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The Edmonton virtuoso leaves
behind a legacy of care and camaraderie.
Trailblazer. Inspiring. Motivating.
These were just a few of the words used
to describe Alexandra (Sandra) Munn
by those who knew her. A lifelong
musical prodigy and change maker in
the Alberta music scene, Munn built an
incredible legacy based on education
and excellence. She passed away on Sept.
30, 2023 at age 89.
“Sandra leaves a legacy through her
students,” says Mary-Lou Cleveland,
her colleague and close friend. “Her
gift of loving music has been seeded
across Canada and the United States
through students who are conductors,
performers, accompanists, singers,
teachers, composers and many are just
people who want to enjoy playing and
supporting the arts.”
Munn was born in Calgary in 1934
and her musical talent was quickly
apparent in her perfect pitch and
exceptional sight-reading. She moved
to Edmonton to study before leaving
to attend the world-famous music
school in New York City, Juilliard, in
1953. There, she completed a four-year
program in two years.
Following her graduation from
Juilliard, Munn returned to Alberta to
be with her family. She began teaching at
the University of Alberta.
Her engagement with Edmonton’s
music community also extended far
beyond campus borders. She conducted
the Richard Eaton Singers as well as Da
Camera Singers, taught privately, and
was a dedicated patron of local arts.
Her teachings reached countless
students in the Edmonton area who
have now also found success in the
music world. She also founded the
Alexandra M. Munn Scholarship Fund
at Edmonton Community Foundation
(ECF) to support highly talented
Edmonton-area students studying
classical music in the area of voice and
traditional orchestral instruments.
The singular purpose of the fund is
to encourage students ages 11 to 15 in
need of financial aid to pursue studies
leading to a potential career. This
program was just one of Munn’s ways
of giving back to her community after
having received scholarships herself
early in her career.
“Sandra was an absolute joy to work
with on our student awards for music,”
Anna Opryshko, ECF’s Student Awards
Associate says. “Edmonton’s classical
music community was fortunate to have
such a tireless supporter both onstage
and behind the scenes.”
During her life, Munn also
volunteered on other committees at
ECF including the Winspear Fund
Scholarships for Advanced Classical
Music and the Ranald & Vera Shean
Memorial Scholarships.
In total, these three programs have
provided $2.6 million through 654
student awards to nearly 200 students
— and it was always about the students
for Munn.
“She would talk about the music
and play through things with me and
just get me excited about the pieces I
was playing,” says Amanda Andrishak,
a student of Munn’s and two-time
recipient of the Alexandra M. Munn
Scholarship. “I’m a musician now — I
play piano for a living.”
Munn was well known for her
commitment to building community.
She often hosted gatherings to play
music and kept in touch with a wide
range of people from across the globe. A
chance to see some of her impact came
in the fall of 2022 with a trip out of town
to hear a concerto.
“Everybody who knew her
came over and chatted with her and
reminisced and it was the best gift she
could have ever had,” says Cleveland.
“She realized that she did make a
difference to a lot of people.”
While the impact of this loss will
be felt tremendously by the Edmonton
music community, Munn’s work lives
on through the many musicians she
mentored over the course of her life.
“I don’t think I would be here
without her,” says Andrishak.
A Musical Life
Image Supplied
Remembering Sandra Munn
By Aubrianna Snow