Music grad finds confidence and success through voice study

by | Jun 9, 2026 | Alumni, School of Music, Undergraduate

Nadia Lurie points to a sticker of Snoopy on one in a row of bright yellow lockers.
“The infamous yellow lockers in the Music building,” she explains. “I will miss you, Snoopy!”

During the five years of her Bachelor of Music study in the School of Music, award-winning performance major Nadia Lurie was busy both on-stage and off — locally, nationally and internationally. In addition to her required classes, recitals and performances, Lurie took private voice lessons, participated in local mentorship programs, taught children’s musical theatre downtown and was accepted into a series of summer opera intensives in Salzburg, Sicily, Quebec and Edmonton.

Now, as she graduates at the Fine Arts convocation ceremony on June 10, we caught up with Nadia to reflect on her time at UVic. Nadia was chosen as one of just a handful of graduating students to be officially profiled by UVic.

Nadia Lurie with the UVic Chamber Singers in Noto, Sicily.

What moment or memory stands out most from your time at UVic?
It’s hard to pick just one, but in the summer of 2025, the UVic Chamber Singers had the opportunity to perform at the Sicily International Voice Festival. It was a beautiful week of singing in gorgeous Baroque churches, delicious food and bonding over the experience of living in a working convent with no air conditioning.

Where did you spend most of your time studying, hanging out or unwinding on campus?
Most of my downtime between classes was spent in what we music majors lovingly refer to as “the basement” of the MacLaurin Building’s B-Wing. I’ve always thought the orange floors and bright yellow lockers felt like the set of a children’s TV show. I will miss all the shenanigans we got up to down there!

“Performing opera in the round!” Nadia doing Mansfield Park at Edmonton’s Nuova Vocal Arts. (Photo credit: Nanc Price)

Which course or instructor had a positive impact on your academic or personal growth?
It has been very special to have been mentored by my voice teacher, Anne Grimm. Singing can feel so vulnerable. For all her students, Anne creates an environment that inspires confidence on and off stage. She is not only an amazing teacher but also so kind. She has supported me through all aspects of my degree.

What activity or experience outside the classroom meant the most to you?
In my second year, my “large ensemble” credit was fulfilled by participating in Pacific Opera Victoria’s Chorus during their 2022/23 season. To be able to immerse myself in the professional world of opera and apply what I was studying at school to the work I was doing on stage was so inspiring to me! I am also grateful to have been a recipient of POV’s Annamaria Bamji Award for Emerging Opera Singers.

 

“My last day at the Mozarteum International Summer Academy in Salzburg,” explains Nadia.
This trip was supported by UVic Music and the Johann Strauss Scholarship for advanced study of music in Austria. 

What are your plans for after graduation and is it the path you envisioned for yourself growing up?
I’m headed to Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music this fall to start my master’s of music in vocal performance. Having grown up in Victoria, I always dreamed of having the chance to leave the Island to pursue performance abroad.

What would you tell someone who is considering choosing UVic for their degree?
UVic is a friendly community! Your lifestyle outside of classes is as important as your studies themselves. It’s hard to beat studying on such a beautiful campus that is also within walking distance of the ocean. A beach picnic with your friends can fix a world of hurt!

Based on your experiences and training, how do you feel the arts can best benefit society?
The arts are essential! We need empathetic, curious and creative citizens, and arts education provides this. I know this from my own experience as an artist and performer, but I also see it in the children that I teach. Arts education is the way to a better future.

Eeman Masood’s digital tree grows in New York City

by | Jun 1, 2026 | Alumni, Award, climate, donor, Graduate, Visual Arts

New York City’s “Midnight Moment” is the world’s largest and longest-running digital public art program. Since 2012, over 100 contemporary artists have presented their work to millions of viewers on one of the most iconic public canvases: the electronic billboards of Times Square. There, for three minutes nightly and 364 nights a year (except for when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve), the ads are dimmed on 95+ screens from 41st to 49th Streets, and the art takes over.

