PROGRAM
Developing Artist Grants
Past Recipients
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Classical music (orchestral instrument)
Tiffany Tsai
Tiffany Tsai - Classical music performance (orchestral instrument)
Tiffany Tsai's goal is to pursue a career as a violinist. Currently entering her fourth year in The Glenn Gould School of Music’s Bachelor's in Violin Performance, she has been fortunate to have lessons and masterclasses from Jonathan Crow, Timothy Ying, and Almita Vamos, in addition to her current teachers Barry Shiffman and Paul Kantor. Some of her highlights in pursuing her career so far include winning awards in the Canadian Music Competition, as well as performing as a soloist with the Toronto Taiwanese Chamber Orchestra. More recently, she had the unique opportunity of performing as part of the orchestra for Tapestry Opera’s premiere of Gould’s Wall in the summer of 2022.
“I’m extremely grateful and honored to be the recipient of this year’s Hnatyshyn Developing Artist Grant-it is truly inspiring to receive this support for my pursuit of a career in music! Music has always been my passion-something that I see in the Hnatyshyn Foundation’s commitment to helping young developing artists such as myself, and admire for their continued dedication. This opportunity will allow me to not only further hone my technique, but also develop as musician, through my studies at The Glenn Gould School of Music. Just as this award inspires me in pursuing my career, I look forward to giving back and inspiring through my playing and performances.”
Classical music (piano)
Joshua Wong
19-year-old pianist Joshua Wong is a third-year student at McGill University under the tutelage of Dr. Ilya Poletaev. During his studies at McGill University, he received the Schulich Scholarship and has recently, with his trio, won the McGill Chamber Music Competition. Prior to his university studies, Joshua studied with Marilyn Engle and was a student at the Mount Royal Advanced Performance Program. He was the winner of the Steinway Piano Competition (2018) and the Canadian Music Competition (2019). As a soloist, Joshua has performed with the Calgary Civic Symphony and the Concordia Symphony Orchestra.
“It is an honour to be awarded the Hnatyshyn Developing Artist Grant. This award will allow me to further my studies and development as an artist. I am excited to contribute to Canada’s music scene and I am so grateful that the Hnatyshyn Foundation is supporting young artists across Canada.”
Jazz Performance
Steven Noronha
Since Steven Noronha started playing piano at a young age, he has been passionate about music of different genres, styles and conventions. Now in his fourth year at the University of Toronto, he feels fortunate to get to study with incredible professional musicians at the faculty and in the city, as well as get to learn from established players and thinkers in the community. He is very excited to continue his musical journey alongside his peers and to further explore improvised music.
“I am incredibly honoured to have received this award from the Hnatyshyn foundation. Not only does it provide me with significant financial support going into my fourth year of studies but also motivates me further to continue my musical explorations with a great devotion to the art.”
Classical Vocal Performance
Thomas Viñals
Born in Quebec City, tenor Thomas Viñals began his vocal studies with mezzo-soprano Sonia Racine. He then continued his studies at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal in Donna Brown's class where he obtained a Bachelor's degree with great distinction in 2021. He particularly stands out for his lyrical and warm tone as well as his great musicality in roles such as Ferrando (Cosi Fan Tutte, Mozart), Tamino (Zauberflote, Mozart), Alfred (Die Fledermaus, Strauss), Le Prince Charmant (Cendrillon, Massenet) as well as Nemorino (L’elesir d’amore, Donizetti). In 2021, he was a laureate of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques and wins a place the Orfeo Foundation, based in Amsterdam. During his academic career, Thomas had the opportunity to study with Olivier Godin, Martin Dubé, Liz Upchurch, Marie Ève Scarfone, Francois Leroux, Wolfgang Holzmair, Lena Hellström Färnlöf, Nicola Beller Carbone, Jacques Lacombe and Alain Trudel.
“I am really honoured to be the recipient of this generous grant in the vocal performance category. I would like to thank all my professors and the jury members of the Hnatyshyn Foundation for this great vote of confidence. This grant will not only help me complete my last year of study at the Conservatoire de Montréal, but it will especially facilitate my transition to the professional world.”
Contemporary dance
Clara Isgro
Clara Isgro is a dancer, performer, creator, and artist based in Toronto. Her most notable places of training include For the Love ff It School of Dance, Etobicoke School of the Arts, and The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University where she has trained in multiple styles including ballet, contemporary, Cuban contemporary, acro dance, modern dance, contemporary ballet, concert jazz, vernacular jazz, pointe, street styles, and hip hop. She is currently entering her 4th and final year in the Performance Dance Program at the Creative School of Toronto Metropolitan University. She is also an assistant teacher and choreographer at For the Love of It School of Dance where she assists with multiple classes of varying styles and choreographs contemporary pieces.
Isgro has an increasing interest in both acting and film but has a specific fascination with dance and film as a fusion of disciplines. Last year she had the opportunity to choreograph and create her own dance film that was featured at Toronto Metropolitan University's Choreographic Film Festival.
