Aaron Manswell
Assistant Professor of Music, Industry & Technology
College of Arts, School of Fine Art and Music
About
Dr. Aaron Manswell is an award-winning Canadian composer whose soulful, genre-defying music paints vivid contemporary soundscapes. His works, spanning classical, R&B, hip-hop, and gospel, have been premiered by leading ensembles across North America, Europe, and Asia, including the San Francisco Symphony, the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, and Choral Arts Initiative, whose album Tapestry of Becoming (featuring his piece "Stick with Love") debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Traditional Classical chart. This song also premiered at Carnegie Hall in June 2026. Manswell was featured in the Canadian Opera Company’s Showcase Series and was the 2024/2025 season Composer-in-Residence for the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. An in-demand producer and keyboardist for award-winning pop artists, he also composes for film and holds degrees from Oakwood University, the University of Memphis, and graduated from the University of Toronto with a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition. He is Assistant Professor of Music, Industry & Technology at the University of Guelph and sits on the Choirs Ontario Board of Directors.
Visit aaronmanswell.com to learn more and purchase his music.
Education
Publications
Manswell, A. (2026). The Only One. Off-Spring Music Inc.
Manswell, A. (Arranger), Johnson, J. W. (Lyricist), Johnson, J. R. (Composer). (2025). Lift Every Voice and Sing. The Royal Conservatory. Voice Repertoire 5 (2025 ed., pp. 15-17). RCM Publishing.
Manswell, A. (2025). One Thing at a Time. Off-Spring Music Inc.
Manswell, A. (2025). Good News. Gentry Publications.
Manswell, A. (Composer & Lyricist), Hughes, L. (Lyricist). (2025). My People. Gentry Publications.
Manswell, A. (2024). Poverty. Off-Spring Music Inc.
Manswell, A. (Composer & Lyricist), King Jr., M. L. (Lyricist). (2022). Stick with Love. Off-Spring Music Inc.
In the Media
Ludwig Van Toronto - PREVIEW: "Sistema Toronto, Composer Aaron Manswell & The Nathaniel Dett Chorale Get Together In Concert"
Sistema Toronto - Creative Collaboration: "Sistema Toronto Students’ Engagement with Aaron Manswell and the Nathaniel Dett Chorale" by Kelsey Vivash
GuelphToday - "Aaron Manswell to lead final 2025 Music Speaks workshop in Guelph" by GuelphToday Staff
University of Toronto Faculty of Music - University of Toronto Faculty of Music Gospel Choir released its debut single, “Do You See Them?”
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir - "Music with Purpose: Composer-in-Residence Aaron Manswell on His Latest Composition" by Yasaman Nouri
Ludwig Van Toronto - SCRUTINY: "Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s 25th Anniversary Festival Of Carols Is A Joyous Affair"
Ludwig Van Toronto - SCRUTINY: "Composer Aaron Manswell's Work Shines in Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Season Opener" by Hye Won Cecelia Lee
Toronto Symphony Orchestra - "Inspiring Young Hearts & Minds: A Look inside Our Partnership with Sistema Toronto"
Ludwig Van Toronto - THE SCOOP: "Sistema Toronto Students Create a Hip-Hop Single and Learn About the Power of Music" by Anya Wassenberg
Choirs Ontario - Dynamic Magazine: "A Conversation with Two Canadian Choral Composers" by Thomas Corken
Grand Philharmonic Choir - "Composer Aaron Manswell wins GPC Composition Competition"
Rogers TV - The Players Corner with Karim Grant: "One on One with Aaron Manswell"