Elvino Sauro (1932–2017)
Musician • Educator • Lifelong Learner
Class of 1951
Elvino Sauro’s journey at North Toronto C.I. began in 1947, when music teacher Jack Dow and Principal W. J. Houston arranged a loan for him to buy his first trumpet. Working at a Dominion store to repay it, Sauro quickly became a standout trumpeter, performing in school bands and eventually touring with jazz ensembles.
After his performing career, he turned to education, teaching film studies at Toronto Metropolitan University (then Ryerson), where a film studies award now honors his contributions. Even in retirement, Sauro never stopped learning, taking over fifty continuing education courses and returning to trumpet after a five-decade hiatus to perform in NT’s 100th reunion concert, Memories Forever. In 2011, he donated funds to support the concert medley and program design, and in 2013 he established the Elvino Sauro Music Award, an endowment supporting students in grades 9–11 for lessons, music camps, and retreats. Today, the fund exceeds $100,000 and continues to enhance NT’s music program indefinitely.
Following his passing in 2017, NTCI was bequeathed his three trumpets, including the one he purchased with the school’s help over 70 years earlier, its case covered in travel stickers. Known for his boundless curiosity, generosity, and love of music, Elvino Sauro’s legacy ensures that NT students will continue to be inspired and supported for generations.