York University’s Noam Lemish Nominated for 2024 JUNO Award in Jazz Category

York University’s Noam Lemish, a Professor of Jazz Studies, has earned a nomination for the upcoming 2024 JUNO Awards in the Jazz Album of the Year (Solo) category for his most recent album. The announcement was made on February 6 at CBC Studios in Toronto, marking a significant achievement for both Lemish and the Department of Music. Lemish’s …

AMPD Professor Karen Burke’s Influence on Black Gospel Music Education in Canadian Academia

Over the years, Karen Burke – Chair of the Department of Music at York University and artistic director and co-founder of the Juno award-winning Toronto Mass Choir, has played a crucial role in shaping the landscape of Black gospel music education. Her efforts have played a significant role in creating a more inclusive and enriching …

York University Leads Ontario in Culturally Diverse Performing Arts Education, Study Reveals

Elevating Inclusivity: AMPD’s Leading Role in Performing Arts Education. In a new research report conducted by Community Researchers, the York University School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) has been ranked the #1 University in Ontario for the cultural diversity of its performing arts curricula in Music and Dance. The comprehensive study, spanning June …

Eight new faces joined the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design

The York University School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) welcomes eight new faculty members this fall. “It is always a pleasure to welcome new colleagues who bring original ideas and diverse perspectives to AMPD and York University. This year’s cohort of incoming AMPD faculty members bring extensive international experience, research and artistic …

Alum Lenka Lichtenberg wins 2023 JUNO Award for global music album “Thieves of Dreams”

AMPD music alum Lenka Lichtenberg (MA ’93) took home the 2023 Juno Awards for Global Music Album Of The Year with her latest album, Thieves of Dreams, at the ceremony in Edmonton, Alberta. Lichtenberg uses her late grandmother’s, Anna Hana, recently discovered journals as inspiration for Thieves of Dreams: Songs of Theresienstadt’s Secret Poetess. Hana wrote …

Sound and Sense: Jewish Music @ York welcomes the Amos Hoffman & Noam Lemish Quartet

 The Amos Hoffman & Noam Lemish Quartet offered an inspired blend of jazz and Jewish folk melodies as part of the free on-campus year-long performance series Sound and Sense: Jewish Music @ York.  “This concert and the accompanying workshop at the Department of Music will introduce our students and the wider community to a beautiful …

Word, Sound, Power annual celebration shines spotlight on Black artists

On February 8, Members of the York University community congregated on campus to celebrate Black artistic talent with Word, Sound, Power: An Annual Celebration of Black Artistic Expression. The Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora presented the showcase of music, dance, spoken word and performance.  The Black History Month event spotlights Black cultural …

Christina Petrowska Quilico wins York University Research Award for being named 2021 Order of Ontario appointee

The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and Chancellor of the Order of Ontario, announced AMPD Professor of Musicology and Piano and world-renowned pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico‘s appointment to the Order of Ontario for 2021.  The Lieutenant Governor will bestow the province’s highest honour on Petrowska Quilico at a ceremony to be held on November …

AMPD and the Allan I. Carswell Observatory welcome attendees of all ages to their Halloween Astronomy Extravaganza 

It was an evening of fright-filled, inspirational and educational in equal parts. The Halloween Astronomy Extravaganza comprised of two ticketed events, the first – Herschel 200th Anniversary: Astronomy, Music, Extraterrestrials – celebrates the monumental achievements of 18th-century astronomer and composer Sir William Herschel. Since his death in 1822, Herschel’s contributions to science and the arts …

Celebrating Christina: Christina Petrowska Quilico in Recital

For over 35 years, world-renowned pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico has been instrumental in developing future generations of music industry changemakers at the York University School of Arts, Music, Performance and Design (AMPD). On September 29, AMPD celebrated her life-long commitment to the arts, education, and advocacy with Celebrating Christina: Christina Petrowska Quilico in Recital, held …