Research Guides: Music: Special Topics: Music in Canada

Online Encyclopedias

Canadian Encyclopedia
Canada's national encyclopedia covering all branches of knowledge, culture and history. Includes more than 35,000 articles in English and French.
Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
Now embedded in "The Canadian Encyclopedia." Describes the full breadth and depth of Canada's musical culture, including the historical and current aspects of popular, folk, religious, concert and other forms of music.
Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Volume 3: The United States and Canada
Author: Koskoff, Ellen
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 2000
Oxford Music Online
Foremost English-language scholarly encyclopedia of music and musicians. Holds extensive articles and bibliographies written by subject experts and comprehensive lists of works for select composers.
Ability to search by region, topic, and key terms such as "Canada".

Print Encyclopedias

Canadian encyclopedia / [editor-in-chief, James H. Marsh].
FC23 .C36 1999
Year 2000 ed.
Available also online via the World Wide Web. Includes bibliographical references.
Encyclopédie de la musique au Canada
ML106 C3 E5214 1993, 2e éd.
Encyclopedia of Canadian rock, pop and folk / Rick Jackson.
ML102.P66 J32 1994
Includes bibliographical references (pages 311-318)
Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
ML106 C3 E52 1981 or 1992
L'encyclopédie Canada 2000.
FC23 .C3614 2000
Adaptation de: The Canadian encyclopedia : year 2000 edition.
Publ. antérieurement sous le titre: L'encyclopédie du Canada, 1987.
Rédacteur en chef, James H. Marsh.

BIbliographies, Dictionaries, Indexes, Anthologies

Canadian chamber music = Musique de chambre canadienne / Canadian Music Centre.
ML120.C3 C34 1980
Includes index.
English and French on facing columns.
Canadian music and music education : an annotated bibliography of theses and dissertations by Diane E. Peters.
ML120.C2 P47 1997
With an emphasis on research done at the Masters level, helps to fill gaps in Dissertation Abstracts with respect to identifying theses and dissertations related to Canadian music completed at U.S., Canadian, and foreign universities.
Compositeurs canadiens contemporains : éd. française dirigée par Louise Laplante ; traduction de Véronique Robert.
ML106.C3 C664 1977
Translation of Contemporary Canadian composers.
Includes bibliographies and index.
Dictionary of Canadian Biography/Dictionnaire biographique du Canada (DCB/DBC)
Inventory of Notated Canadian Music to 1950: Clifford Ford Publications
Mandated to carry out the activities of the Canadian Musical Heritage Society, a leading research institution (1982-2003) which published a multi-volume anthology of historical Canadian music.
Open access.
A guide to selected Canadian clarinet music suitable for student performers / Lori Kernohan ; edited by Patricia Martin Shand.
ML132.C58 K47 1997
Appendix: "Music for B flat clarinet and piano available in the Canadian Music Centre": p. 21-23.
A guide to published Canadian violin music suitable for student performers by Patricia Martin Shand.
ML132.V4 S526 1993
Includes index.
Guidelist of unpublished Canadian string orchestra music suitable for student performers by Patricia Martin Shand.
ML132.O68 S52 1986
"In co-operation with the Canadian Music Educators' Association".
Includes indexes.
List of Canadian music inspired by the music, poetry, art and folklore of native peoples.
ML120.C2 L5 1978
Music in Canada : a research and information guide by Carl Morey.
ML120.C2 M67 1997
Series: Music research and information guides ; v. 20
Garland reference library of the humanities ; v. 1223
Music in Canada : capturing landscape and diversity by Elaine Keillor.
ML205 .K45 2006
Includes bibliographical references (pages [419]-453), discography (pages 454-455), filmography (pages 455-456), and index.
Musicians in Canada : a bio-bibliographical finding list = Musiciens au Canada : index bio-bibliographique / edited by Kathleen M. Toomey & Stephen C. Willis.
ML106.C3 M8 1981
Text in English and French.
Reference list on Canadian folk music / prepared by Barbara Cass-Beggs and Edith Fowke for the Canadian Folk Music Society.
ML120.C2 C4 1978
Répertoire bibliographique de textes de présentation générale et d'analyse d'oeuvres musicales canadiennes (1900-1980) = Canadian musical works 1900-1980 : a bibliography of general and analytical sources under the direction of Lucien Poirier.
ML120.C3 R425 1983
Text in French and English.
Co-published by: École de musique de l'Université Laval.
Includes index.
Staryk anthology 1952-2003.
AV1.2.R54 C6 2009
1 booklet + 30 CDs
Anthology of violin music of various genres, over 50 years of Canadian violinist Steven Staryk's performance career condensed into 30 compact discs.
Top 100 Canadian albums by Bob Mersereau
ML3484 .M47 2007
Groundbreaking book, The Top 100 Canadian Albums features cover reproductions and descriptions for each of the albums that make it onto the list, as well as documentary photographs, in-depth interviews, fascinating facts, and musician-contributed sidebars.
Includes index.
Twentieth century Canadian composers by Ian Bradley
ML390 .B825 v.1-2
Discography: v. 1, pages 221-222.
Bibliography: v. 1, pages 218-221.

