JUNO and WCMA award-winning violinist and composer Meredith Bates has firmly established herself as a vital force in the Canadian music landscape — equally known for her refined introspection, fearless experimentation, and generous spirit of collaboration. Based on Salt Spring Island, BC, Bates has built a dynamic, international career as both an ensemble player and a visionary solo artist. Over the past two decades, she has performed and recorded around the globe with Pugs and Crows (JUNO and Western Canadian Music Award winners), Like the Mind, and Gentle Party, while also contributing to projects by leading creative voices including Peggy Lee, Tony Wilson, Leah Abramson, Lan Tung, Ruby Singh, CR Avery, Joshua Zubot, and Ford Pier. Bates’s artistry is rooted in continual exploration.Her studies span the classical and experimental realms, from mentorship with Philippe Djokic and Carla Kihlstedt to participation in Jerry Granelli’s Creative Music Workshop and residencies at Fylkingen (Stockholm), Western Front (Vancouver), and Banf Centre for Arts and Creativity. Her creative leadership extends beyond performance. She is the founder of Like the Mind, a transnational sextet of female improvisers, and Sound Migrations, a multimedia project uniting electroacoustic soundscapes with photographic art. Her ongoing interdisciplinary collaborations also include digital media and musical works with experimental filmmakers Ana Valine, Mena El Shazly, and Mily Mumford. In 2019, she founded the Improvised Arts Society, supporting interdisciplinary artistic processes through the Listen, Listen Festival and West Coast String Summit.
As a solo artist, Bates released her debut double album If Not Now (Phonometrograph, 2019), earning praise from critics and a Polaris Prize long-list nomination. Her 2023, follow-up Tesseract deepened her reputation for expansive, emotive soundscapes — described by the Vancouver Sun as
“haunting and completely addictive” and listed among Bandcamp’s Best Experimental Music by Marc Masters. Tesseract was nominated for the 2023 JUNO Award for Best Instrumental Album of the Year.
Bates continues to balance her work as a performer, composer, and arts organizer, fostering the growth of Canada’s experimental music community through collaboration, mentorship, and innovation