This past year, Clara has been exploring the art of dance theatre and clowning. She recently had the incredible opportunity of working with dance theatre companies Rock Bottom Movement and Frog In Hand Productions where she discovered her newfound passion for storytelling through movement and theatre. Her most recent performance was titled War of the Worlds: Reimagined choreographed by Colleen Snell of Frog in Hand Productions. She has also been involved in many virtual/film and live performances including works created by well-known professional choreographers, most notably Louis Laberge-Côte, Alyssa Martin, Ryan Lee, Kelly Shaw, Bonnie Kim, Jeff Dimitrou, and Colleen Snell.
“I am incredibly grateful and honored to be awarded the Hnatyshyn Foundation's Developing Artist Grant in the category of contemporary dance. I could not have achieved what I have so far without the help of many. It has been an incredible journey and I would like to take this opportunity to specifically thank my educators, family, and friends. My passion for this art form grows each and every day as I discover new and exciting ways to physicalize and create the stories I want to tell. I would like to personally thank the Hnatyshyn Foundation for helping me continue on this path of discovery and creativity as I complete my degree to pursue my dance/performance career. I look forward to my growth as an artist as I share the many things I learn and create along the way.”
Acting (English Theatre)
Sam Cooper
Sam Cooper - Acting (English theatre)
Sam Cooper is an actor and artist currently based in K’jipuktuk (Halifax, Nova Scotia). He is entering his final year of a B.A. with Honours in Acting at Dalhousie University’s Fountain School of Performing Arts, where he was the recipient of The Andrew and David Stitt Memorial Prize.
Following his degree, Sam hopes to perform and create theatre that explores the countless different forms of human connection. Collaboration has always been at the heart of the joy that Sam takes in performing and he is deeply thankful for the opportunity to work with his professors, mentors, and peers at Dalhousie University. He is constantly inspired by their artistic excellence and dedication. The valuable lessons they have taught Sam about art, life, and the perfection of one’s craft will be present in his work for the entirety of his professional career.
“I am beyond honoured to have received the Hnatyshyn Foundation’s prestigious Developing Artist Grant. This award has allowed me to prepare for my final year of study without financial burden. This is a privilege that cannot be overstated as I can now fully devote myself to art for at least one full year without concern for financial implications amidst the turbulent world currently surrounding all of us. I have been given the opportunity to commit fully to my dream of acting professionally and I intend to take full advantage of said opportunity.”
Acting (French theatre)
Flavie Bourgeois
Flavie Bourgeois holds a college diploma in Arts, Literature and Communication – Acting and Theatrical Creation profile from the Collège Lionel-Groulx. It was during this pre-university program’s comprehensive assessment that she realized what drew her to theatre: the solidarity within a troupe. Creating a 50-minute play proved to her that she was captivated by collective creation through writing, staging and acting. At the age of 18, she did a one-month internship at Tomorrow Spring, a school in Belarus. Working with students and professionals from Morocco, France, Russia, Algeria and Tunisia fuelled this desire to explore the international theatre culture.
Since she began attending Collège Lionel-Groulx’s professional theatre school in 2020, Bourgeois has been seeking to discover herself as a performer. She claims to be an artist who is especially interested in the fight for women’s rights. She advocates for parity on the stage either through her socially conscious writing dealing with issues such as domestic violence or by supporting improv leagues that wish to reach parity within their organizations. At the end of her training, she hopes to act, stage plays, write, teach theatre acting, do some dubbing and become a creator who reinvents herself, takes part in the community, and provides a voice for the voiceless.
“In my opinion, theatre is the art of questioning oneself, analyzing, taking interest, sharing and thinking – it is because of this curiosity for humanity that I want to make this my career. I am honoured to be supported by the Hnatyshyn Foundation as the recipient of the 2022 Developing Artist Grant for Acting (French Theatre). I wish to express my gratitude for their confidence in my work and their extreme generosity toward emerging creators in Canada. I want to also thank the teaching staff at Collège Lionel-Groulx’s professional theatre school for their support, Anthony L’Heureux, my friend and acting partner, Luc Bourgeois, for his sound advice and Louise Cardinal for her undying encouragement. Everyone’s support at such a decisive moment in my studies and personal growth is leading me to dive deeper with each of my learnings.”
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Naomi Wong- Classical music (piano)
Naomi Wong- Classical music (piano)
Toronto-born pianist Naomi Wong is currently a third-year performance student at the University of Toronto studying with Dr. Enrico Elisi. Naomi is an active performer, collaborator, and teacher, and enjoys being involved in her community. She regularly performs in outreach concerts at retirement homes, hospitals, and fundraising events, and maintains a private teaching studio. As the Grand Prize winner of the International Music Festival and Competition, Naomi looks forward to performing Chopin’s Second Concerto with the Kindred Spirits Orchestra in their 2021-2022 season. Naomi is extremely grateful to her current and past teachers for guiding and inspiring her: Dr. Enrico Elisi, Ken Marple at the University Settlement Music & Arts School, and Rachel Yu.
"For me, music is such a hopeful form of expression because it is born out of sound – vibrations in the air, which unlike words, cannot communicate hostility or prejudice, and unlike actions, cannot inflict violence or exploit the powerless. However, music is not merely sound; the artist plays an indispensable role in molding and shaping the physical vibrations that generate sound into something that is meaningful and inspiring. This grant inspires me to step into my responsibility as an artist, to play a role in realizing music’s tremendous potential to bring beauty, kindness, and understanding into the world."
