Shaun Elder

Shaun Elder has been associated with The Royal Conservatory of Music since 1994 and has worked in a variety of roles, including strategic planning, fundraising, government relations, and technology development. He served as The Conservatory’s first director of development after its separation from the University of Toronto in the early 1990s and initiated successful campaigns to reconnect with Conservatory alumni across Canada, and also to support the restoration of Mazzoleni Hall.

Shaun played a key role in securing government operating funding for The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School. This led to a role in government relations and grant proposal development in support of various Conservatory initiatives, including efforts to secure funding for the launch of The Conservatory’s Learning Through the Arts Youth Empowerment Program in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Since 2002, Shaun has led a series of technology initiatives, beginning with a project that digitized a number of successful Learning Through the Arts lesson plans, and then the development and testing of a pioneering music creation software prototype, Sequer. In 2012, Shaun released an app that allows piano students and listeners to remix famous works in the classical piano canon. The app attracted positive reviews from leading reviewers, including The Music Void, who described it as “breaking new ground.”

In his leadership mandate with Learning Through the Arts, Shaun’s expertise in app development, institutional advancement and strategic planning will help him guide the evolution of the LTTA program within the burgeoning market for digital learning resources and tools in schools.

A composer and violist, Shaun completed the Orchestral Training Program at The Royal Conservatory after earning a BA in Philosophy at University of Toronto. His music for harp, guitar, and piano has been heard on CBC and National Public Radio.