Nancy Telfer

Biography

Sample Works

Nancy Telfer is a Canadian composer who received her formal education at the University of Western Ontario where she concentrated on music education, composition, piano and voice. She now works full-time as a composer.

Since 1979, she has composed more than 300 works for soloists, chamber ensembles, orchestras, bands and choirs, over 150 of which are published in Canada, the United States and Europe. Her music is performed in a number of different countries and she has been commissioned by many fine performers. In recent years she has given workshops to conductors in Canada, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Argentina, Korea, South Africa, Israel, Germany, Italy, Costa Rica and Guatemala. She is also in demand as an adjudicator and guest conductor.

Nancy's reputation for creative experimentation is linked with the belief that all music should delight the ears, capture the imagination of the mind and feed the soul. In each of her pieces she has attempted to bring some new kind of experience to the performers so that their lives might be more meaningful and more enjoyable.

Ms. Telfer has always been interested in the outdoors and has often drawn inspiration from the beauty of natural environments. She has been strongly influenced by the teaching of conductor Deral Johnson and arranger Kenneth Bray. She lives with her two sons in the country near Port Perry, Ontario.

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