Desautels Faculty of Music

Community and partners

The Desautels Faculty of Music is a vital component of the Winnipeg arts community, well known for its vibrant music scene. Our alumni, faculty and students perform with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, numerous jazz groups, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Manitoba Opera and more.

Students in the 2019 Musical Theatre Ensemble perform a duet.

Music programs and workshops for students

In addition to offering a strong academic program, our faculty is a leader in music education for all ages, whether for personal enjoyment or professional development.

A performance by the University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music Jazz Orchestra.

The Youth Jazz Collective

The Youth Jazz Collective is a jazz band comprised of high school students from across Winnipeg, with a focus on introducing students to learning and playing jazz. Held in the Desautels Faculty of Music's Jazz Ensembles Room, it meets Saturdays from mid-January to April. All high school students interested in jazz are welcome! Please contact Jon Gordon and/or Jon Challoner if you are interested in joining the Youth Jazz Collective!

Professional developmental programs for musicians and music educators

People seated on the floor playing xylophones.

Orff teacher certification program

The Orff approach is a child-centered philosophy of teaching music to children through doing, playing, exploring, improvising and creating, and combines elements of speech, rhythm, movement, song and dance to teach musical elements and provide children with tools to improvise and create. Teaching with the Orff approach provides opportunities for differentiated instruction, joyful music-making and creating a place for every child to grow as a musician and a person.
Collaborative pianist Laura Loewen plays piano while a vocalist sings in the foreground.

Dream Big - Music Out of Bounds: A conference celebrating collaborative piano

Dream Big - Music Out of Bounds is a conference celebrating the important contributions of collaborative pianists. The conferences features masterclasses, talks, a concert, a reception, and a tour of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

The 2024 Dream Big - Music Out of Bounds conference will take place on February 22 & 24, 2024. Conference details and registration will be available soon!

University music program preparation

Desautels Faculty of Music Recording Studio

Join us at our open house

Performances and lectures

In a normal year, the Desautels Faculty of Music presents more than 200 performances that are open to the public. Whether you are interested in jazz, opera, classical, musical theatre, choral or new music, you will find our students and faculty performing a wide range of repertoire.

Alumni

Inspired and inspiring, our graduates are blazing new trails to excellence. Desautels alumni have achieved global recognition in every field of music. You will find them performing at the National Arts Centre, La Scala, Jazz at Lincoln Centre, Carnegie Hall, the Ravinia Festival, Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) and the Banff Centre for Fine Arts. Their accomplishments inspire the hundreds of music students who attend our university every year.

News and stories

News & Stories

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Inspiring new spaces: The Taché Arts Project

Thanks to the support of our generous donors through the Taché Arts Project, music students at the University of Manitoba have access to a modern arts complex, filled with inspiring spaces where students can learn, create and collaborate.

The centrepiece of the project is Taché Hall, the university’s most iconic and historic building. This former student residence has been transformed into the hub and gathering space for studies in music, theatre and visual arts.

The century-old character of Taché Hall now intersects with the contemporary architecture of ARTlab and the sleek, light-filled atrium of the Taché Arts Complex. Music students now learn in some of the most modern and technologically advanced facilities at any university in Canada. This melding of historic and modern reflects the artistic traditions of the past and the pathway to innovations of the future.

The Taché Arts Project is truly the centre of culture on campus and a valuable asset for the community. Public funders and donors are helping to make these improvements possible.

The Desautels Concert Hall

The next phase of the Taché Arts Project is construction of the new Desautels Concert Hall, supported by a generous $2.5 million gift from Dr. Michael Nesbitt. This venue will be custom-designed for acoustic excellence and fully equipped to provide the best possible experience for both performers and audiences. The performance facility will be connected to the new music rehearsal and recording centre, as well as to the main campus residence.

Features will include professional-grade sound recording equipment, control booth, orchestra pit, and orchestra/choir staging area, box office, dressing rooms and green room. The concert hall will be equipped to mount a variety of live performing arts productions, both from within the university and from the broader Winnipeg arts community.

The Desautels Concert Hall is slated to open in the fall of 2024.

architectural rendering of the Desautels Concert Hall, a modern silver building with many windows

Giving to the Desautels Faculty of Music

We are grateful for the support of our many donors, who have made the Taché Arts Project possible and have provided financial support to 60 per cent of our students. If you are interested in joining our community of donors, your gift can be directed to the Taché Arts Project or a bursary or scholarship of your choice.

To learn more about the Taché Arts Project, scholarships and bursaries, and other opportunities to provide support, please contact:

Contact us

Desautels Faculty of Music
Room 319, Taché Hall
150 Dafoe Road
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2 Canada

music@umanitoba.ca
204-474-9310
204-474-7546