Directories

Canadian almanac & directory.
AY414 .C2
Available also online via the World Wide Web ; access restricted to institutions with a site license.
Canadian orchestras and youth orchestras directory = Annuaire des orchestres canadiens et des orchestres de jeunes
ML1.D57 C35
Title varies: Directory of Canadian orchestras and youth orchestras = Annuaire des orchestres et orchestres des jeunes canadiens
Text and title in English only, 1975/76-1977/78; text and title in French and English, 1978/79-
Canadian orchestras, small ensembles, music organizations directory = Annuaire des orchestres canadiens, ensembles musicaux, organismes musicaux.
ML1.D57 C35
Continues Canadian orchestras and small ensembles directory (AXJ-7187).
Text in English and French.
Directory of music faculties in colleges and universities, U.S. and Canada.
ML13 .D57
1968/1970-1973/1974,1976/1997-1994/1995; 2003/04
Directory of musical Canada
ML13 .G54 1981
Music directory Canada
ML21.C3 M87
The Native American music directory / compiled and edited by Gregory Gombert.
ML156.4.F5 G65 2004
Originally published as: A guide to Native American music recordings. c1994.
Includes index.

Search Terms - Library of Congress Subject Headings & Keywords

Library of Congress (LC) subject headings offer a focused pathway into the holdings of UBC Library. Use the Books and Media Catalogue search engine to explore LC subject headings and linked resources. Listed below is a sampling of LC subject heading relevant for topic research.

Music--Canada
Music--British Columbia
Country music--Canada
- Country music--Canada--2001-2010.
Folk music--Canada
Popular music--Canada
Rock music--Canada
Composers, Canadian
Musicians--Canada

Journals / Periodicals

CMPI: Canadian Music Periodical Index
Citations only to nearly 30,000 articles in Canadian music periodicals published from the late 19th century to the present
Repère
The most comprehensive source for journal articles in French: more than 255,000 references to articles from 500 French-language periodicals, including all of the major Canadian French language titles in addition to articles published in France, Belgium and Switzerland.
Canadian Newsstream
Canadian Newsstream offers the full text of more than 360 Canadian newspapers from Canada's leading publishers, including The Globe and Mail, National Post and the Vancouver Sun.

Canadian music is covered in many journals of interest to the general reader. The indexes below will provide relevant citations and sometimes full text of articles not found in the databases above.

B.C. music educator
ML1 .B86
Formed by the union of: British Columbia Music Educators' Association.
CAML Review
Online access only.
Canadian composer
ML1 .C62
Vol. 1, no.1 (spring 1990)- vol. 4, no.4 (Aut. 1993)
Canadian folk music bulletin = Bulletin de musique folklorique canadienne.
ML5.C35 F64
v.16:no.2(1982)-v.43:no.1(2009)
v.16:no.2-v.17 bound with earlier title
Canadian folk music journal.
ML1.C243 F64
v.1(1973)-v.22(1994)
Canadian journal for traditional music = Revue de musique folklorique canadienne.
ML1.C243 F64
v.24(1996)-v.33(2006)
v.24 bound with earlier title
Unbound issues in MAA library (IKB) current journals
Canadian journal of music, 1914-1919
ML5 .C15 2005 Index
prepared by Kathleen McMorrow; data processed and edited at the RIPM International Center, Baltimore, Maryland.
Canadian music educator = Musicien educateur au Canada.
ML1 .B86
v.20(1977)-v.36(1994),v.48(2004/2005)-v.52(2008/2009)
Canadian Musician
ML1 .C3645 M8
v.6(1985)-
Unbound issues in MAA library (IKB) current journals
Canadian winds : the journal of the Canadian Band Association
ML1313 .C65
v.1(2002)-
Unbound issues in MAA library (IKB) current journals
Intersections : Canadian journal of music
Variant titles: Canadian university music review, Revue de musique des universités canadiennes.
Online access.
Music Directory Canada
ML21.C3 M87
1983-1984,1986,1988,1990,1993,1997,2001, 2007
Music magazines published in Canada
Canadian music magazines wiki page.
MUSICultures.
ML1.C243 F64
v.34/35:(2007/2008)-v.36(2009)
Unbound issues in MAA library (IKB) current journals
Musicworks
ML1 .M877
no.1(1978)-
Unbound issues in MAA library (IKB) current journals
Nota Bene
Canada's international undergraduate journal of musicology. Online.
Opera Canada.
ML1 .O58
v.4:no.3(1963)-v.4:no.4(1963) bound with earlier title.
Unbound issues in MAA library (IKB) current journals
Opera in Canada
ML1 .O58
v.1(1960)-v.4(1963)
Performing arts in Canada.
AP5 .P45
vol. 1 (Mar. 1961) - vol. 26, no.2 (summer 1990).