David Liam Roberts - Classical music (orchestral instrument)
Winner of the 2021 Michael Measures Prize, David Liam Roberts is establishing himself as one of the most exciting Canadian cellists of his generation. Recent engagements have included an appearance as soloist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Daniel Raiskin, as well as debut recitals presented by Cecilia Concerts (Halifax), Virtuosi Concerts (Winnipeg) and the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg. David Liam is Red River Métis and is originally from Winnipeg. He currently studies with Hans Jørgen Jensen and Andrés Díaz at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
“It is such an honour to be this year’s recipient of the Developing Artist Grant in Classical Music - Orchestral Instruments. This award will help me as I complete my studies at the Glenn Gould School and continue to learn and perform in Canada and abroad. I look forward to contributing to the musical landscape in Canada, and I am so thankful for the support the Hnatyshyn Foundation is providing Canadian artists during this crucial period in our studies and career development.”
Elizabeth Polese - Classical vocal performance
Elizabeth Polese - Classical vocal performance
Praised as “powerful and engaging” [The Globe and Mail], Canadian soprano Elizabeth Poleseis a recent alumna of l’Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Centre, winner of the prestigious 2019-20 Sullivan Foundation Gail Robinson Award for Soprano, and of the 2021 Hnatyshyn Foundation Prize for Classical Voice. Highlights of her time at Opéra de Montréal included performances of Alice B. Toklas in the Canadian premiere of Twenty-Seven (Gordon + Vavrek), Miss Jessel in The Turn of the Screw (with Orchestre de l’Agora), Contessa di Ceprano in Rigoletto (with René Barbara as Duca), and covers of Marzelline in Fidelio (Orchestre Métropolitain), Agnès in Written on Skin, and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte (COVID-19 cancellation). Possessing an affinity for oratorio, many staples of Polese’s repertoire include Messiah, Carmina Burana, and several Bach cantatas, and she has won several competitions for her rendition of Mozart’s Exsultate, Jubilate (University of Toronto Concerto Competition, Toronto Mozart Competition, Ottawa Symphony Orchestra Mozart-Sénécal Prize). Polese is also at home in new music and has also performed works by Messiaen, Knussen, Foss, Gordon, Freedman, Cage, Crumb, Benjamin, and Stravinsky, among others.
The upcoming season will see Elizabeth performing in recital with her duo partner, harpist Antoine Malette-Chénier, with Les Concerts Ponticello and on tour with Orchestre Symphonique de Trois Rivères. She will also work again with Opéra de Montréal as Papagena in Barry Kosky’s spectacular production of Die Zauberflöte. Ms Polese is an alumna of many esteemed training institutions, including the Rebanks Family Fellowship of the Royal Conservatory of Music, the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and Highlands Opera Studio. Ms. Polese holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Toronto, where she studied under the tutelage of celebrated Canadian soprano, Mary Morrison (OC).
“Throughout my years of study, I have witnessed this generous grant fund the projects of my colleagues, who each are dedicated, excellent, and inspirational. To be recognized by the Hnatyshyn Foundation in this way is deeply meaningful, and I am dedicated to applying this grant to my studies to be a more empathetic performer. My goal is to reach audiences all over the world and make each concert-goer feel seen, connected, and transcended by the power of music – this grant will allow me to deepen my study as a physical embodiment of music making and vocal empathy.”
Jacob Chung- Jazz performance
Canadian saxophonist/composer Jacob Chung has garnered several accolades including the 2019 Prince Edward County Jazz Festival Rising Young Star Award and acceptance into the 2018 National Youth Jazz Combo. He is also the recipient of the 2018 Yamaha Passion and Performance Award and the 2017 Rico Golden Reed Award. Jacob has had the honour of sharing the stage with the likes of Dennis Mackrel, Rich Perry, Robi Botos, Jodi Proznick, Mike Murley, and Carn-Davidson 9. Jacob is featured on Jacob Wutzke’s 2019 EP Stop & Go and Thomas Steele 10tet’s 2020 EP 10tet. He also appears on the University of Toronto Jazz Orchestra’s 2020 album Embargo.
“I am deeply grateful to be receiving the 2021 Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance. This honour provides me the freedom and opportunity to continue honing my craft and pursuing my artistic ambitions without barriers. I would like to thank the Hnatyshyn Foundation for supporting young artists, Mike Murley for nominating me, and my bandmates (Jacob Slous, Evan Gratham, and Felix Fox-Pappas) for their time and talent during the process of recording my submission.”
Jérôme Zerges- Contemporary dance
Jérôme Zerges- Contemporary dance
Following his experience in artistic gymnastics and the circus arts, Jérôme Zerges discovered dance at the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal. This gave him a valuable opportunity to meet and work with inspiring performers and choreographers, including Linda Rabin, Lucie Grégoire and Marc Boivin. He has since absorbed a wide range of styles and approaches, helping him to shape his identity as an emerging dance artist in Montréal. This fall, he will begin his final year in the program, as well as an apprenticeship with the company Cas Public.
"First of all, I am grateful for the honour this scholarship represents, as well as for the generosity of the Hnatyshyn Foundation. This prize validates my choice of career, and will greatly facilitate my third and final year at school, allowing me to concentrate on my studies and my transition to the professional world. I am also grateful for the importance the Foundation places on the arts, encouraging young Canadian artists in their career choices — choices that are not always easy to pursue, but which are so essential to our communities. Thank you."
