Dr. Laurel Swinden currently teaches flute at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo. She has a DMA in Flute Performance from the University of Toronto. Her dissertation focused on eighteenth-century Scottish music for flute. Laurel’s teaching experience includes positions teaching flute, chamber music, flute ensemble, flute techniques, music history and music appreciation at the University of Nebraska Omaha, , Wilfred Laurier University, University of Windsor, University of Guelph, Western University and the University of Mississippi. She has taught and performed at festivals in Peru, China, the United States and across Canada.
Laurel’s performing schedule includes concerts as the Principal Flute of the Stratford Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Principal Flute/Piccolo of the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra and freelance work with orchestras all over Ontario. She has performed with the Memphis Symphony, Kingston Symphony, Windsor Symphony, Musicians of Orchestra London, Oakville Symphony, Mississippi Symphony, and the Tupelo Symphony. Laurel has released two CDs of flute music: Celebrating Women! and Celebrating Canadian Women! with pianist Stephanie Mara. These were generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Waterloo Regional Arts Council. She also recorded premieres of new Canadian works on the Scarborough Philharmonic’s CD, Canadian Panorama, released in February 2017, funded by FACTOR.
Laurel is sponsored by Wilfrid Laurier University.
