Bio

Diana Tayler is a composer, harpist and multidisciplinary artist based in amiskwaciy-wâskahikan / 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. She is a member of the Allegra Chamber Orchestra's Composer INC 2026 cohort, and was accepted for Musica Intima's NOVUM 2026 with her recent choral work "Symbiosis". Recent multidisciplinary works include “Unspun Animated” (2026), a fibre art based stop-motion animation music video for her composition “Unspun” (flutes, fixed media; Canada Council for the Arts). This work portrays a disabled fibre artist transforming raw wool into yarn through hand-spinning- a fibre arts practice that gives her the necessary escape to maintain her emotional and mental well-being in the face of her illness.  Diana’s work "Spinning Stardust” (New Music Edmonton, Edmonton Arts Council) merges prepared and amplified harp with stop motion animation, storytelling and fibre art, chronicling the adventures of one forest gnome who, armed with a spindle and some hand-spun yarn, dips his long, delicate toes into the world of fast fashion. It invites one to ponder where their body ends and where their clothes begin, and how what we wear has the power to transform us. Other recent musical compositions include works for choir and harp (“Drifting”; “Воскресіння / “Voskresinja” (The Resurrection)”, and commissions from the Shumka School of Dance to compose and perform pieces for their female adult dance ensemble

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, a 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 serves on the Boards of Directors for New Music Edmonton and the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers.