Project Story

Friends of the Desautels Faculty of Music would like to ask your support in naming two seats in the Desautels Concert Hall to honour the legacy of two special people Dr. Edmund Dawe, Dean Emeritus, and his wife Karla Dawe, Educator and Organist. Many of you know Edmund and Karla, but for those who don’t, they joined the Faculty of Music in 2007 and retired in 2018. Edmund was the Dean and Karla a full-time instructor. Little did Edmund know that shortly after he joined the faculty he would be called by then University President Emőke Szathmáry to fly to Toronto and meet a potential donor, a certain opera enthusiast and businessman, Marcel A. Desautels. That meeting literally as the saying goes – changed the course of history.

After Dr. Desautels’ 20 million dollar donation and through Edmund’s tireless work and good humour, with Karla’s talent and steadfast support the new facility became a reality. We were blessed to have them. Naming the two concert hall seats is a small way to say to them both once again, a heartfelt “Thank You.” It’s especially exciting, and so very fitting that the presentation of this honour would take place after Edmund’s solo piano performance on the afternoon of February 8, 2026 in the Desautels Concert Series.

A donation of any amount is welcome, and will help toward our goal of raising $2000 for the plaques. Your donation amounts will not be published on the donor wall of this site.

*Important disclosure: in the event that we do not reach our goal, all donations will still go towards the Desautels Concert Hall, just not the naming of seats. Donors should be aware that donations cannot be refunded, but that the donations will still be utilized by the Faculty of Music to support the Concert Hall.