For the month of February, a hand-painted animation of a banyan tree by Eeman Masood (Visual Arts MFA 2025) titled There is a voice that doesn’t use words, Listen — which was her MFA thesis project — transformed Times Square from one of the world’s most technological and chaotic boulevards into a poetic, immersive experience, reflecting on the silent languages of nature and the endurance of the natural world.

Born in Lahore, Pakistan, Masood earned her BFA from Lahore’s National College of Arts (NCA) in 2021 with a major in miniature painting before coming to UVic to pursue her graduate work on a fully funded scholarship. While at UVic, she was the recipient of several notable awards, including the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant, the Jeffrey Rubinoff Graduate Scholarship, the Jessie Allan Forsyth Scholarship and the Canwest Global Scholarship in Video Arts.

Masood’s work explores the emotional and spiritual connections between nature, solitude and ecological awareness. Combining traditional techniques with contemporary mediums, she expands classical miniature painting through intricate works and hand-painted animations. We caught up with her recently for this Q&A.

What does it mean to you to have your work shown on such an enormous canvas as Times Square? Did people literally stop and “listen,” as the title encourages?

“It was a magical moment, truly, and I feel very grateful to have had this opportunity,” says Masood. “My work features the banyan tree, under which many gatherings and discussions used to take place. Bringing that tree to the busiest street in the world and projecting it above people kind of recreated the same sense of gathering—but in a very different way. I would go there every midnight to quietly stand among the audience, and it was so moving to see people stop, sometimes filming at first, but then pausing and just absorbing the work fully.”

MFA grad Eeman Masood stands in front of her hand-painted animation of a banyan tree,
spreading nature & calm across chaotic Times Square (all photos: Michael Hull/Times Square Arts)

Your thesis project specifically focused on the banyan tree: why choose that as your subject matter? And why did you choose to create a hand-painted animation?

“The banyan tree is one of South Asia’s most prestigious trees, often called the mother tree or the walking tree because it keeps expanding,” she says. “It’s also endangered, and I wanted to raise awareness about that. But the work goes deeper, reflecting on how we are part of nature and connected to the universe. The title of the work is a quote by the Persian mystic Sufi poet Maulana Rumi, asking us to reflect within. Being trained in traditional miniature painting, I wanted to translate the detailed, meditative connection between breath and brush into hand-painted animation, expanding the world of my paintings naturally into motion: in the video, the leaves move slowly and naturally align with the breath.”

You received a number of awards and funding during your graduate studies: what did that amount of donor support mean to you, and what did it enable you to do?

“I am deeply grateful to all the donors who supported me during my MFA studies,” she says. “As an international student, it’s very challenging to manage living expenses while producing work and investing in materials: these awards gave me financial relief, allowing me to focus fully on my creative practice without constant stress. They also enabled me to buy materials I needed and take risks in my work. Beyond the practical support, it felt encouraging to know people believed in what I was doing. I honestly couldn’t have completed my projects without their support.”

How did your time in the Visual Arts department impact your creative development? How much of an influence was your grad advisor, Kelly Richardson?

“My time at UVic will always be one of my most memorable periods. Moving to Canada, it became my first home, and I felt supported by faculty, staff and students. Facilities like private studios, editing rooms and scanners allowed me to experiment and work freely, which was crucial for my creative growth. Professor Richardson has been such a positive influence: when I arrived at UVic, I hadn’t imagined moving from painting into animation, and much of that transition happened because of her encouragement and support. She always pushed me to do better, and her own work was a constant inspiration. We connected on many ideas, and I’ve learned a lot from her practice and journey as an artist. She helped me believe in myself and my work, especially during difficult moments, and I’m deeply grateful for her support.”

What’s next for you?

“I recently completed an artist residency at the Banff Centre, where I began a new animation project that I plan to continue developing. Alongside that, I’m preparing a new series of paintings. Moving forward, I want to explore how animation and painting can continue to inform each other, expanding the worlds I’ve been building in my work. It’s an exciting time to experiment, take risks and grow my practice—I’m looking forward to seeing how these new projects develop over the coming months and years!”

