Esther-Ruth Teel

Esther-Ruth Teel is a multi-instrumentalist and composer specializing in pipe organ. One of the cofounders of queer collective Sapphonix, Esther-Ruth is passionate about interdisciplinary uses of the organ, and enjoys collaborating with dancers, cinematographers, actors, poets, and other instrumentalists to create novel performances. They are also an award-winning composer, having won first place in SOCAN foundation’s young composer competition in the Choral Category (2023). In 2024, Esther-Ruth Teel was commissioned by One Equall Musick for a new choral piece, was an invited guest performer at Les Vespérales concert series, and held a residency with Orgelpark in Amsterdam. 

They completed a master's degree in organ performance at McGill University, hold a bachelor's degree in organ performance from the University of Toronto, and a diploma in voice performance from the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Esther-Ruth is the music director at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Montreal. Previously they were the assistant organist at Christ Church Cathedral, the organ scholar and assistant conductor at St. Martin-In- The-Fields in Toronto, and the chapel organist at Wycliffe College, where they also founded and directed the evensong choir. Esther-Ruth plays Celtic harp and has recorded an album and performed across Canada.

Projects:

Vaga Fanciulla: Musique du 14e siècle en Italie, 2023 & 2024