Carlos Foggin
Affiliations
Graduate Student - PhD - Transdisciplinary Research
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Member
Graduate College
Contact information
Background
Credentials
Fellow, Royal Canadian College of Organists, 2016
Associate, Royal Canadian College of Organists, 2013
Colleague, Royal Canadian College of Organists, 2008
Educational Background
M.Mus University of Calgary, 2026
B.Mus University of Calgary, 2016
Rozsa Executive Arts Leadership (REAL) University of Calgary - Haskayne School of Business, 2021
Rozsa Arts Management Program (RAMP) University of Calgary - Haskayne School of Business, 2019
Biography
Carlos Foggin is an organist, conductor, and scholar whose work brings together music, religious studies, liturgy, and community-based practice. He holds degrees in organ performance and conducting from the University of Calgary and has worked extensively as a performer, conductor, educator, and arts administrator. His professional experience includes founding and leading musical ensembles, producing concerts, and developing collaborative projects that bring professional musicians and community participants together.
Carlos is currently pursuing a PhD in Transdisciplinary Studies at the University of Calgary under the supervision of Dr. Joy Palacios, where his research examines Gregorian chant and organ improvisation in contemporary Roman Catholic worship. His research explores how musical traditions are learned, transmitted, and transformed through both formal sources and lived practice. In particular, he is interested in forms of knowledge that are often difficult to capture through conventional academic methods, including the knowledge held by performers, teachers, clergy, congregations, and communities.
His approach is shaped by his experience as both a practitioner and researcher. Rather than treating scholarship and musical practice as separate activities, Carlos is interested in what each can reveal about the other. His work draws on musicology, religious studies, ethnographic approaches, historical research, and practice-based inquiry, while recognizing the importance of knowledge held within musical and religious communities. Through this transdisciplinary perspective, he seeks to create meaningful dialogue between academic scholarship and the people and practices that sustain musical and liturgical traditions.
Research
Areas of Research
My research investigates how Gregorian chant–based organ improvisation can function as a living tradition within contemporary Roman Catholic worship. Drawing on archival research, interviews, ethnography, and my own practice as a liturgical organist, I explore how musical and ritual knowledge is transmitted through participation, mentorship, and performance. Using the Diocese of Calgary as a case study, my work examines the relationship between tradition and renewal while contributing to broader understandings of cultural heritage, religious practice, and embodied knowledge.
Participation in university strategic initiatives
Projects
A diocesan initiative dedicated to the performance and transmission of Gregorian chant and sacred music in contemporary Catholic worship. As Director, I lead the Schola in providing music for men’s Masses, conferences, and diocesan liturgies, while developing opportunities for musical formation, mentorship, and community participation.
Project partner: Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary
As Founder and Artistic Director of Marquis Music, I lead a project-based musical organization dedicated to creating ambitious, collaborative, and interdisciplinary performances in Alberta. Marquis Music brings together professional and emerging musicians across orchestral, choral, operatic, and sacred music traditions, developing flexible ensembles tailored to the artistic needs of each project.
Ensembles include: Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Choir, Opera Orchestra, and a 'fun' Social Orchestra.
Our work spans opera, oratorio, ballet, sacred music, chamber music, and other large-scale collaborative productions. Rather than operating within the fixed structure of a traditional orchestra or choir, Marquis Music builds purpose-driven ensembles around individual artistic projects, bringing together the musicians, singers, and creative partners best suited to each work.
At the heart of Marquis Music is a commitment to artistic collaboration and meaningful musical experiences. We seek to create opportunities for musicians and other artists to work together at a high level while contributing to Alberta’s cultural life through distinctive performances and ambitious regional projects. By connecting artists across disciplines and creating space for projects that might otherwise be difficult to realize, Marquis Music aims to expand the possibilities of ensemble-based music-making.
The ‘Litany of St. Joseph’ project is a 13-movement oratorio that explores the life and virtues of St. Joseph through a series of musical meditations. Scored for 4 soloists, organ, orchestra, and choir, it blends traditional liturgical texts with contemporary musical language.