This story appears in the UVic Torch alumni magazine

Conference marks Canadian Association for Theatre Research’s 50th anniversary

by | May 29, 2026 | Alumni, Events, Faculty, indigenous, Research, Theatre

Keynote speaker Nininsky Lee Aquino

Our Department of Theatre was proud to support the 50th annual Canadian Association for Theatre Research conference, which took place at UVic from May 26-29 and welcomed an exciting mix of theatre artists, scholars and researchers from across Canada plus Phoenix students, faculty & alumni.

Co-chaired by Theatre professor Sasha Kovacs & University of Toronto’s Sarah Robbins, CATR50 brought together over 200 people to investigate questions of inheritance, transition, transformation and change. The conference was highlighted by passionate conversations — kicked off by keynote speaker Nininsky Lee Aquino — and performances by Git Hayetsk dancers, Theatre SKAM’s Aster Brae plus drag performances at The Vicious Poodle. Other highlights included the conference exhibition, panel, roundtable, praxis workshop, seminar and working group contributions.

The Canadian Association for Theatre Research was originally created in 1976 under the name “The Association for Canadian Theatre History.” Since its inception it has been the principal catalyst for expansion of theatre research in Canada, as evidenced by the change in name in 1990. It aims to shape Canada’s theatrical present and future by preserving and interpreting our theatrical past and investigating areas of contemporary theory and performance. Specifically, the Association works to promote research and publication of the results of this research into Canadian theatre and drama, to encourage the collection and analysis of Canadian theatre materials, and to maintain a communications network for the exchange of information and research in progress.

Sasha Kovacs & Sarah Robbins

This event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada Connections grant program, the Gatherings: Archival and Oral Histories Partnership, Canada’s Theatre Museum, Playwright’s Guild of Canada, Playwright’s Canada Press, Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, Talon Books, Belfry Theatre, the Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre plus numerous other departmental and community sponsors.

Special appreciation to Kurt Archer and previous co-chair Kara Flanagan for facilitating community artist engagement in this year’s event, Jenn Boulay for supporting accessibility plus all members of the incredible programming and local arrangements team for contributing to this memorable gathering!

Act 2 continues online June 11-12. See the CATR website for more info to join the digital act of the event.

Students & volunteers participating in Git Hayetsk performance

Three instructors earn teaching accolades

by | May 27, 2026 | Alumni, Art History & Visual Studies, Award, Faculty, Visual Arts

Congratulations go out to three Fine Arts instructors who earned accolades for their teaching this month: Ambreen Hussaini (left) won the Andy Farquharson Teaching Excellence Award at UVic’s REACH Awards, while Michael Reed received the Fine Arts Award for Teaching Excellence (Sessionals & Music Performance Instructors) and Laura Dutton earned the Fine Arts Award for Teaching Excellence & Educational Leadership.

Hussaini (AHVS) is recognized for advancing innovative, learner-centred teaching and mentorship. She fosters creativity, dialogue and critical thinking through reflective writing, visual analysis and community-engaged learning. Grounded in equity, curiosity and compassion, she brings decolonial frameworks and experiential practices — such as personalized territorial acknowledgments — into culturally responsive classrooms. By mentoring peers and TAs, facilitating workshops and developing curricula, Ambreen strengthens teaching practices across the university and inspires students to engage deeply with art, culture and one another.

Dutton (VISU) cultivates classroom environments in which students feel empowered, supported and recognized as individuals: her teaching approach fosters intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and professional confidence, supporting students as emerging artists with distinct voices and ambitions. Her dedication to teaching extends well beyond the classroom, serving as undergraduate curriculum representative, working closely with the program committee to develop curriculum and program navigation strategies. She is also one of the department’s strongest advocates for equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

Reed (AHVS/Medieval Studies) mobilizes his expert knowledge of medieval art, culture, and history with innovative teaching strategies that continually engage students, connecting the past to the present and showing the value of understanding history in the context of challenges facing us today. Grounded in the principles of EDI and intersectionality, his course design and dialogic pedagogy respond to the urgent call to replace colonial approaches to the European past; his desire to actively connect students to the past is enhanced by his embrace of technology, such as his use of an LTI grant to contribute to the Medievalism Mapping Project.

