Appointment
Gordon E. Smith’s appointment as director of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts extended
January 21, 2026
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Gordon E. Smith will continue as the director of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts for a further two-year term, effective July 1, 2024.
Queen’s University has appointed Gordon E. Smith as director of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts for a two-year term effective July 1, 2026.
Dr. Smith has served as director of the Isabel since 2022. During this time, he has overseen the planning and rollout of several seasons, including the highly successful 10th anniversary season and the current, 2025-26 season, which is curated around the theme of ‘Extending the Rafters,’ invoking the Haudenosaunee tradition of building good relations. This season includes 28 events and performances featuring local and internationally renowned artists, as well as the 2026 Bader & Overton National Piano Competition.
An ethnomusicologist in the Dan School of Drama and Music, Dr. Smith previously served as vice-dean in the Faculty of Arts and Science (2013-2021), interim dean (2016-2017), associate dean (2006-2012), and director of the School of Music (2003-2006). His current research examines music and intersectional cultural and social practices in Mi’kmaw communities in Cape Breton Island, specifically Eskasoni.
Dr. Smith received his Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and PhD in musicology from the University of Toronto. He also received the ARCT diploma in piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music.
