. Students were on hand to give tours of the new Music Building, and help alumni find their class composites on the walls of Talbot College. Concerts continued with a packed house for Friday night’s Wind Ensemble performance, and Sunday’s Faculty Concert Series.

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View Pieczonka masterclass photos (Flickr)

Watch Alumni Choir Concert (YouTube)

With the backdrop of perfect weather, Homecoming 2017 showcased our music alumni talent and achievements!

On Friday night, we honoured our Alumni Wall of Fame Award recipients Clark Bryan, BMus’90, MMus’92 and Lori Burns, BMus’84 at the Alumni Awards Dinner. Then our alumni were up bright and early on Saturday, to rehearse for their band and choir performances in our fourth annual Alumni Concert. It was our most successful Homecoming concert, with more than 70 alumni returning to the stage on campus, in the Paul Davenport Theatre. We were delighted to welcome alumni Gwyn Beynon (Class of '67) and Linda Wharton (Class of '82) as the band conductors, and Glenda Crawford (Class of '81) and Darryl Edwards (Class of '83) as the choir conductors.

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Homecoming Alumni Band 2017

Homecoming Alumni Choir 2017

This year's Homecoming reunited our Music alumni, faculty, staff and students for a number of wonderful events during our last weekend of September 2016.

This year we kicked off our Homecoming Celebration with our Fridays @ 12:30 faculty concert featuring Double-Double Duo: Kornel Wolak, clarinet/piano; Michael Bridge, accordions/piano. Friday evening was our annual Alumni Awards Dinner where we celebrated the recipients of this years' Don Wright Faculty of Music Wall of Fame Awards: Thérèse Gadoury , BA’73 (Honors Music) and Kevin McMillan , BMus’83. During the day Saturday, we reunited in song to rehearse for our 3rd annual Alumni choir concert which we performed at 4 p.m., along with Musica Quinta (faculty brass quintet). This year's performance was dedicated in memory of the late Don McKellar, followed by a post-concert reception. On Sunday afternoon we were treated to a lively Faculty Concert: Pianopalooza, featuring all of our piano faculty united at two keyboards in combinations of 2 pianos 4 hands, 2 pianos 8 hands and even 1 piano 8 hands, performing works by Ravel, Debussy, Rossini and Saint-Saëns to name a few.

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This year's Homecoming gathered together our Music alumni, faculty, staff and students for a number of wonderful events during our last weekend of September 2016.

On Thursday evening we kicked off our Homecoming Celebration with a Concert by Tafelmusik, Canada’s award-winning baroque orchestra. Friday brought us two events: our first Fridays @ 12:30 faculty concert of the year featuring Patricia Green , voice; Anne Thompson , flute; and percussionist Jayden Beaudoin, Western grad; and Friday evening, our annual Alumni Awards Dinner where we celebrated the recipients of this years' Don Wright Faculty of Music Wall of Fame Awards: Tomson Highway , BMus'75, DMus'93; and Brenda Zadorsky , BMus'74, Dip Ed'75. Throughout the day Saturday, we came together in music to rehearse for our 2nd annual Alumni band and choir concert which we gave Saturday evening, followed by a reception. On Sunday afternoon we were graced with a Faculty Concert featuring seventeen of our esteemed faculty members performing works by: Luciano Berio, Bohuslav Martinu and Francis Poulenc.

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15,000 Western alumni, beautiful fall weather, a Mustangs triumph over the Toronto Varsity Blues on the football field, and more than 30 events campus-wide combined to make Homecoming 2014 a weekend to remember.

Music alumni, faculty, staff and students attended a number of events over the weekend. On Friday we celebrated with Cameron Porter , BMus’80, and Raymond Tizzard , BMus’77, MMus’82, as they received the Don Wright Faculty of Music Wall of Fame Awards. Family, friends and colleagues were on hand to applaud their achievements. Saturday brought over 70 musicians together to sing and play at our first ever Homecoming Concert – one which we hope builds into a Music Homecoming tradition. And, on Sunday we once again opened our doors to a cross-faculty panel event hosted by CBC’s Paul Kennedy, who led a discussion that explored the value of a university degree.

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Homecoming Band 2014 - 1 of 2

Homecoming Band 2014 - 2 of 2

Homecoming Choir 2014 - 1 of 2

Homecoming Choir 2014 - 2 of 2