Long before synthesizers went mainstream, musicians at U of T were creating sounds that challenged the idea of what music could be 

On a spring day in 1959, a panel truck pulled up to a converted house in downtown Toronto and a physicist named Hugh Le Caine climbed out. Behind him, loaded into the back of the vehicle, was a collection of objects that had never before been assembled in one place in Canada: oscillator banks, multi-track tape machines and custom-built electronic devices that Le Caine had spent years designing in his Ottawa laboratory. He had come to U of T’s St. George campus to help build something new.

What emerged from that delivery would become one of the earliest electronic music studios in the world – and one of North America’s most influential centres for musical experimentation.

The man who made it happen was Arnold Walter, then director of U of T’s Faculty of Music, who had grown convinced that music had become “imprisoned in its instruments.” Conventional instruments, conventional forms, conventional sounds – the whole apparatus of Western music, he believed, had largely stopped evolving a century earlier. Electronic music offered a way forward.

At the National Research Council in Ottawa, Le Caine had earned a reputation as a designer of experimental instruments, among them the Sackbut – a proto-synthesizer that predated the commercial Moog by almost two decades.

Walter was so taken with Le Caine’s devices that he initially tried to bring the inventor’s entire laboratory to Toronto. When that proved impossible, Walter did the next best thing: he invited Le Caine to help him build a new one. By January 1959 they were deep into planning. By June, the studio was open.

Initially housed near College and Huron streets, the studio moved in 1964 into the basement of the newly opened Edward Johnson Building, where it has remained ever since. Students who found their way down there – two levels below grade, all concrete and no windows – entered a space unlike anything else in the Faculty of Music. Sequencers and amplifiers lined the walls, and a quadraphonic playback system filled the room with sound. At the centre of it sat Le Caine’s multi-track tape machines, capable of changing the speed, pitch and combination of recorded sounds in ways that no conventional instrument at the time could.

The studio’s early directors – Myron Schaeffer, a musicologist who became an inventor almost by necessity, then composer Gustav Ciamaga – set the tone for decades of creative risk-taking.

David Jaeger was a master’s student in 1970 and recalls becoming “completely taken” with this new frontier in music-making. His first assignment, he says, was to create a composition by editing white noise.

More than any one project, though, or the unfamiliar equipment, it was the idea of taking part in the creation of a new musical “language” that fascinated him. “The whole protocol of electronic music was in the process of being invented,” he says. “There was this very open, creative atmosphere where there were no strict rules. Your imagination, your ingenuity, your wildest ideas were all par for the course.”

At the same time, students gained exposure to some of the world’s biggest names in electronic music. Dennis Patrick, a former student who later directed the studio for more than two decades, recalls visits by Le Caine and Robert Moog, the synthesizer pioneer.

Karlheinz Stockhausen, the celebrated German composer, came by on a tour stop in the early 1970s and spent an afternoon in the studio running pulses through the quadraphonic system, spinning sound around the room at changing speeds.

Patrick remembers playing some of the earliest electronic compositions for his students. “Bone-chilling: it gave you goosebumps,” he says. “And they’d ask, ‘How did they do that?’”

To many of their peers, the studio occupied a fringe of the musical world. Some found its work fascinating; others thought it was simply too strange, too “out there.” Did anyone question whether it was music at all? “From time to time,” says Jaeger. “But we didn’t care.”

The host of a CBC arts program who had interviewed Walter and two other panelists from the studio in 1963 wasn’t sure who would want to listen to electronic music – or how it would be used. He suggested it might find an audience as the soundtrack to a science-fiction film or television drama.

One of the panelists, Prof. Harvey Olnick, disagreed. To him, electronic music was simply another form of music: some of it would move listeners and some wouldn’t, though he acknowledged it might take time for audiences to adjust to its novel sounds.

History proved Olnick right. Before long, computers entered the picture and, in 1975, composer Norma Beecroft, a former student who went on to a distinguished career in composition and broadcasting, returned to U of T’s electronic music studio on a CBC commission to create Piece for Bob. The work brought together live instruments with the still-emerging possibilities of computer-generated sound, using a program created by David Jaeger, the former student.

