Stephanie Urquhart (she/her) is a mixed-race pianist, composer, and arranger. Her spontaneity and sensitivity on the piano has been called “engagingly joyous” and “so thoughtful and expressive.” (Charlie Austin). She has been hailed for “putting the surprise factor back into smart, new original music.” (Edmonton Journal). In 2023, Stephanie became the inaugural recipient of the Salle Bourgie Mentoring & Debuts: Rising Star Award for Jazz Piano.

Stephanie’s debut album with Stephanie Urquhart Quartet, Concealment, was released in 2019 and was nominated for Best Jazz Album by One World Music Awards. She has worked as a clinician including for the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s 2021 Jazz and Creative Music Residency as a Faculty Mentor, and has been featured at international events including the upcoming 2024 International Jazz Composers' Symposium (IJCS) in Nashville, Tennessee, and previously at the 2019 IJCS in Greeley, Colorado, the 2017 IJCS at the in Tampa, Forida, as well as the 2017 Earshot Jazz Festival in Seattle, Washington. She won 2nd place in the Jazz Composition Contest for Women Composers in 2017. She has also received nominations for her music from the Edmonton Music Awards for Best Jazz Recording and Best Instrumental Recording in 2014 and 2018. Her Big Band music has been performed by Jazz Orchestras and Universities throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe. Stephanie is the current composer-in-residence for McGill Jazz Orchestra 1 in Montreal.

Stephanie would like to acknowledge that her career playing Black American Music is possible because of Black musicians that have, and continue to pave the way for us all. May we all acknowledge and be grateful that we have the privilege to enjoy music of this African-American cultural tradition.

As an active member of the theatre community, Stephanie has credits as a composer, music director, and pit musician on piano & trombone.
Select credits include:
PIANO: ‘The Sound of Music’ (Citadel Theatre); ‘Crescendo!’ (Shadow Theatre); ‘The Invisibles’ (Catalyst Theatre); ‘Ride the Cyclone’ (Uniform Theatre/SatCo.); ‘Spring Awakening,’ ‘Big Fish,’ ‘Footloose’ (Scona Theatre Co.); ‘Sister Act’ (MacEwan University Theatre).
MUSIC DIRECTOR: ‘Razia’s Shadow’ (Citadel Young Company); ‘until the next breath,’ (Catalyst Theatre); ‘Cinderella: A Christmas Patomime’ (Capitol Theatre); ‘Triassic Parq’, ‘Xanadu’ (Uniform Theatre); ‘Hansel and Gretel’ (Alberta Musical Theatre Company); ‘Twelfth Night’, ‘Drowsy Chaperone’ (Archbishop MacDonald).
COMPOSER: ‘Cinderella’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’ (Alberta Musical Theatre Company); ‘The Secret in the Wings’ (Studio Theatre).
Stephanie also works as a musical improviser having performed with Rapid Fire Theatre and Grindstone Theatre.

As an accompanist/collaborative pianist, Stephanie has played for choirs, theatres, and dance groups including Citadel Theatre, Quebec Drama Federation, Chœur des enfants de Montréal, Korora Choir Association (formerly Kokopelli Choir Association), BrailTones, T.I.M.E Association, YONA-Sistema, Encore!Sistema Québec, Alberta Musical Theatre Company, SCONA Theatre Co., Uniform Theatre, Shadow Theatre, Catalyst Theatre, Capitol Theatre, Shadow Theatre, Foote in the Door, Macewan University, Edmonton Public Schools, Edmonton Catholic Schools, Elk Island Catholic Schools, St George’s School of Montreal, Edmonton School of Ballet, Ballet Edmonton, Orchesis Dance, and Danse 1..2..3.

Stephanie received her Masters of Music in Jazz Piano Performance at McGill University in Montreal (Tiohtià:ke) and Bachelors of Music in Jazz Composition from MacEwan University in Edmonton (Amiskwacîwâskahikan). She has studied piano with Jean-Michel Pilc, Marianne Trudel, Chris Andrew, Ashley Urquhart, and has studied composition with John Hollenbeck, Joe Sullivan, and Allan Gilliland.