Theses & Dissertations

Theses Canada Portal / Portail de Thèses Canada
Electronic theses and dissertations are harvested monthly from Canadian universities. There is a four-year contractual time lag for adding fulltext theses & dissertations that have been digitized by ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. Fulltext theses & dissertations are currently available for 1998-2005 plus harvested EDTs from universities.

Historical Sheet Music

British Columbia Sheet Music
Sheet music about British Columbia, published in British Columbia or composed by British Columbians
Sheet Music Collection - Library and Archives Canada
Source of sheet music published in Canada before 1921, selected from the Sheet Music Collection at Library and Archives Canada.

Streaming Music Resources

CBC Concerts on Demand
Music of all genres performed in all regions of Canada.
CBC Radio 2 Music Channels:
24-hour online music streaming channels including 2 dedicated to Canadian compositions: "Canadian Songwriters" and "Canadian Composers." All channels feature significant Canadian content.
CMC CentreStreams
The Canadian Music Centre provides streaming audio access to complete recordings of over 8000 works by its member composers. These recordings, known as the Ann Southam Audio Archive, are drawn from concerts and other programming first aired on the CBC and Radio-Canada.
Institute for Canadian Music: CanCon and the Canon
Canadian performances of traditional repertoire.
National Film Board (NFB) Videos Online
Canada's award-winning online Screening Room, featuring over 3,000 productions.
Radio-Canada ICI Musique
CBC's sister French station, Radio-Canada, offers streaming of concerts in all genres featuring Quebec and franco-canadian artists, ensembles, and composers.

Music Libraries / Institutions

Canadian Music Centre / Centre de musique canadienne

Canadian Music Centre - British Columbia Region
837 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC
V6Z 1B7

Tel: 604.734.4622
Email: bcregion@musiccentre.ca
BC Region Archives: archive.bccreativehub.com
Digital Magazine: c lick here

Office Hours

Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Library and Archives Canada / Bibliothèque et Archives Canada: https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/

The LAC has created several excellent sites dedicated to Canada’s music and musicians based on its collections. The Music and Performing Arts site (in French or English) guides the visitor through these resources. https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Pages/home.aspx

Associations / Organizations

Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects
An organization committed to fostering performance of Canadian contemporary music. A resource for students, teachers, and performers which includes workshops and syllabi.
BC Alliance for Arts and Culture
Nonprofit provincial organization that works to advocate, inform, connect and serve BC's Creative Community.
Canadian League of Composers (CLC)
Serves the interests of Canada's art music composers through advocacy, communication and partnerships.
Canadian Music Educators’ Association/l’Association canadienne des musiciens éducateurs Association
Serves and connects those interested in music education including current and future educators, students, parents, and members of the community.
Canadian University Music Society
An organization which seeks to improve music pedagogy by connecting scholars to publications, conferences, and discussions. Includes resources uploaded by members, such as extensive undergraduate music curriculum research bibliographies.
SOCAN

Selected Composers

Below is a list of notable Canadian composers that can get you started in your research. The list is not meant to be comprehensive; rather, it provides a small glimpse of names that help provide a base level for study in Canadian music.