By the early 1980s, synthesizer-driven pop music was filling the charts across North America and Europe – evidence of just how far the sounds being pioneered in studios like U of T’s had travelled.

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Several decades on, the studio remains in the same location, though recently renovated and re-equipped with the latest technology. In the early years, an electronic performance meant pressing play on a prerecorded track. Today’s students create works in which live performers interact with technology in real time – their gestures controlling sound, their instruments processed on the fly and the boundary between musical performance and sound installation deliberately blurred.

The students also now come from a far wider range of musical backgrounds than the small cohort of the early days. The facility runs at full capacity – booked from seven in the morning until eleven at night, every day of the week, says Ryan McClelland, dean of the Faculty of Music. But the spirit, he observes, remains much the same. “There is still this sense of pushing the boundaries of what music is.”

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Those questions lie at the heart of THE HORN SPEAKS, a new recording by composer David Jaeger and French horn soloist Olivia Esther, set for release October 9, 2026. The album places the horn at the center of an intimate musical dialogue between poetry, melody and performance.

Joining Esther are soprano Sara Schabas, French horn player Victor Prado, pianist Stephanie Chua, and violinist Joyce Lai.

Rather than treating the French horn simply as an instrumental voice, Jaeger’s compositions make it the principal protagonist. Inspired entirely by poetry, the works explore the horn’s capacity for intimacy, reflection and emotional expression.

The album grew out of an artistic collaboration between Jaeger and Esther that has developed over several years. Each composition was written specifically for Esther, taking into account her singular approach to interpretation and performance.

At the heart of THE HORN SPEAKS are poems by Scottish author David Cameron, the late English-Canadian author Seán Haldane, and Canadian author Bruce Whiteman. Their words are not merely a source of inspiration; they are woven into the structure and character of the music.

Melody, rhythm, harmony, articulation and tempo emerge directly from the poetry. Spoken recitations appear throughout the recording alongside the horn’s contemplative musical passages, creating an interplay in which words and instrumental sound continually illuminate one another.

The result is less like a conventional instrumental album and more like an intimate performance in which poetry and music share the same stage.

For Esther, the project also reflects her concept of “Artistic Crosstraining,” a methodology she developed during her master’s studies. Drawing on disciplines including dance, acting, singing, literature and visual art, the approach is intended to expand the expressive possibilities of musical performance.

That philosophy is particularly suited to Jaeger’s compositions, which Esther approaches not simply as musical scores but as artistic narratives shaped by the poetry behind them.

The works were composed over a six-year period and present the French horn in a variety of settings. At times Esther performs alone; elsewhere the horn is paired with soprano or another horn, while one work brings together horn, violin and piano.

Despite these changing combinations, the horn remains the central voice.

Through the collaboration, Jaeger and Esther have developed a body of work that challenges conventional ideas about the role of the French horn. Traditionally associated with orchestral and chamber music, the instrument here becomes something more personal: a storyteller capable of carrying poetic imagery through breath, tone, rhythm and silence.

THE HORN SPEAKS ultimately asks listeners to reconsider what an instrumental voice can communicate. Pensive, lyrical and at times deeply moving, the recording creates a space where poetry can become melody and the French horn can become a vehicle for memory, reflection and human emotion.

When the final note fades, the question remains: if the horn could speak, what would it say?

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The instrumentation ranges from assorted quiet percussion in Spencer’s Angels in Arches of Hildegard’s Bingen (in which Johnston is also called upon to intone the text), vibraphone (Hatzis and Jaeger), marimba (Kerr), flowerpots (Rzewski) and temple bowls, temple bells and Thai gongs (Johnston). The Hatzis and Jaeger works also include playback of electroacoustic sounds, and in Kerr’s November we hear the haunting voice of the late character actor Kenneth Welsh reciting a poem by Robert Frost. In each case rich sound worlds are created using minimal resources, a case in point being Rzewski’s To the Earth in which the performer strikes simple clay pots while reciting words that honour the earth.

Jaeger’s Lyrics II pays homage to Canadian composer, broadcaster and co-founder of New Music Concerts Norma Beecroft, referencing her pioneering work in electronic music. We also hear a brief quotation from Beecroft’s celebrated The Living Flame of Love. The disc ends with Johnston’s vocal interpretation of Sara Teasdale’s poem The Crystal Gazer, accompanied by ever more intense Thailand gongs, providing a dramatic close to this beautifully realized album.

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Karen Usha performed two unaccompanied settings by David Jaeger. The Latest Bad News from Baghdad (poetry by George Elliott Clarke and Leilah Nadir) and An Invitation (poetry by Sudharshana Rajasingam).

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FINDING HER VOICE is a journey through sound, history, and identity. The recording brings together works by Julie Spencer, Christos Hatzis, Samuel Kerr, Frederic Rzewski, David Jaeger, and Johnston herself, whose two structured improvisations frame the album with personal reflection.

From the album notes…. In 1988, David Jaeger composed Lyrics for Solo Marimba, a multi-movement work written for Beverley Johnston. 37 years later, Johnston invited Jaeger to create a new piece for FINDING HER VOICE, this time paying homage to an iconic female figure in Canadian music. Jaeger chose Norma Beecroft (1934–2024), composer, broadcaster, and founding director of New Music Concerts in Toronto.

Beecroft was a trailblazer: one of the few women of her generation to champion electronic music, a field largely dominated by men. Her pioneering work opened doors for future composers and performers, and her influence extended far beyond her own compositions. In Lyrics II, Jaeger reflects on Beecroft’s electronic sound world, weaving vibraphone and electronics into a seamless dialogue. The piece also quotes one of her most celebrated choral works, The Living Flame of Love, as a tribute to her artistry.

As part of FINDING HER VOICE, Lyrics II honors Beecroft not only as a composer but as a visionary who reshaped Canada’s contemporary music landscape. Through Jaeger’s homage and Johnston’s performance, her voice continues to resonate, reminding us of the importance of recognizing and celebrating women whose contributions have defined and expanded the boundaries of music.

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The JUNO Award-winning Elmer Iseler Singers (EIS), conducted by artistic director Lydia Adams since 1998, is singing its 47th Concert Season in 2025/26. This 20-voice professional choral ensemble, founded by the late Dr. Elmer Iseler in 1979, has thrilled audiences internationally, and led the way in developing exciting new choral works and experiences, building a stellar reputation in Canada, the United States and abroad, performing a wide range of repertoire with a focus on Canadian composers.

Mark Wigmore, Program Director of The New Classical FM discussed The Earth Sings with Lydia Adams and David Jaeger on Thursday, April 8, 2026 at 1:45pm. Click below to listen to the interview:

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Julius Schepansky is a Montréal based concert artist and is currently enrolled in the U de Montréal Doctoral Performance program mentored by Joseph Petric.

Spirit Cloud was co-composed by David Jaeger and Joseph Petric.

The live video was made by Jean-Paul Desjardins.

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Steven Vieria notes that, ” Much of my earlier work was composition with a purpose—songs and arrangements for schools, institutions, and music editing. These projects were often shaped by external needs, but they also laid the groundwork for my evolving voice as a composer. In recent years, my focus has shifted toward writing piano music, with an emphasis on creating pieces that can be performed live.

Experiments with Tape and Piano (2026) explores our relationship with electroacoustic music. The performance blends live acoustic piano and electronic music. This series utilizes elements of ambient music, live electronic music, as well as elements of Musique Concrète and recorded music in order to investigate their compositional techniques and sound.”

Alan Torok writes, “My piece, Biography, for piano-trio, is a musical narrative—a kind of instrumental opera. 

In five movements, it evokes aspects and important scenes from the life of the black American soul singer and songwriter, James Brown.

