• Biography
  • Selected Works
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Laura Hawley is a Canadian musician known for her distinctive compositional style, innovative artistic programming, pianistic sensitivity, and multi-faceted contributions to the musical and educational communities locally and throughout Canada. Laura’s compositions are commissioned and performed internationally, especially after December 2014 when a video-recorded premiere of her work “Alhamdoulillah” went viral on YouTube with the title “Welcome to Canada Syrian Refugees.” She has composed works for choirs across Canada, including Elektra Women’s Choir, Inuksuk Drum Dancers, Canadian Centennial Choir, Spiritus Chamber Choir, Orpheus Choir, Cantiamo Girls Choir, and Savridi Singers.  One of her commissioned works, “Au champ d’honneur,” is performed annually on national broadcast by the Ottawa Children’s Choir and Canadian Armed Forces Band as part of the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial, and was arranged for carillon in 2011 and performed on Remembrance Day on the Peace Tower Carillon.

Selected Works
  • The Sun Is Mine - SAB or SA, with piano. This piece is quickly becoming a favourite for children choirs and Jr. High aged choirs due to it's accessible melody set to a lovely text on nature and introspection written by Robert Hogg and Robert Priest.

  • Alhamboulillah (Live, Love, Share) - SATB or SA, with piano and doumbek. "Commissioned for Les Ensembles vocaux De La Salle and their director, Robert Filion, for use in a children’s choir for choirs from the French School Board in Ottawa. The commissioner requested a piece that would specifically draw in both Muslim and French elements, and this piece incorporates the well-known Muslim song, Tala’al Badru Alayna alongside new music with a French text by Jacques Prévert, and an introductory section/countermelody inspired by a call to prayer." - Hawley

  • Sonnet 43 - SSAATBB, a capella. A simple-sounding folk song piece, this piece exudes joy in all aspects, from the romantic text by Shakespeare to the melody lead by the sopranos throughout the piece. The melody is both infectious and playful, while the underlying harmony creates a bed of sound.  
Filmed at a December concert of elementary students from the Ottawa-area, conducted by Robert Filion, this performance of Hawley's "Alhamdoulillah" has been viewed over 2 million times.