T. Patrick Carrabré is a Canadian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

, teacher, and radio personality based in

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

. He is currently a professor of music at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

, where he serves as Director of the School of Music. Carrabré was formerly Dean of Music and Vice-President (Academic and Research) at

Brandon University Brandon University is a university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, with an enrolment of approximately 3,375 (2020) full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, ...

Early life and education

Carrabré is of

Métis The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...

heritage. Born during the

Sixties Scoop The Sixties Scoop (), also known as The Scoop, was a period in which a series of policies were enacted in Canada that enabled child welfare authorities to take, or "scoop up," Indigenous children from their families and communities for placement ...

, Carrabré was taken from his birth parents and subsequently adopted by a white family. Carrabré studied music composition with Peter Paul Koprowski at

The University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thames River bisecting t ...

, where he received his Masters in Music degree."Western's JUNO Connections"
''Western Alumni'', by Marcia Steyaert , April 26, 2018 He went on to complete a PhD degree at The City University of New York.

Career

After moving to

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, Carrabré was for many years a member of the Manitoba Composers Association. He began working with the

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1947, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at the Centennial Concert Hall. Including travelling performances, the WSO presents an average of ...

as associate composer in 1994. He was composer-in-residence at the WSO from 2001 to 2007. In March 2007, Carrabré became the weekend host of '' The Signal'', a new program on

CBC Radio 2 CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...

devoted to

contemporary music Contemporary music is whatever music is produced at the current time. Specifically, it could refer to: Genres or audiences * Adult contemporary music * British contemporary R&B * Christian adult contemporary * Christian contemporary hit radio * Con ...

. The program was cancelled as part of a raft of English radio cuts in March 2009. Carrabré has been a jury member of the Manitoba Arts Council. Drawing from this experience, he began lecturing students on effective grant writing in his Arts Administration course. With his wife Mary Jo Carrabré and Naomi Forman, he recorded a five-song cycle ''Crazy''; it was released by Winter Wind Records.

Composition

Carrabré has fulfilled over 30 commissions, writing contemporary music for a variety of performing groups using the twelve-tone musical language. His compositions have won a number of nominations and awards. Sonata No. 1 "The Penitent" for the violin and the piano (composed in 1990) was nominated for a

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

in the ''Best Classical Composition'' category. "The Dark Reaches", commissioned by the Gryphon Trio, also received a Juno nomination. His first album, "Firebrand", showcases his chamber works and was released in 2008. "A hammer for your thoughts" mimics the imagery of hammered piano strings with its use of the

glockenspiel The glockenspiel ( ; or , : bells and : play) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a Musical keyboard, keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the v ...

. This quintet received the Western Canadian Music Award for ''Best Classical Composition''. "War of the Angels", nominee for the 2013 WCMA ''Classical Recording of the Year'', is a collection of pieces commissioned by the WSO, including two symphonies. One of these, "Inuit Games", features Inuit throat singing and was a recommended work at the 2003

International Rostrum of Composers The International Rostrum of Composers (IRC) is an annual forum organized by the International Music Council that offers broadcasting representatives the opportunity to exchange and publicize pieces of contemporary classical music. It is funded by c ...

References

External links

Canadian Music Centre composer showcase

"Faculty profile: T. Patrick Carrabré"
''The Quill'', January 25, 2014
"Classical and katajjaq join forces on Carrabré's "Inuit Games""
''CBC Manitoba Scene'', April 17, 2013 {{DEFAULTSORT:Carrabre, Pat Canadian composers Canadian male composers Canadian music academics Living people CBC Radio hosts 1958 births Academic staff of the University of British Columbia Métis musicians Sixties Scoop victims