Raymond Murray Schafer, known as R. Murray Schafer, was one of Canada's most innovative composers and music educators, with a career spanning over half a century. Born on July 18, 1933, in Sarnia, Ontario, he displayed extraordinary creativity not only in composition but also in the domains of music education, environmental music, and acoustic ecology, a term he helped pioneer. He was a visionary thinker who considered the relationship between sound, listener, and environment to be integral to human experience.

Renowned for his contribution to the World Soundscape Project, which works to explore and document the acoustic environment, Schafer's compositions often reflect his deep engagement with the natural world and acoustic surroundings. His diverse output includes choral music, opera, chamber works, and orchestral compositions. Some of his most significant works include his Patria cycle of theatrical pieces and his critically acclaimed series of string quartets. His extensive series of compositions has been captured in recordings such as "The Love that Moves the Universe: The Choral Music of R. Murray Schafer, Vol. 4," "R. Murray Schafer: Loving," and "R. Murray Schafer: 12 String Quartets," among others. Schafer was not just a composer but also an educator who shaped new generations through his writings on music education, notably his book "The Tuning of the World." His compositions and theories about soundscapes have influenced musicians, researchers, and educators around the globe, earning him international recognition and numerous awards until his passing on August 14, 2021.

Genres

Canadian Classical

Canadian Contemporary Classical

Contemporary Classical

Latest Release

You Are Illuminated

R. Murray Schafer

Album - 14 Tracks - Released April 26, 2024