A previous REACH Award winner (2022) who has also received a teaching excellence award from Humanities (2021), to the best of our knowledge that makes Michael Reed the only UVic instructor to win three teaching awards in three different units on campus. A hearty congratulations on earning this remarkable milestone!

Music sponsors national choral conference

by | May 13, 2026 | Alumni, Events, Faculty, Research, School of Music

The School of Music is excited to be sponsoring PODIUM 2026, Canada’s national bilingual choral Conference and Festival! Co-chaired by Music professor Adam Con and presented by Choral Canada and the BC Choral Federation, this multi-day celebration runs from May 14-17 at both UVic and downtown Victoria, bringing together 400 delegates from across the country and 3,000 performing singers from dozens of choirs.

“It’s a celebration of the best of the best of what we do in Canada,” says Con in this Times Colonist interview. “We like to think that Victoria has more choirs, disproportionate to the population, than any other city . . . there’s a choir for every taste or flavour. That’s a good thing.”

But our involvement goes beyond organizing and hosting, as we’ve got Music students in the mix too: Sadie Karlsson is Podium’s volunteer coordinator, Dominic and Bree Ann Bartle-Clar are performing with the National Youth Choir of Canada, our Vocal Jazz Ensemble is doing a pop-up concert in the MacLaurin building’s A-wing (12:30pm Sunday, May 17), and we have two music education students assisting with the event’s technology. Also, 2024 Distinguished Alumna Carrie Tennant is directing a performance of the Vancouver Youth Choir, and a number of alumni are performing in the various featured ensembles.

Adam Con

Held every two years since 1982, PODIUM 2026 aims to ignite meaningful dialogue within the global choral community. Through offerings both on-site and online, we will showcase new music, bold ideas and exciting opportunities for collective singing, through participatory workshops and massed singing events. Key themes will look at the role of the choral arts in topics such as social justice, climate change action, health and wellness, diversity and inclusion.

“PODIUM 2026 is more than a national gathering — it is a moment of reflection, connection and renewal for Canada’s collective singing community,” says Con in this Victoria News article. At a time when connection and collective expression matter more than ever, PODIUM 2026 invites us all to raise our voices, not only in harmony, but in hope. In song, we find strength. In community, we find courage. And together, we shape what’s next.

Find out more

Naming A Crisis uses art to address overdose deaths

by | Apr 14, 2026 | Alumni, Events, Faculty, Graduate, health, Visual Arts

Organizers Stephanie Harrington (left) & Amanda Farrell-Low in front of Laura Dutton’s installation

Tuesday April 14 marked 10 years since BC declared the overdose crisis a public health emergency, and more than 18,000 people have died from toxic drugs: a decade on, nearly five people a day are dying. While that scale of loss is hard to comprehend, the new multimedia arts installation Naming A Crisis has been created to show the magnitude of this crisis . . . one name at a time.
Conceived of by Writing MFA alum Stephanie Harrington, Visual Arts instructor and alumna Laura Dutton and Amanda Farrell-Low (communications officer for UVic’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research), Naming A Crisis honours lives lost to toxic drugs. “We wanted to honour these individuals but also convey the scale of loss at the same time, because it’s astronomical,” Farrell-Low said in this Victoria News article.
Presented by the Victoria Arts Council and running through April 26 on the lower floor of downtown’s Bay Centre, one of the most powerful visual highlights of Naming A Crisis is Dutton’s three-channel audio/video installation, which features the names and photos of people lost to drug-related harms — including family members for both Harrington and Farrell-Low. There will also be a series of community events throughout the exhibit, including art, photography, spoken word, participatory works, speaking events, workshops and more.
 
“I want people to walk away with a better understanding of the toll of this crisis and the human cost of it,” Harrington told Victoria News. “I want them to understand that there’s a lot of people doing work to change what’s happening and that there are solutions out there. There just isn’t the political will or courage to implement those solutions.”
 
You can also hear Stephanie and Amanda speak on CBC Radio’s On The Island.
 
See the full events list here.