Composer

John Estacio

Edmonton · Alberta · Canada

The music is breathing, alive and filling the room. Creation is current, immediate — today. John Estacio
Last updated: November 13, 2024

John Estacio ranks as one of Canada’s most frequently performed composers. His symphonic and operatic works have been praised for their assured command of lyricism, depth of expression, and brilliant dynamism.  

He has served as Composer in Residence for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. His orchestral music has been performed in Singapore, China, Europe, the United Kingdom, and throughout the United States. His first of five operas, Filumena, was filmed for television and was commemorated on a stamp issued by Canada Post. 

His orchestral writing has caught the ear of choreographers and the film world. The Cincinnati Ballet commissioned a full-length score for King Arthur’s Camelot, and his music for The Secret of the Nutcracker earned him an AMPIA Award for best original film score.

His Trumpet Concerto, commissioned by an unprecedented consortium of 19 Canadian orchestras, was recorded by the Mulhouse Symphony Orchestra in France. He has finished his fifth opera, The Cipher Clerk, and has recently completed new works for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. 

The five-time JUNO-nominated composer was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2021 and is a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Award for Arts. He recently received an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Wilfrid Laurier University.  

Upcoming events

  1. NACO Principal Trumpet Karen Donnelly shines as soloist in a program of musical adventures teeming with shadow and suspense 

  2. Free Livestream Video
     © Karen Donnelley et la Salle Southam

    Livestreamed worldwide - Principal Trumpet Karen Donnelly shines in a program of musical adventures teeming with shadow and suspense 

  3. Tales of rebellion and forgiveness from Richard Strauss, and a violin concerto inspired by jazz, spirituals, and Chicago blues 

NAC media featuring John Estacio