Rachel Laurin, 62, died August 13. Born August 11, 1961, in Saint-Benoît, Québec, Canada, she led a dual international career as concert organist and composer. Laurin performed organ recitals in major cities in Canada, the United States, and Europe, and recorded more than twelve releases, including two CDs devoted to her own compositions. She lectured at Canadian and American universities, including Yale University, Baylor University, the University of Houston, Syracuse University, Kansas City University, St. Thomas University, Mount Royal College, and the University of Alberta.
Laurin had served as “house composer” at Leupold Editions since 2006. Her oeuvre includes more than a hundred works for various solo instruments, voice, instrumental ensembles, choir, and orchestra. Compositional prizes include the Holtkamp-AGO Composition Award in 2008, first prize in the 2009 Marilyn Mason New Organ Music Competition, and first prize in the category “Do-Organ Solo” at the Orgelkids Tenth Anniversary Composition Contest (2019) in the Netherlands. In 2022 she was selected as the commissioned composer for the Pogorzelski-Yankee Composition Competition. Her works are published by Doberman, Éditions du Nouveau Théâtre Musical, RCCO Music Publications (Canada), Europart (France), Hinshaw Music/Fred Bock, and Leupold Editions (United States).
In 2020 the American Guild of Organists honored Laurin with its Distinguished Composer Award in recognition of her contribution to organ repertoire. Laurin was a member of the Comité d’Honneur de la Fédération Francophone des Amis de l’Orgue (FFAO).
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