Education
- MMus, University of Toronto
- BMus Performance, University of Toronto
Biography
Brian McDonagh began his musical training at the age of fifteen. Two years later he made his orchestral debut with the Toronto Symphony performing the Schumann Piano Concerto. He has studied in Toronto, New York and Vienna working with, Garrick Ohlsson and Andreas Schiff. He received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in piano performance from the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto studying with Marietta Orlov.
He studied composition with Alexander Rapaport in Toronto and pursued post graduate studies in composition with Samuel Adler at the Juilliard School in New York City. Mr. McDonagh has performed throughout Canada, Europe and the United States. His compositions have been performed and recorded by members of the Toronto Symphony, the AMICI ensemble, the Chamber Society of Lincoln Center and several Solo performers both from North America and Europe and have been broadcast on the CBC in Canada and in Germany on the GRD. Works have been featured in three European Summer Festivals and was a top prize winner in three International composition competitions. In 1996 he joined the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto teaching piano literature, piano pedagogy as well as instructing students in the piano department.
Brian McDonagh is the Editor-In-Chief and founder of Plangere Editions. Established in 2009 the publishing house is now the largest publisher of Canadian music in Canada specializing in art song, solo piano music and chamber music. In celebration of Canada’s 150th year and in partnership with the Institute for Canadian Music, Plangere Editions has established the Canadian String Quartet Archive; the largest single national collection of published string quartet music in the world.