Alumni Wall of Fame 2023
Congratulations to the 2023 inductees Jacquelyn Norman, BMus'90, BEd'91 and Bruce Vogt, BMus'74, who were honoured at the Alumni Awards Celebration during Homecoming on Saturday, September 23, 2023.
Jacquelyn Norman, BMus'90, BEd'91
Jacquelyn Norman, BMus’90, BEd’91, is a singer, choral conductor and educator. In her decades-long career with the Amabile Choirs of London and as an elementary music specialist, Jackie has thoughtfully and expertly developed thousands of promising choristers. With a deep love for singing and an affinity to give back to the community, Jackie’s induction into the Alumni Wall of Fame is no surprise to the countless individuals she has inspired.
Jackie’s passion for music began early. As a child, her participation in the Alma College Summer School of the Arts sparked a love of choral music, further nurtured in adolescence by singing in an outstanding girls’ choir. Her experiences with the Faculty of Music Singers and Ontario Youth Choir exposed her to some of the finest choral musicians in Canada. These formative experiences fed her penchant for choral music education.
After she graduated from Western, she began her elementary teaching career at Northdale Public School in 1991, where she directed choirs, staged musicals, coached sports teams, and shared her passion for math and science, dedicating herself to all aspects of student life. It was also at the beginning of her teaching career that she took conductorship of the Junior Amabile Singers (JAS). Jackie credits her professional life and position in the choral community with this incredible program. Under her conductorship and that of her co-conductors over the years, the JAS has allowed young girls to develop an understanding of choral music, self-discipline and artistic expression.
This choir has travelled worldwide, most recently to California to compete in the 2023 Golden Gate International Choir Festival where they earned a gold award and first place in the children's historical class. This achievement reflects Jackie’s time with JAS, competing and earning accolades through several national and international competitions. The ensemble has also released albums under Jackie’s conductorship.
Through her guidance, Jackie’s private and school students have won local, provincial and national awards. She now adjudicates festival choral classes, sharing her love of group singing with teachers and choristers. In all roles, Jackie is praised for being a caring leader, mentor and colleague who champions all students to grow positively and authentically.
Retiring from public education in 2023, Jackie leaves a legacy of teaching excellence. Through her ongoing choral work and membership as a trumpeter in local ensembles, she continues to contribute immeasurably to London’s music community.
Bruce Vogt, BMus'74
Bruce Vogt, BMus’74, is a pianist and educator who has garnered international praise for mesmerizing performances spanning a decades-long career. Acclaimed as a standout student by peers and professors during his studies at Western, Bruce has made an indelible mark on generations of students, musicians and scholars, contributing significantly to musical education and performance.
After graduating from Western, Bruce began his teaching journey at Acadia University. Appointments at the University of Toronto, Lakehead University, and Western preceded his role at the University of Victoria as head of the piano department which he has held since 1991. Bruce greatly values teaching and working with young pianists. His students praise Bruce’s inspiring and thoughtful mentorship which has had a profound and lasting impact on their lives.
Bruce’s distinguished career as a piano soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, adjudicator, and scholar has taken him across Europe and Asia. His repertoire is diverse, encompassing music from the sixteenth century to the present. He has long championed contemporary composers and has commissioned and premiered several new works by prominent Canadians.
In recent years, Bruce has received invitations here at home and abroad to indulge in another of his passions – improvising accompaniments to films of the silent era. He has lectured about and played for films by Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Griffith, Murnau and more.
Bruce continues teaching, performing, recording, and collaborating with internationally renowned musicians in Canada and abroad. His immeasurable contributions continue through concert programs, recording notes and post-concert Q&As which enrich audience participation and appreciation.
Bruce’s is an inspirational talent who has demonstrated lifelong dedication to the boundless beauty of music and its power to touch hearts and minds.