Anton Ling - Acting (English theatre)
Anton Ling - Acting (English theatre)
Anton Ling is a 21-year-old actor from Toronto, Canada, and is the recipient of the grant for Acting - English Theatre. He is in York University's Acting Conservatory and will be entering his fourth year this fall.
"Theatre has played such a huge part in my self-discovery in both the arts and in life. With theatre, I have the opportunity to explore my personal identity, as well as challenge myself to push past obstacles in life. As a Queer Asian artist, I am grateful for the platform that I have. My goal is to be a role model for the next generation of Queer Asian youth, to be a person they can look up to. I strive to inspire them to never give up and to keep pushing forward."
Doriane Lens-Pitt- Acting (French theatre)
Doriane Lens-Pitt- Acting (French theatre)
Following her studies at the Montréal theatre school, École Robert-Gravel, Doriane began focusing on Arts and Literature at the post-secondary level. Captivated by the possibilities of combining the performing arts with language, in 2019 she applied to, and was accepted at, the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal.
She has since explored theatre games in their many forms, alongside a number of inspiring artists. In Spring 2022, she will have completed three years of studies at the Conservatoire. She looks to the future with a keen desire to create news works, while perfecting her skills in singing, dancing and writing. Although her aim is to work in participatory theatre — her true passion — championing all genres lies at the heart of her artistic approach.
"What an honour! I would like to thank all my professors and the Hnatyshyn Foundation jury for this vote of confidence. The scholarship will generously support my final year at the Conservatoire. It will also encourage me to act on my artistic aspirations: I want to create, acquire more training, and push the limits of the language of the stage!"
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Michael Song - Classical music (piano)
Michael Song - Classical music (orchestral instrument)
Praised by respected cellist Ronald Leonard as having “prodigious technique, a beautiful sound, and something special to say”, cellist Michael Song currently studies with Hans Jørgen Jensen and Andrés Díaz at the Glenn Gould School; accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music at seventeen, Michael is also an alumnus of the Colburn School where he served as principal cellist of the Colburn Virtuosi from 2017-18. At Colburn, he studied with Clive Greensmith, Hans Jensen, Ronald Leonard, and Arnold Steinhardt. Michael has also studied with Lynn Harrell, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Richard Aaron, Laurence Lesser, and Danjulo Ishizaka.
Michael performs on a rare cello made in 1723 by Domenico Montagnana and a bow by Jean Pierre Marie Persoit.
"Receiving this Hnatyshyn Developing Artist Grant is a tremendous honour for me; I am distinctly proud to be Canadian, and it’s especially meaningful in a country that has become a launching ground for so many first-rate musicians. I look forward to the great assistance this award will have toward my studies in Canada, and I am endlessly grateful for the inspiration this grant provides me. Even past the immense benefit of the prize itself, it is absolutely inspiring to me to receive recognition like this from an experienced jury- it’s very motivating and moving to me"
Mariya Orlenko - Classical music (orchestral instrument)
Mariya Orlenko - Classical music (piano)
Ukrainian-Canadian pianist Mariya Orlenko is the recipient of The Ihnatowycz Emerging Artist Scholarship at the Glenn Gould School, where she studies under the tutelage of John Perry and David Louie.
Mariya received the Grand Prize in the Canadian Music Competition, and First Prize in the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition. She was the recipient of the Best Performance of a Canadian Work Prize at the OSM Manulife Competition. In 2019, she was a semifinalist in the Aarhus International Piano Competition.
Mariya has performed with orchestras across North America, including Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, Virginia Waring Festival Orchestra, Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra and the Kindred Spirits Orchestra.
“This award has granted me the opportunity to further pursue my career in music without fear of financial obstruction, especially in this time of global uncertainty. I am deeply moved and grateful to the Hnatyshyn Foundation for supporting young Canadian artists while giving us the opportunity to continuously grow, follow our dreams and give back to the community. As I step into the real world, this grant will serve as an important stepping stone, further developing and assisting me with my commitments in my education, performance and outreach!”
Adanya Dunn - Classical vocal performance
Adanya Dunn - Classical vocal performance
Mezzo-soprano Adanya Dunn is an alumna of the University of Toronto, Bard College Conservatory, and the Conservatory of Amsterdam. She has been a Voice Fellow at the Music Academy of the West, the Banff Centre, and the Rebanks Family Fellowship & International Residency at the Glenn Gould School. Upcoming performances include an opening recital performance in the Grote Zangers series at the Muziekgebouw and a solo recital in their Canal House series, and a concert tour of the Netherlands with her voice-piano duo, featuring original compositions and arrangements. Adanya is currently based in Amsterdam where she continues her private studies.
“This grant directly impacts and supports the deepening and honing my craft so that I may share my voice to empower, inspire, and contribute within all contexts of my musical endeavours. Through my classical operatic training, it is my mission to engage communities worldwide with my voice as the connecting thread to sew together larger tapestry of interconnectedness.”