Archer, Violet (1913-2000)
Composer, organist, pianist, percussionist, and teacher. She composed over 330 works which span contemporary and traditional musical techniques.
Bouchard, Linda (1957- )
Composer and conductor. From the Canadian Encyclopedia of Music, "Bourchard's music explores all aspects of timbre and often features outbursts and the use of varying spatial placements of performers."
Chang, Dorothy (1970- )
Composer and current faculty member at UBC School of Music. Wrote the first ever concerto for piano, erhu, and orchestra.
Coulthard, Jean (1908-2000)
A "pioneering woman composer" from Vancouver who taught at UBC and composed over 350 works.
Dett, R. Nathaniel (1882-1943)
Dett is a Canadian-American composer born in Niagara Falls, Ontario in 1882. He is beest known for his choral and piano compositions which drew inspiration from African-American folk songs and spirituals.
Eckhardt-Gramatté, Sophie-Carmen (1899-1974)
Composer, violinist, pianist who came to Canada in 1953 after beginning her musical career in Europe. From the Canadian Encyclopedia of Music, "Her works written in Canada show an increasing emphasis on intervallic relationships (Bartok), metric organization and "basic note groups" (Webern)."
Feldman, Barbara Monk (1953- )
Composer of mainly chamber works born in Quebec. Earned her Master's at Mcgill before going on to study under Morton Feldman. Throughout her career, her works have been performed in Asia, Europe, and North America and her research in music and the visual arts has led to collaborations with numerous artists.
Hétu, Jacques (1938-2010)
Composer and educator whose versatile repertoire is one of the most widely performed in Canada.
Komorous, Rudolf (1931- )
Composer and bassoonist born in Prague. Started the contemporary music ensemble Musica Viva Pragensis before moving to Canada where he taught at the University of Victoria and eventually Simon Fraser University.
Lightfoot, Gordon (1938- )
Singer, songwriter, guitarist who was Canada's top male recording artist of the 1970s. Belongs to Canadian Music Hall of Fame, US Songwriters Hall of Fame among others.
Louie, Alexina (1949- )
Composer, pianist, and teacher from Vancouver. From the Canadian Encyclopedia of Music, "Alexina Louie writes music with an imaginative and spiritual blend of Asian and Western influences."
McLachlan, Sarah (1968- )
Singer-songwriter and pianist born in Halifax. Her immensely successful recording career spans four decades and 10 studio albums
Mercure, Pierre (1927-1966)
Composer, producer, bassoonist. First producer of TV music programs on Radio Canada. His work incorporates French music styles and electronic music.
Miller, Cassandra (1976- )
Experimental composer born in BC and based in London, England. Miller often uses transcription, basing her work on pre-existing music.
Mitchell, Joni (1943- )
Singer and songwriter who incorporated unconventional rhythms into her folk/pop music and developed a reputation as a great writer. Member of Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Morissette, Alanis (1974- )
Singer-songwriter from Ottawa who began her career as a teenager but gained international stardom after the release of her 1995 record Jagged Little Pill.
Morlock, Jocelyn (1969- )
Contemporary composer who has been composer-in-residence for Vancouver's Music on Main, as well as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Pentland, Barbara (1912-2000)
Composer whose works span over 60 years. A significant portion of her work is marked by developments within 12-tone serialism, and the schools of Schoenberg and Webern.
Peterson, Oscar (1925-2007)
Canadian jazz pianist and composer. Prolific recording artist and collaborated with an extensive list of eminent jazz musicians. First recipient of the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Sainte-Marie, Buffy (1941- )
Indigenous folk singer-songwriter who "specializes in love songs and music with a political and social-activist focus." Member of Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Schafer, R. Murray (1933-2021)
Internationally recognized composer who gained recognition for radical experiments in music education. From the Canadian Encyclopedia of Music, "His musical compositions reveal many concerns, ranging from themes of alienation and political oppression to a fascination with Eastern mysticism and the sounds of the environment."
Somers, Harry (1925-1999)
Composer and pianist from Toronto. From the Canadian Encyclopedia of Music, " Always associated with intense feeling, his work is simple, eloquent and forceful, often using juxtaposition of styles, dramatic silences and sharp fluctuations in volume, which he called “dynamic unrest.” "
Southam, Ann (1937-2010)
Composer and teacher who began composing largely electronic music, then began moving away through an interest in American minimalism. Lyricism is an important element of Southam's music.
Vivier, Claude (1948-1983)
Composer from Montreal. Thematically focused on death, childhood, love, and immortality. Vivier was interested in composing for the voice, and much of his later work was influenced by Eastern styles after a trip to Bali in 1977.
Sokolovic, Anna (1968- )
Contemporary music composer whose has composed works for theatre, chamber, opera, orchestra, and vocal. First woman to create an operatic work for the Canadian Opera Company.
Szlavnics, Chiyoko (1967- )
Experimental composer born in Toronto and based in Berlin.