Laura Swankey
Applied Voice
Award-winning Canadian vocalist, composer and improviser Laura Swankey (she/her) is known for her artistry, versatility, vocal aptitude and creative spirit. Laura holds two diplomas from Grant MacEwan University in music composition and jazz vocal performance, a Bachelor of Jazz Performance from the University of Toronto, and is currently completing a MA in counselling psychology. Laura has a unique approach to singing, using her agile, expressive and adaptable voice as an instrument in settings ranging from experimental music to traditional jazz, folk and rock.
Laura has worked with artists such as Juno award-winner Mike Murley, Mark Feldman, Poet Laureate Dennis Lee, Christine Duncan, and Ralph Alessi, and has premiered works by Juliet Palmer, Germaine Liu, Lieke van der Voort, Tova Kardonne, Elio Villafranca, and Mike McCormick. Along with her solo project for voice and electronics, Laura has extensively collaborated and toured throughout Canada, Scandinavia and the United States with Parade, Elisa Thorn’s HUE, Plastic Babies, Mike McCormick’s Proxemics, Jazz Bras Dot Com, Dr. Purgatory, and Star Triptych. Since 2013, she has been featured on over 25 studio and live records including two solo albums and eight as a co-leader. In 2018, Laura joined the University of Toronto and Humber College as an instructor in their respective music departments.