David Hodgson- Jazz performance
David Hodgson- Jazz performance
David Hodgson of North Vancouver is the recipient of the Oscar Peterson Grant. This year, David is entering his fourth year of the Jazz Performance Program at the University of Toronto. Since picking up the saxophone in elementary school band, David has had the pleasure of learning from and working with amazing musicians across the country and elsewhere. He is constantly inspired and influenced by his peers, admiration of art and design, and an intense curiosity and excitement surrounding music.
“It’s a great honour to be selected as this year’s Oscar Peterson Grand for Jazz Performance recipient. This award provides tremendous financial support as I enter my fourth year of university and inspires me to continue creating exciting and meaningful music. Through the continued support of organizations such as the Hnatyshyn Foundation - the incredible talents of young Canadian artists are enhanced and refined”.
Maria Fernanda Riano - Contemporary dance
Maria Fernanda Riano - Contemporary dance
Maria Fernanda Riano of Toronto, Ontario is honoured to be this year’s grant recipient for Contemporary Dance. Maria returns this fall to complete her final year in the BFA Performance Dance program at Ryerson University where she has worked with many renowned choreographers and distinguished instructors. In 2019 Maria was chosen to participate in the world-wide Cunningham Centennial celebrations through the remounting Changing Steps, originally choreographed in 1973 by Merce Cunningham. The work was staged by Dylan Crossman and was presented at The Art Gallery of Ontario in partnership with Fall for Dance North.
"I am both thrilled and extremely humbled to have received this award for my ongoing development in dance. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to The Hnatyshyn Foundation to all of the educators who have supported me throughout my journey, helping to make me the artist that I am today. My passion for dance has driven me my whole life and today is a milestone testifying to my commitment to this art form."
Ella MacDonald - Acting (English theatre)
Ella MacDonald - Acting (English theatre)
Ella MacDonald is an emerging artist from K’jipuk’tuk (Halifax, Nova Scotia), completing her B.A. Honours in Acting & Certificate in Dance at Dalhousie University. In 2019 she completed the Animotion Puppetry intensive at Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia. Ella aspires to complete an M.A. in Performing Arts and become a certified intimacy director, and has special interests in artistic leadership. Her focus is currently on contemporary and devised works. In her career, Ella wishes to create new works that share questions about the world that we are all struggling to answer. When times are hard, the world turns to art as a source of joy, to provoke thought, and create community. Ella wishes to give back to her community by creating world-class theatre.
"When times are hard, the world turns to art as a source of joy, to provoke thought, and create community. It is a privilege to study performing arts in 2020, and I wish to give back to my community by creating world class theatre. The Hnatyshyn Grant will provide incredible financial relief for both me and my family so that I can focus on my studies before entering an industry which is now more uncertain than ever."
Camille Massicotte- Acting (French theatre)
Camille Massicotte- Acting (French theatre)
While studying at the post-secondary level, Camille played a continuing leading role in the television series O’, followed by a continuing guest role in the teen series Subito texto. During her final year of B.A. in Law at the Université de Montréal, she played the role of Cassandre in Le coupable [The Guilty], the third feature film from director Onur Karaman. These on-camera acting opportunities confirmed her desire to train professionally as a stage performer. In Spring 2021, she will complete a three-year theatrical acting program at the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe.
"I am profoundly grateful to the Hnatyshyn Foundation and its jury. For me, this competition has provided an opportunity to work in greater depth on scenes from the theatrical repertoire. In my opinion, the work of an actor involves analyzing and shaping a dramatic moment, in order to inhabit it completely. Thanks to the invaluable advice of actor and director Jacques Rossi, it has been a very rewarding experience. This grant will allow me to devote myself fully to my final year of studies in theatrical performance."
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Yu Kai Sun - Classical music (orchestral instrument)
Yu Kai Sun - Classical music (orchestral instrument)
Yu Kai is entering her final year in the Bachelor of Music (Honours) Program at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto under the tutelage of Professor Victor Danchenko. She is a recipient of the Henry Hung Foundation Full-Tuition Scholarships. Yu Kai has recently appeared as a soloist with the Mississauga Symphony, York Symphony, Oakville Chamber and North York Concert Orchestras. Laureate of the 2019 Glenn Gould School Concerto Competition, she will perform the Shostakovich Violin Concerto No.1 with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra in the upcoming season.
“I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to receive the Hnatyshyn Foundation Developing Artist Grant. This prize will serve as a major financial support towards the development of my musical career. It will help me in the expenses relating to national and international competitions, as well as towards my upcoming graduate school applications, for which I intend to apply to music schools in Canada, USA and European countries.”
Zhan Hong Xiao - Classical music (piano)
Zhan Hong Xiao - Classical music (piano)
Born in China, Zhan Hong Xiao discovered music at the Maîtrise des Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal [Young Choristers of Mount Royal] when he was nine years old. In 2014, he began classes with Richard Raymond at the the Montreal Conservatory of Music. The following year, he was chosen to represent Quebec at the CFMTA National Piano Competition, where he took 2nd Prize, as well as the Dorothy Buckley Prize for Best Performance of a Canadian Composition, and the Willard Schultz Prize — awarded by the jury to the most promising artist in the competition.
In 2017, he won the Grand Prize on the program Virtuose [Virtuoso], broadcast on Radio-Canada. In 2018, he took 3rd Prize in the Manulife OSM Competition, the most prestigious performance competition in Canada. He has also appeared on lists of rising stars in the magazine Scena Musicale (2017), and at Place des Arts (2019). As a guest soloist, he has played with the Sinfonia de Lanaudière at the Festival International de Lanaudière, with the Orchestre Métropolitain à la Maison Symphonique de Montréal, and with the McGill Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Boris Brott.
"I would like to sincerely thank the Hnatyshyn Foundation for believing in me and for presenting me with this generous award for studies in classical piano. This grant is particularly helpful as I begin my career, and I will always be deeply grateful to you. It warms my heart to know that there are organizations like yours which support and encourage artistic development."
Sara Schabas - Classical vocal performance
Sara Schabas - Classical vocal performance
Sara Schabas is a native of Toronto. She holds degrees from the University of Toronto and Roosevelt University in Chicago, and has performed with numerous festivals and opera companies in North America. She is currently continuing her studies in Vienna, Austria under the tutelage of Michael Schade.
“I am continuously awestruck by the power of the unamplified voice to transfix audiences with its visceral, vulnerable and transcendent expression of words and emotions. By studying in Vienna with Michael Schade and other world-class musicians, immersed in a different language and culture, I am developing my own tool kit to express myself with style, nuance, and hopefully, humanity.”
Evan Gratham - Jazz performance
Evan Gratham - Jazz performance
Evan Gratham, a 20-year-old bassist, composer, and arranger from North Vancouver and Toronto will enter his fourth year in the Bachelor of Jazz Performance program at the University of Toronto this autumn. Evan has been the recipient of numerous music awards, and is especially proud of those named in honour of some of Canada’s jazz pioneers: the Fraser McPherson Scholarship, the Phil Nimmons Outstanding Jazz Performer Award, and now the Oscar Peterson Developing Artist Grant. Having played his first professional show at 13-years of age, Evan has played with numerous established and up and coming artists at major jazz festivals (Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto, Halifax, Sudbury) and numerous other venues across the country.
“At its best, jazz is a model of what our society we can aspire to. Everyone brings their own experiences, ideas, and preferences, and we have no choice but to work towards the outcome together. When we interact, negotiate, and create music together, we end up with something far greater than the sum of its parts, a melding of ideas that we have all played a role in steering towards. This is the kind of music I strive to make, and continue to learn how my role as a bassist fits into these interactions”.
Marie-Maxime Ross - Contemporary dance
Marie-Maxime Ross - Contemporary dance
Marie-Maxime Ross, originally from Rimouski, Quebec, has been awarded a grant in contemporary dance. The 20-year-old performer is about to begin her third and final year at the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal.
"For me, the most important thing is to be able, through dance, to help people rediscover and recentre themselves, because it is dance that really brought me to life. Dancing is a great discipline — allowing us to learn more about ourselves, often accessing parts of ourselves that we thought were lost. We are at our most vulnerable when we pour all that we are into the thing we are most passionate about."
Ivy Charles - Acting (English theatre)
Ivy Charles - Acting (English theatre)
Ivy Charles of Winnipeg, MB and Vancouver, BC is the recipient of the grant for English Theatre: Acting. Ivy returns this fall to complete her acting studies at Studio 58.
"I want young girls who look like me to feel represented in this field. An opportunity of which I did not have. This grant allows me to pursue this goal and share my passion."
Laurence Gagné-Frégeau - Acting (French theatre)
Laurence Gagné-Frégeau - Acting (French theatre)
Laurence is starting her final year in performance at the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Québec. Before even starting school, she had already become known for her appearances in several short films. Her artistic journey has also involved her participation in a wide range of artistic projects, as well as the Festival OFF FEQ.
"I am extremely grateful to have fallen in love with theatre at a very young age, and to have been able to further develop the pleasure I take in performing. Early on, I was fortunate enough to connect with my feelings, my passion, and my willingness to take a leap into the unknown. I want people to be moved by my work, to be affected somehow. I want them to be worried, take action, ask questions, become interested in something, be curious, run towards one another, encounter one another, interact, reflect."
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Maureen Adelson
Maureen Adelson of Montreal, Quebec, is the winner of the grant for Acting – English Theatre. Maureen enters her third year of study this fall in the Bachelor of Fine Arts – Specialization Acting for Theatre at Concordia University.
“I want to be true to myself as an artist and never settle for roles that go against my values. I want to show that Black actresses can portray more than the stereotypical girlfriend of a gangster. Women like Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson inspire me greatly because they have paved the way for many young Black actors to pursue their artistic dreams.”
Elie Boissinot
Elie Boissinot of Montreal, Quebec, receives the award for Classical Music - Orchestral Instrument. The 20-year-old cellist continues his full-time studies in the Bachelor of Music program at McGill University this fall.
“I am entering the penultimate year of my Bachelors degree at McGill in the fall. Next year, I will perform the Elgar concerto as a soloist with the McGill Orchestra and I will have the great privilege to study string quartet with Professor André Roy.”
Thomas Daudlin
Thomas Daudlin of Victoria, BC and Montreal, is the winner of the Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance. The baritone saxophonist is entering his final year in the Bachelor of Music program in Jazz Performance at the McGill Schulich School of Music.
“My love of music, passion for performance, and desire to innovate and experiment inspire me as I strive to reach the highest levels of musicianship and recognition.”
Josh Lovell
Joshua Lovell of Victoria, BC and Chicago, Illinois, is the recipient of the grant for Classical Vocal Performance. Joshua is completing graduate studies at the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago this fall.
“In the upcoming year I will be making many new concert and oratorio debuts with the International Music Foundation in Chicago, I Musici de Montréal, and Music of the Baroque in Chicago. In 2019/2020, I will become a member of the ensemble of the Vienna Staatsoper”
Jia Yi (Judy) Luo
Jia Yi (Judy) Luo of North York, Ontario, receives the grant for Contemporary Dance. The 20-year-old dancer enters her third year of study in Performance Dance at Ryerson University, Toronto.
“I am not just a contemporary dancer, but rather an artist who has discovered movement as a medium through which to voice her thoughts.”
Noémie F. Savoie
Noémie F. Savoie of Québec city is the winner of the grant for Acting - French Theatre. She enters her third year in the diploma program Diplôme en art dramatique – spécialité jeu at the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Québec.
“Because performing is an essential part of who I am, I look to excel by perfecting my technique and pursuing diverse performance experiences. I want to seize opportunities to speak out on subjects that are of the utmost importance to me like cultural diversity, women’s rights and our connection to our language.”
Charissa Vandikas
Charissa Vandikas of Newmarket, Ontario is the laureate in the category Classical Music - Piano. Charissa enters her fourth year as an undergraduate student in the Performance Diploma Program at The Glenn Gould School.
“I'm reminded of one of my earliest concert memories of a recital by the Canadian pianist Jane Coop, and of the delight with which I walked away from that recital, inspired to learn and hear more. I'd love to share that feeling, and to encourage other young people with music that has stood the test of time and music that is just beginning to be known.”
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Six young performing artists will receive grants of $10,000 each this year from The Hnatyshyn Foundation to pursue their studies for the 2016-17 academic year. This brings to $910,000 the amount invested in post-secondary scholarships over the past 12 years by the Foundation.
Rosalie Daoust
Rosalie Daoust of Québec is the winner of the grant for Acting - French Theatre. Rosalie is entering her final year in drama at the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Québec.
Étienne Gagnon-Delorme
Étienne Gagnon-Delorme of Montreal receives the grant for Contemporary Dance. The 19-year-old will complete his final year of undergraduate studies at l’École supérieure de Ballet du Québec starting this fall.
Simona Genga
Simona Genga of Vaughn, Ontario is the recipient of the grant for Classical Vocal Performance. Simona begins a Masters Degree of Opera at the University of Toronto in the fall.
Matt Lagan
Matt Lagan of Toronto is the winner of the Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance. The promising young saxophonist will continue his studies in the Bachelor of Music program at Humber College this year.
Sebastien Malette
Sebastien Malette of London, Ontario receives the award for Classical Music - Orchestral Instrument. The young bassoonist will complete his Bachelor of Music Honours Performance at Western University.
Kerry Waller
Kerry Waller of Montreal is the laureate in the category Classical Music - Piano. Kerry will continue his studies at the Université de Montréal this year.
This year, there were no successful candidates in the category Acting - English Theatre.
In addition to the $10,000 grant, recipients in classical music and jazz may be invited to perform in a concert at Bourgie Hall in the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. The opportunity is made possible thanks to an agreement between The Hnatyshyn Foundation and the Fondation Arte Musica, which features performances by selected grant recipients as part of its Youth and Pros program beginning in 2015. The first artist chosen to appear at Bourgie Hall was bassoonist Marlène Ngalissamy, 2013 laureate in the category Classical Music - Orchestral Instrument. Clarinetist Antonin Cuerrier and classical pianist Meagan Milatz received their grants in 2014 and performed in January of 2016.
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Seven young performing artists will receive grants of $10,000 each this year from The Hnatyshyn Foundation to pursue their studies for the 2015-16 academic year. This brings to $850,000 the amount invested in post-secondary scholarships over the past 11 years by the Foundation.
Hannah Barstow
Hannah Barstow is the winner of the Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance. The promising young pianist and vocalist continues her studies in the Bachelor of Music Performance Program at the University of Toronto this year.
Samantha Bitonti
Samantha Bitonti of Montréal receives the grant for acting - English Theatre. She returns this fall to complete her undergraduate studies in Theatre Performance at Concordia University.
Lillian Brooks
Lillian Brooks of Toronto is the recipient of the grant for Classical Vocal Performance. Lillian enters the Artist Diploma Program inVoice at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory this fall.
Christina Choi
Christina Choi receives the award for Classical Music - Orchestral Instrument. The young violinist continues her studies in the 4th year of the Performance Diploma Program at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory in Toronto.
Xiaoyu Liu
Xiaoyu Liu is the laureate in the category Classical Music - Piano. The 18 year old will continue his studies at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal this year.
Lukas Gillis Malkowski
Lukas Gillis Malkowski of Toronto receives the grant for Contemporary Dance. He will continue his studies in the Bachelor of Fine Arts Performance program at the Ryerson Theatre School.
Zoé Tremblay
Zoé Tremblay of Montréal is the winner of the grant for Acting - French Theatre. Zoé is entering her final year in the Diplôme en art dramatique at the Conservatoire d’art dramatique.
