Grad profile: Sharing the love of music

Spring Convocation: Rosanna Burrill, Arts and Social Sciences

- May 20, 2014

FASS grad Rosanna Burrill. (Danny Abriel photo)
FASS grad Rosanna Burrill. (Danny Abriel photo)

Music is what inspires Rosanna Burrill — and also what makes her inspiring.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Music degree, Rosanna is a musical polyglot. She’s as comfortable playing a fiddle in a pub, as she is a violin in a classical ensemble. She has made it to the finals of the Canadian Grande Master Fiddling Championships four times, and this year was selected as a violin soloist to perform with the Dalhousie Symphony Orchestra for the annual Concerto Night.

Her talents even go beyond stringed instruments: Rosanna is also a singer, a tubist and a trombonist. She’s so adaptable that she’s participated in nearly every music ensemble at Dal, from the Dalhousie Symphony Orchestra to the Dalhousie Chamber Choir.

That range has helped Rosanna weave her way into the fabric of Halifax’s music community. She’s worked as a freelance fiddler and violinist, playing with bands and ensembles around the city in a variety of venues and musical genres, from experimental to jazz, to folk and classical.  
 
Rosanna chose Dalhousie because of the people she met during her audition for the program, a decision she is happy she made.

“The calibre of playing in my year is phenomenal,” she says. “It’s really something to be part of that. And the music program has opened amazing doors for me.”

After graduation, Rosanna plans to continue with music, “to see where it takes me.” She has formed a band, Archer Lee, with her brother. The band is releasing its first album in June and is currently planning a tour.

This article is part of a series on our newest graduates. These profiles are also published in the 2014 Spring Convocation Keepsake, which is distributed at Convocation ceremonies. For more on Convocation (including live webcasts), visit the Convocation website.


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