Lark McIvor is a Canadian composer and ethnomusicologist whose work explores cultural memory, medievalism, and imagined histories through contemporary creative practice. Drawing on research-informed approaches to notation and narrative, her compositions span chamber, vocal, brass, and multimedia forms, with premieres across the UK, Ireland, and Canada, including recognition as a finalist for the River Thames Composition Competition (2026). An active collaborator, she has worked with the Irish Composers Collective, County Hall Arts in London, the Festival of Creative Learning in Edinburgh, and her graphic scores were featured in the Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition (2021).

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Equally at home in contemporary compositional techniques and folk idioms, McIvor’s ethnomusicological research investigates medievalism, Celticism, and cultural memory in modern sound. She holds a Master of Musicology from the University of Edinburgh, where her thesis explored Irish National Celticism and medievalism in modern animation scores, and a Master of Music in Composition from Trinity College Dublin. Her scholarship has been published in Oxford Early Music, with further work forthcoming through the Gustav Mahler Privatuniversität für Musik. She has presented internationally at the Edinburgh Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference, the Royal College of Music, and the Koninklijke Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis.

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Working at the intersection of historical inquiry and creative practice, McIvor’s research and composition examine how sound shapes identity, place, and collective memory, with particular attention to how digital culture reframes narratives of belonging and history. In her studio, Low Key Lark, she provides private instruction in piano, voice, music theory, composition, and music history. She designs personalized curricula, accompanies students for exams, manages registrations, and fosters a supportive learning environment. Through online lessons and portfolio review, her students develop into skilled performers and composers, many of whom go on to study at leading institutions across Europe and the UK.