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Alumni

Alumni

There are over five million alumni of The Royal Conservatory of Music. Below are a few of the many illustrious alumni who embody the transformative power of music and the arts.

oscar peterson image
Canadians have made huge inroads in the world of music and this is all the more reason that The Royal Conservatory should be generously supported for the role that is has played and continues to play in nurturing and preparing these artists become worthy of worldwide stature. - Oscar Peterson
 

Music – Classical

Mariko Anraku - Associate Principal Harp of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; recording artist with EMI Classics

Isabel Bayrakdarian - JUNO Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated opera singer; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Martin Beaver - Violinist, member of the Tokyo String Quartet

Marie Bérard - Member of Grammy Award-nominated ARC Ensemble

Mario Bernardi - Founding Conductor of Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra

Russell Braun - Operatic lyric baritone

Measha Brueggergosman - JUNO Award-winning opera singer

Andrew Burashko - Artistic Director of Art of Time Ensemble

Howard Cable - Conductor and Composer

Cecilia String Quartet - Winners of 2011 Banff International String Quartet Competition

Kevin Chen - Pianist, 1st Canadian to win the Concours de Genève International Music Competition

Jonathan Crow - Violinist, Concertmaster with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Mychael Danna - Academy Award-winning composer

John Estacio - JUNO Award-nominated composer

Mark Fewer - Violinist, Artistic Director of Halifax's Scotia Festival of Music

Wallis Giunta - Award-winning mezzo-soprano

Glenn Gould - Legendary classical pianist, multiple Grammy and JUNO Award-winner

Gryphon Trio - JUNO Award-winning classical music ensemble

Ofra Harnoy - JUNO Award-winning cellist

Angela Hewitt - Classical pianist, Officer of the Order of Canada

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko - Pianist, winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition 2024

Miriam Khalil - Celebrated soprano; Founding Member, Against the Grain Theatre

Dennis Kim - Concertmaster, Pacific Symphony

Helen Kim - Assistant Concertmaster of the Atlanta Opera Orchestra

Leslie Kinton - Member of acclaimed piano duo Anagnoson and Kinton; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Julian Kuerti - Assistant conductor, Boston Symphony Orchestra

Jan Lisiecki - JUNO Award-winning pianist, Deutsche Grammophon recording artist

Peter Longworth - Classical pianist

Alexina Louie - JUNO Award-winning composer and pianist

David Louie - Member of Grammy Award-nominated ARC Ensemble

Malcolm Lowe - Concertmaster of Boston Symphony, faculty at Tanglewood Music Center

Lois Marshall - Opera singer, Companion of the Order of Canada

Sir Roger Norrington - Principal Conductor of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra

Kent Nagano - Conductor, and music director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and the Bavarian State Opera

Jon Kimura Parker - Award-winning pianist; faculty at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University; Officer of the Order of Canada; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Adrianne Pieczonka - JUNO Award-nominated opera singer, Officer of the Order of Canada; Vocal Chair, Head of the Vocal Department, The Glenn Gould School

Gary Rideout - Tenor

R. Murray Schafer - Composer and Educator; recipient of Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement; faculty member and Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Barry Shiffman - Violinist and violist; Co-founder of the St. Lawrence String Quartet; Director, Banff International String Quartet Festival; Artistic Director, Rockport Music; Director, The Taylor Academy; Associate Dean, The Glenn Gould School

St. Lawrence String Quartet - Award-winning classical music ensemble

Teresa Stratas - Grammy Award-winning opera singer, Officer of the Order of Canada

Jon Vickers - Renowned opera singer, Companion of the Order of Canada

Andrew Wan - Concertmaster, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Dianne Werner - Pianist, Member of Grammy Award-nominated ARC Ensemble

Monica Whicher - Celebrated Soprano

Music – Non-Classical

Randy Bachman - Guitarist, founding member of The Guess Who and BTO (Bachman Turner Overdrive), Officer of the Order of Canada; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Rob Baker - Guitarist and songwriter, The Tragically Hip

Vivie-ann Bakos (aka BLOND:ISH) - JUNO Award-winning music producer and DJ

Guido Basso - Trumpeter

Jaycelyn Brown - Pianist, member of JUNO Award-winning band Said The Whale

Bruce Cockburn - JUNO Award-winning folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Officer of the Order of Canada

Burton Cummings - Performer, singer-songwriter, member of The Guess Who, and Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Phil Dwyer - Saxophonist, pianist, and composer; multiple JUNO and National Jazz Award-winner; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Leandra Earl - Guitarist and member of the JUNO Award-winning band The Beaches

Bob Ezrin - JUNO Award-winning record producer; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

David Foster - Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe/Grammy Award-winning musician and record producer, Officer of the Order of Canada; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Nelly Furtado - Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter

Chilly Gonzales - Grammy award-winning pianist, songwriter, and producer

Lawrence Gowan - Award-winning solo performer and member of Styx

Emily Haines - Singer and songwriter, JUNO Award-winning band Metric

Jeff Healey - JUNO Award-winning jazz guitarist and singer

Carly Rae Jepsen - Award-winning singer-songwriter

Anika Johnson - composer, music director, and performer

Britta Johnson - composer, lyricist, and playwright

Kiesza - JUNO Award-winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist

Diana Krall - Grammy and JUNO Award-winning jazz singer and pianist; Officer of the Order of Canada

Chantal Kreviazuk - JUNO Award-winning singer-songwriter and pianist; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

k.d. lang - Grammy and JUNO Award-winning singer-songwriter; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Luna Li - singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer

