Laurier cuts the ribbon on new Savvas Chamberlain Music Building

June 7, 2024

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Board of Governors and lead Making Space for Music donors Savvas and Christine Chamberlain cut the ribbon on the Faculty of Music’s newly renovated Savvas Chamberlain Music Building on June 6, 2024.

The renovated facility boasts vastly improved spaces for teaching, rehearsing and performing and has created an exceptional new gateway to the university’s Waterloo campus.

“Laurier’s Faculty of Music is a national and international leader in music education, music industry education, performance, scholarship and music therapy,” said Cynthia Johnston Turner, dean of the Faculty of Music. “Our new facility inspires and excites, making it an inviting hub for students, faculty, alumni and members of the musical community in Waterloo Region and beyond.”

To mark the building’s official ribbon cutting, the Savvas Chamberlain Family Foundation donated an additional gift of $1 million to the project, for a total gift of $5 million to Laurier’s Making Space for Music campaign.

“The extraordinary generosity of Savvas and Christine Chamberlain and the Savvas Chamberlain Family Foundation has transformed the Waterloo campus,” said Laurier President and Vice-Chancellor Deborah MacLatchy. “Generations of music students to come will have this inspiring and beautiful space for learning, practice and performance.”

Also present at the event were campaign donors and supporters including Robert and Judith Astley; Laurier Chancellor Eileen Mercier; Salah Bachir and Jacob Yerex; members of the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association; members of the WLU Alumni Choir; representatives from the City of Waterloo; and Laurier’s Board of Governors.

“The success of this campaign is the result of the generosity of many,” said MacLatchy. “Laurier is grateful for the support of its donors, alumni and community partners who are helping us deliver an exceptional student experience.”

The fundraising campaign for Faculty of Music renovations has raised more than $8.6 million to date. Additionally, more than $3.5 million has been raised to support research, professorships and scholarships within the faculty.

Pictured in photo from left to right: music student Emma Kusiar, Robert Astley, Judith Astley, Jason Coolman, Ryan Smith, Heather Carruthers, Deborah MacLatchy, Christine Chamberlain, Savvas Chamberlain, Maria Harper, Eileen Mercier, Paul Elliott, Cynthia Johnston Turner and Waterloo Councillor Royce Bodaly