Biography
Diana Tayler is a composer and multidisciplinary artist based in Amiskwaciwâskahikan (ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ) / Edmonton, Alberta, whose work unites classical music composition with the tactile world of fibre art. Her dynamic creative practice ranges from intimate solo pieces to expansive dance and choral works. Diana frequently pairs her rich musical landscapes with original, fibre-based stop-motion animation, creating a fully immersive audio-visual experience.
Diana’s recent portfolio highlights a series of multidisciplinary and collaborative ventures across Western Canada. In 2025, she completed a mentorship with erψn temp3st through the Edmonton Arts Council’s Connections and Exchanges program sponsored by New Music Edmonton, culminating in "Spinning Stardust"—a work merging prepared and amplified harp with stop motion animation and fibre art. She was involved in a Canada Council of the Arts funded collaborative commission with Chenoa Anderson, Heather Hindman, and Dr. Emilie LeBel to compose "Unspun" (2024), a collection of solo flute music for which she is currently directing and creating a fibre art based stop-motion music video. Her contributions to dance and instrumental music include commissions for harp and small ensembles (“The Enchanted Harp” (harp, violin, fixed media; 2024), “Flicker" (harp, amplified match strikes; 2025), “Across the Ocean” (harp, bandura, cello, fixed media; 2026)) for Tasha Orysiuk of the Shumka School of Dance. Her recent choral work includes the 2024 commission “Воскресіння” / “Voskresinja” for Dr. Melanie Turgeon’s Kappella Kyrie Slavic Chamber Choir. Diana’s innovative work has earned support from the Edmonton Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, alongside numerous fellowships and academic scholarships that fuel her dedication to lifelong artistic inquiry.
Beyond her studio practice, Diana is an active leader, educator, and advocate within Edmonton’s contemporary music community. She is the co-founder of Sound Sculpting, an innovative composition workshop program that guides participants in exploring contemporary music and sound art through non-traditional notation systems. Diana holds Masters degrees in Slavic linguistics and music composition from the University of Alberta. Deeply invested in arts governance and community stewardship, Diana brings her organizational expertise to the cultural sector, serving on the Boards of Directors for New Music Edmonton the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers.
