Mariette Stephenson

Mariette Stephenson is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University, specializing in classical guitar performance and chamber music. She holds a Master of Music (performance) from the University of Toronto and an ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Her research interests include promoting women's contributions to guitar orchestras, contemporary compositions, and cross-genre collaborations. She actively performs as a soloist and with groups like the Ekleipsis Guitar Trio and Duo Calixa. Stephenson is also Music Director of the Kitchener-Waterloo Guitar Orchestra and co-host of the Classical Guitar Heroines Podcast.

Her discography includes Caminos (2016, with flutist Kelly Williamson) and Guitar for Self-Isolation (2023), both showcasing her innovative interpretations of classical and contemporary works. She has premiered compositions by William Beauvais, Patrick Power, and others, and her arrangements are commercially available through Sheet Music Plus and the Austin Guitar Curriculum.

Stephenson’s work is supported by grants such as the Bernice Adams Bursary Fund. She balances academic teaching with active performance, advocating for the enrichment of classical guitar’s cultural presence through education and collaboration.