The work received its first performance on March 17, 2025, at Calgary's Jack Singer Concert Hall.
On October 7, 2026, the score and recording were presented to Monsigneur Marcos Pavan (Music director of the Sistine Chapel) by Apostolic Nuncio to Canada, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič. The score and recording were subsequently presented to Pope Leo XIV by Monsigneur Pavan.
Repeat performances in Canada (Calgary, Montreal & Ottawa) and the United States (Texas & Florida) are in the early planning stages.
Co-founder of the Calgary-based jazz ensemble. I oversee operations, production, and artistic collaboration, curating innovative performances that showcase both established and emerging vocalists and instrumentalists.
Founder and Music Director | 2016–2025
Led all artistic and administrative aspects of the organization, including repertoire selection, rehearsal and performance direction, and collaboration with guest soloists. Presented engaging orchestral programs across Alberta.
Music Director Laureate | 2025–present
Provides ongoing mentorship and advocacy in support of live classical music.
Awards
- Creativity Award in Connection, Community and Culture, University of Calgary – Faculty of Arts. 2026
- Music's Future Scholar, The Recording Industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund. 2025
- Classical Recording of the Year (Producer), YYC Music Awards. 2025
- Professional Artist of the Year, Airdrie Mayor's Night of the Arts. 2025
- Community Ensemble of the Year, YYC Music Awards. 2024
- Queen Elizabeth II - Platinum Jubilee Medal, 2022
- Alberta Emerging Artist Award, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. 2020
- Compelling Calgarian, Calgary Herald. 2019
In the News
- 2026 Arts Awards Recipients. University of Calgary Website. (2026)
- Concert & Premiere of Composition. Calgary Catholic Diocese Web Blog. (2025)
- Preview of St. Joseph Litany. Catholic News Network. (2025)
- YYC Music Awards 2024 Winners. YYC Music Awards Website. (2024)
- Alberta Emerging Artist Announcement. Youtube/Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards. (2020)
- Compelling Calgarian. Calgary Herald. (2020)
More Information
I am a full member of the Royal Canadian College of Organists (RCCO), Canada’s oldest national association of musicians. Founded in 1909, the RCCO is dedicated to promoting a vibrant community focused on the transformative power of organ music, supporting performers, educators, and composers across the country while preserving Canada's rich organ heritage.
- Vice-President, Calgary Centre (2026-)
- College of Examiners (2026-)
- Fellow (2016)
- Associate (2013)
- Colleague (2008)
In 2016, I founded the Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra. In 2018, the organization became a registered charity. In 2019, the Orchestra took up residence in the Polaris Theatre. From 2016-2024, I worked as both the music director and executive director, growing the organization from a $40,000 budget in our inaugural season to over $300,000 in 2025.
During my 9-season tenure, the RMSO performed nearly 100 concerts in 18 venues across the province.
- Music Director Laureate (2025-)
- Music Director (2016-2025)
- Founder (2016)
As the Founder and Artistic Director of the Marquis Chamber Orchestra, I've been privileged to lead this project-based ensemble dedicated to flexible, large-scale collaborative and sacred masterworks. Under my direction, the orchestra and chorus performed the March 2025 world premiere of my own large-scale composition, The Litany of St. Joseph, at the Jack Singer Concert Hall.
The orchestra also collaborates with opera companies and choral societies on a project basis.
- Founder & Music Director (2025-)
Within the university community, Foggin served as a volunteer with the School of Creative and Performing Arts Graduate Society (SCPAGS). During a period of programmatic restructuring of graduate degree programs between the School and the Faculty of Arts, the executive team actively advocated to ensure that graduate student concerns remained central to institutional decision-making. Additionally, they successfully secured grant funding to establish and brand a dedicated graduate student lounge within the SCPA.
- SCPA Graduate Society - Treasurer (2025-26)
- SCPA Graduate Society - Secretary (2024-25)
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