Gordon Lightfoot - Singer and songwriter, Companion of the Order of Canada

Jens Lindemann - Echo Klassik Award-winning and Grammy and JUNO-nominated trumpeter, faculty at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music

Amanda Marshall - JUNO Award-winning singer-songwriter

Loreena McKennitt - JUNO Award-winning singer, pianist and composer; Member of the Order of Canada

Sarah McLachlan - Multiple JUNO/Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, Officer of the Order of Canada

Tate McRae - JUNO Award-winning singer and songwriter 

Stephan Moccio - Grammy and Academy Award-nominated songwriter, musician, and producer

Phil Nimmons - Founding member of the Canadian League of Composers; Director Emeritus of Jazz Studies at the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto

Bryant Olender - Genie Award-nominated musician and Musical Director for Michael Bublé

Owen Pallett - composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist, member of Grammy/JUNO Award-winning Arcade Fire

Lia Pappas-Kemps - composer, singer

Richard Reed Parry - Guitarist and composer, member of the Grammy/JUNO Award-winning band Arcade Fire

Meghan Patrick - JUNO Award-winning country singer-songwriter

Ryan Peake - Guitarist, member of Grammy and JUNO Award-winning band Nickelback

Oscar Peterson - Grammy and JUNO Award-winning pianist and composer, Companion of the Order of Canada; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Doug Riley - Composer and pianist, AKA Dr. Music

Paul Shaffer - Musician, actor, composer, Musical Director for Late Night With David Letterman, Member of the Order of Canada

Sarah Slean - JUNO Award-nominated singer-songwriter

Dan Snaith - Canadian composer, musician, and recording artist who has performed under the stage names Caribou, Manitoba, and Daphni

Alexander Stewart - singer-songwriter

Tegan and Sara - JUNO Award-winning singers and songwriters

Shania Twain - Award-winning singer-songwriter, Officer of the Order of Canada

Leif Vollebekk - indie folk singer-songwriter and JUNO award-winner

Greg Wells - Grammy Award-winning producer, musician and composer

Wesley Williams - JUNO Award-winning musician and actor, AKA Maestro Fresh Wes

Business

Denise Donlon - Business executive, television, producer, host, and Member of the Order of Canada; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Ian Ihnatowycz - Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Generation Capital, Inc.; Co-chair, The RCM Founders; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Michael Koerner - President of Canada Overseas Investments Limited; Chancellor of The Royal Conservatory

Dance

Guillaume Côté - Principal Dancer, National Ballet of Canada

Veronica Tennant - Producer, director, filmmaker and former Prima Ballerina, National Ballet of Canada

Film & Television

Kim Cattrall - Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning actress

Norman Jewison - Multiple Academy Award-nominated film director, Companion of the Order of Canada

Kristin Kreuk - Actress

Simu Liu - Award-winning actor

Sandra Oh - Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning actress

Ryan Reynolds - Film actor

Government & Politics

The Hon. Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella - Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada

The Right Hon. Kim Campbell - Canada's 19th Prime Minister

Aline Chrétien - Spouse of former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien

The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson - 26th Governor General of Canada

The Hon. Kirsty Duncan - Minister of Science and Sport

The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper - 22nd Prime Minister of Canada

The Hon. Lois Hole -15th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta

The Hon. Barbara McDougall - Advisor at Aird & Berlis LLP; former Secretary of State for External Affairs

The Hon. Bob Rae - 21st Premier of Ontario

Literature

Barbara Gowdy - Giller Prize/Governor General/Man Booker Prize nominee

Tomson Highway - Award-winning author and playwright; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Annabel Lyon - Giller and Governor General’s Award-nominated author

Ann-Marie MacDonald - Author, recipient of Commonwealth Writers Prize and Governor General’s Award for Literary Merit

Media

Jeanne Beker - Television host and journalist

Piya Chattopadhyay - CBC broadcaster

Ivan Fecan - Former head of Bell Media

Heather Hiscox - Television anchor, CBC News Network

Tanya Kim - Television personality

Ben Mulroney - Television anchor

Omar Sachedina - Television anchor, CTV National News

George Stroumboulopoulos - Gemini Award-winning broadcaster

Science & Medicine

Dr. Roberta Bondar - Neurologist, Astronaut, Photographer 

Dr. Rob Hegele - Endocrinologist, Director of the Blackburn Cardiovascular Genetics Lab at Robarts Research Institute and London Regional Genomics Centre; Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at Western University

Dr. Rick Hegele - Chief of Pathology, Sick Kids Hospital and Departmental Chair of Pathology, University of Toronto

Dr. Maral Ouzounian - Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Network (Toronto)

Dr. Terry Tam - Attending ER physician at Saanich Peninsula Hospital; Concertmaster of Victoria Symphony; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory

Dr. Marta Witer - Doctor of Optometry, past president of the Vision Institute of Canada

Dr. Samuel Wong - Eye surgeon, conductor of more than 35 performances with New York Philharmonic

Sports

Jeremiah Brown - Silver Medal-winner at 2012 Summer Olympic Games in Men's Rowing

Patrick Chan - World champion figure skater and Olympic medallist

Alex Gough - Two-time medal winner at 2018 Winter Olympics in Women's Luge

Sean Morley - Multiple WWF Championship-winning professional wrestler AKA Val Venis

Scott Niedermayer - NHL Defenceman

Eric Radford - World champion pairs figure skater and Olympic medallist; Honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory