Joanna Estelle

Joanna Estelle (Storoschuk) is a Canadian composer, lyricist, and arranger whose music has won critical acclaim from Parliament Hill, Ottawa to London (UK), Barcelona (Spain), and elsewhere around the world. Joanna studied classical piano and theory with the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto) as a young person, but her parents dissuaded her from pursuing music as a career. Instead, she graduated in Psychology and English (Brock, ’72), then went on to study Certified Management Accounting. However, her enthusiasm for music never waned. While building a successful professional career in Canada's federal public service, Joanna channeled her creative energies into composing songs while studying modern piano, advanced theory, and arranging in her free time. She completed an undergraduate degree in music after eight years as a part-time special student at University of Ottawa, graduating summa cum laude on the Dean’s list as winner of the Faculty of Art’s silver medal (2009).

After leaving the public service, Joanna completed the MA Music Programme at York University, Toronto (2009-2011), benefitting from the tutelage of choral conductor Dr. Lisette Canton and pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico, as well as composer Larysa Kuzmenko (University of Toronto). She became a Melodious Accord Fellow of the renowned American choral composer Alice Parker and completed Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz’s Abwoon Interspiritual Leadership Program. Since 2016, she has been a doctoral candidate in composition through the University of Sheffield (UK) studying with George Nicholson: her research is focused on exploring the relationship between spirituality, science, and creativity, as applied to choral and vocal music.

Among Joanna’s many accomplishments, her work has been arranged and orchestrated for performance and recording by artists and choirs in Canada, the United States, and Europe, as well as broadcast on CBC. Two of her choral compositions were premiered at Canada’s National Arts Centre in Ottawa as part of the UNISONG festival on Canada Day (2004 and 2009). Her music is often included in recitals by the Dominion Carillonneur from the Peace Tower, Parliament Hill, Ottawa and her choral works are published by Cypress Choral Music (Vancouver). Joanna served on the board of the Association of Canadian Women Composers (ACWC) for many years to help promote the work of Canadian women composers. She was a founding member of the Ottawa New Music Creators (2008). She also established the Joanna Estelle Commemorative Scholarship Fund as a bequest to the University of Ottawa to encourage other women to find their musical voices.

Joanna Estelle's CD "Emergence" released by PARMA Recordings (Boston) in April 2018 features several well known musicians from Ottawa.

For more information, please visit: www.joannaestelle.com