It is well known that Brown lived an epic life of grand social and musical achievement… and great sin.

My music tries to paint such a larger than life picture.” We will hear two of the five movements.

David Jaeger notes that, “Last month Club members were introduced to soprano Karen Usha when she sang four of my songs. Karen’s remarkable singing provoked several listeners to immediately ask for her to return. I have composed dozens of settings of poetry for her, and as a result there is no shortage of works to showcase in bringing her back. Karen has selected several of her favourites from my canon, including a new setting of the poem, An Invitation by the Sri Lankan-Canadian author, Sudharshana Rajasingam. Tonight’s performance will be the Premiere of this work.”

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David Jaeger’s Two Tigers for flute and marimba was performed by  Katie Kirkpatrick (alto flute) and Bevis Ng (marimba) on April 26th at the Hamilton International Contemporary Music Festival.

Notes from the composer – This work is a short set of double variations. The theme is made up of 2 phrases, one chromatic and one diatonic. The variations are alternatively based on these contrasting phrases. This process parallels an image by the late Toronto artist, Milton Jewell. In Jewell’s painting, two tigers are resting on a proscenium, their gazes distant and self-absorbed, as if lost in reflection. In musical terms, I think of each variation as a depiction of the private musings of the two creatures, which often turn out to be less than ferocious.

HICMF was founded in 2024 to support an active contemporary music scene in Hamilton.

This coming spring concert features three finalist’s works from an international Call for Scores.

The finalists were chosen by an esteemed panel of judges based on their submitted scores solely.

At this concert you will experience excellent music performed by fabulous musicians! Further information at HICMF’s website.

Ensemble members:

Katie Kirkpatrick (Alto Flute), Kailan Fournier (Clarinet), Christopher Jones (Saxphone), Diane Dahyeon Kim (Violin)

Veronica Zupanic (Violin), Marlena Pellegrino (Viola), Chole Liang (Cello), Nikki Hung (Percussion), Bevis Ng (Percussion)

-Program-

• Weaving by Chikage Iamai
• Verde Malachite by Chikako Iversen
• Dark Night Above the Woods by Michael Blazek
• Sequenza Vii b by Luciano Berio
• Two Tigers by David Jaeger
• The Machine, The Heart by Boya Liu
• Turbulence by Tianci Lu
• A Vertical Dream by Mehrdad Jafari Raad

Call for Score judges:

Gary Kulesha, Joe Lio, Stephen Morris, Chikako Iversen

Producer Chikako Iversen, Co-Producer Stephen Morris, Artistic Adviser David Jaeger, Music Adviser Bob Becker

Gasworks 141 Park Street N, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8R2N4

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The Imagined brings together four evocative solo piano works by Alice Ping Yee Ho, performed with nuance, brilliance, and emotional depth by Christina Petrowska Quilico. This recording was produced by David Jaeger.

Each piece opens a distinct imaginative world — shaped by visual art, theatre, mythology, and personal memory — yet together they form a cohesive exhibition of sound and narrative. Across these works, the piano becomes both storyteller and canvas, guiding listeners through landscapes that exist only in the mind.

In this collection, the piano is more than an instrument; it is a vehicle for storytelling, a medium of translation between the visual, the mythical, and the remembered. The Imagined celebrates the transformative power of creativity, the dialogue between East and West, and the enduring capacity of music to evoke worlds both real and imagined.

Programme:

• Pictures from an Imagined Exhibition:
  1. Free Strokes
  2. Distant Drums
  3. Mystical Mountains
  4. Dancing Colours
• Hong Kong Nostalgia
  1. Connaught Mansion
  2. Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas
  3. Night Markets
• A Manic Ride through Lollipop Hell
  1. The Labyrinth
  2. A Sad Lullaby
  3. The Great Escape

This performance will be at The Canadian Music Centre, Chalmers Performance Space , 20 St. Joseph Street, Toronto, ON M4Y 1J9, on April 21, 2026 at 7:30pm

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