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Alumni Wall of Fame
To honour some of the Faculty’s outstanding alumni, a Wall of Fame was launched in 2008. Inductees are chosen by a panel of faculty, staff and alumni from each decade. The diversity of professions is impressive – their level of achievement even more so.
Alumni Wall of Fame
To honour some of the Faculty’s outstanding alumni, a Wall of Fame was launched in 2008. Inductees are chosen by a panel of faculty, staff and alumni from each decade. The diversity of professions is impressive – their level of achievement even more so.
Alumni Wall of Fame
To honour some of the Faculty’s outstanding alumni, a Wall of Fame was launched in 2008. Inductees are chosen by a panel of faculty, staff and alumni from each decade. The diversity of professions is impressive – their level of achievement even more so.
2026 Inductees
Congratulations to 2026 inductees Jarrett McCourt and Allison O'Connor who will be honoured at the Alumni Awards Celebration during Homecoming on Saturday, September 26, 2026. For more details about the event and to purchase tickets, visit the Western Alumni event webpage.
Jarrett McCourt, BMus’13 (Honours Performance)
Named one of Canada’s “hottest 30 classical musicians under 30,” Jarrett McCourt has been praised for his “magnificent” playing (Palm Beach Daily News) and his “warm, romantic and seamless” sound (South Florida Classical Review).
Jarrett currently serves as Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the UMKC Conservatory, and is Principal Tuba of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. He has also held positions as Principal Tuba of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and as a Fellow of the New World Symphony. He has built a reputation for stepping in at the last minute — most notably joining the Berlin Philharmonic in Berlin and on their month-long North American tour to perform Mahler’s Seventh Symphony under Kirill Petrenko, and jumping in with the Canadian Brass when their tubist was unable to perform. He has also appeared with leading ensembles such as the Chicago Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Utah Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada.
As a soloist, Jarrett won the top prize in the brass category of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal’s Standard Life Competition in 2014, becoming the first tubist in the competition’s 80-year history to do so. He was also a finalist in the XVI Tchaikovsky Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia — the inaugural year for brass — and the only North American tubist to reach the live rounds. A champion of new music, Jarrett has commissioned works by composers including Nicole Lizée, Kevin Day, and Gala Flagello, and has released three solo albums: Golden Hour (2022), Voyager (2024) and Onyx (2026). Recent international tours have taken him to South Africa, Thailand, and Colombia for concerto appearances, recitals, and masterclasses.
Beyond performing, Jarrett is committed to the intersection of music and wellness. He is a certified yoga instructor (YTT200) and a certified crisis hotline worker (Crisis Text Line), and he frequently speaks on mental health for musicians on platforms including The Brass Junkies, Sound Mind Musician, That’s Not Spit It’s Condensation, and The Mindful Musical Life Podcast.
Jarrett earned a Bachelor of Music in Tuba Performance with a Minor in Philosophy from Western University, and a Master of Music in Tuba Performance and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan.
Allison O’Connor, BMus’87 (Honours Music Education), BEd’88
During Allison O’Connor’s distinguished 30+ year teaching career, she planted seeds of inclusive practices. With the unshakable belief that the joy of music-making is a fundamental human right, Allison involved entire school communities wherever she taught, creating staff choirs and welcoming students of all ages and abilities into school productions. Her music room was a safe, supportive space for anyone who needed it. Allison was recognized with the TVDSB Award of Distinction (2005), the Coaching to Inclusion Award (2019), and the Tyler Connolly Family Award from Community Living London (2020). A music award in her name is presented annually at Bonaventure Meadows Public School.
Building on this passion for inclusion, Allison founded Dreams Come True Music Studio in 2018, an inclusive music studio for people of all ages and abilities. For many members, it provided their first opportunity to participate in collective musical experiences. Inspired by her mentor and London Pro Musica Choir conductor Ken Fleet’s belief that every person has a unique voice, Allison encourages each member to “Sing your song!”
Since 2018, Dreams Come True Music Studio has presented two musical theatre productions and a summer showcase annually while becoming a sought-after performance group. The studio has appeared at events including the Forest City Film Festival, Brassroots Christmas Concert, fundraising galas, educational conferences, and national anthem performances for the London Knights, FC London, and Special Olympics London.
The studio was the subject of Dr. Caroline Blumer’s 2023 doctoral dissertation at Western University. Additional recognition includes a grant from the Ken Fleet Conducting Scholarship Fund (2025), a London Community Foundation Vital Signs spotlight (2025), and a Forest City Music Award nomination (2024). Allison is also a long-time accompanist for The Forest City Singers, a volunteer with Special Olympics and the Kids Mental Health Optimist Club of Canada, and a respected piano and voice teacher.
Allison’s visionary work with Dreams Come True Music Studio is her musical legacy. By redefining performance as a collaborative and inclusive experience rather than a competitive one, she is setting new standards for inclusive musical practice. She is deeply grateful to her mentors, colleagues, students, the Dreams Come True Music Studio family, and especially her son Cameron, whose unique abilities inspired her commitment to creating safe spaces where the transformative power of musical inclusion is experienced every day.
Nominations
Do you know a deserving alum for the Alumni Wall of Fame? Learn more about how to nominate a candidate for consideration.