This year, there were no successful candidates in the ballet category.
In addition to the $10,000 grant, recipients in classical music and jazz may be invited to perform in a concert at Bourgie Hall in the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. The opportunity is made possible thanks to an agreement between The Hnatyshyn Foundation and the Fondation Arte Musica, which features performances by selected grant recipients as part of its Youth and Pros program beginning in 2015. The first artist chosen to appear at Bourgie Hall was bassoonist Marlène Ngalissamy, 2013 laureate in the category Classical Music - Orchestral Instrument. Clarinetist Antonin Cuerrier and classical pianist Meagan Milatz received their grants in 2014 and have been selected to perform in January of 2016.
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Caroline Gélinas
Classical Music - Voice
Caroline Gélinas receives the graduate grant for classical vocal performance. The young singer continues her Masters program at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal.
Antonin Cuerrier
Classical Music - Orchestral Instrument
Antonin Cuerrier of Montréal receives the classical music grant for orchestral instrument. The 21 year old clarinetist will be studying at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal where he begins the final year of Bachelor of Music degree in the autumn of 2014. Antonin has been selected to perform in January of 2016 at Bourgie Hall in Montreal as part of the Foundation’s partnership with La Fondation Arte Musica.
Ewen Farncombe
Jazz Performance
Ewen Farncombe of Toronto is the winner of the Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance. The promising young pianist continues his studies in the Bachelor of Music program at Humber College this fall.
Justin de Luna
Contemporary Dance
Justin de Luna of Richmond Hill, Ontario, receives the award for contemporary dance. Justin is studying in Performance Dance at the Ryerson Theatre School in Toronto.
Andrew Swan Greer
Contemporary Dance
Andrew Swan Greer of London, Ontario, also receives a grant in contemporary dance. He is entering his fourth year of studies at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre.
David Bouchard
French Theatre
David Bouchard of Québec City is the winner of the grant for acting - French theatre. He is enrolled at the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Québec. The French theatre acting grant is funded by CIBC.
Meagan Milatz
Classical Piano
Meagan Milatz of Weyburn, Saskatchewan is awarded the classical music grant for piano. She begins the third year of a Bachelor of Music degree at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University this September. Megan has been selected to perform in January of 2016 at Bourgie Hall in Montreal as part of the Foundation’s partnership with La Fondation Arte Musica.
Ghazal Azarbad
English Theatre
Ghazal Azarbad of Vancouver receives the grant for acting - English theatre. The 22 year old actor is entering her final year of studies in the Bachelor of Fine Arts Acting Program at the University of British Columbia. The English theatre acting grant is funded by CIBC.
This year, there were no successful candidates in the ballet category. Instead, the foundation awarded two grants in contemporary dance.
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Classical Vocal Performance
Charles Sy
Charles Sy is a 21-year-old Tenor from Mississauga, ON who will begin his Master’s at the University of Toronto this autumn. Charles received his Bachelor of Performance (Music) at the University of Toronto and has performed in numerous venues and participated in summer programs.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation classical voice grant, Darryl Edwards, Associate Professor and Head of Voice Studies, University of Toronto said of Charles, “Charles’ singing was recently described by Collaborative Piano Professor Steven Philcox as ‘possessing vocal and musical excellence and maturity beyond his twenty-one years.’ I certainly echo that. Charles’ capacity for dramatic nuance, visceral sensibilities, and sublime communication with his instruments are commanding. He has both the glint of a silver tenor and the promise of a lyric tenor as he continues to thrive.” In adjudicating Charles’ performance submissions, the jury for classical voice praised his stunning voice: “Although very young, this exceptional singer has it all: a beautiful tone supported by excellent technique and innate musicality. He has a rare ability to connect with the listener. His performances are riveting because his focus is not just to sing beautiful tones but also to sing the text simply and insightfully. Overall, a wonderful musician.”
“The most important aspect of performance is intention. An artist should have something to say and it should be something worth listening to. My teacher likes to joke that no one wants to listen to your beautiful vowel parade, but in all truthfulness, I believe it is what separates the multitude of singers and the true artists. It was not until I realized how much music had shaped and essentially saved me that I decided it was what I wanted to dedicate the rest of my life to doing. At a very young age, my parents got divorced and my mother struggled to financially support my sister and I. Growing up as a child, my mother was constantly in the hospital and there were many times when I would not see her for several days. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and due to extensive chemotherapy, she became diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and still suffers from heart failure. I was a very unhappy child and spent much of my time at school crying and being unhappy with my life at home. Because of this, I did not have very many friends and was really lonely. Music was one of the only things that kept me from hating life. I started singing in the school choir and eventually started making friends through association. I started playing piano because it gave me something to work on and distracted me from my personal life. Schoolwork was mandatory, while music making was something I wanted to do. I became enthralled and listened to a variety of styles of music. It became my escape, whether it was a piece of music that I could personally relate to or if it was something so emotionally moving that I could not help but forget about my current situation. This was just the beginning of my journey into discovering the true purpose of music in my life. In order to develop as a performer, I have spent the past couple of years changing my outlook on life in order to be a more well-rounded and whole person. By the end of high school, I had a decent voice and decided that I wanted to pursue singing in university. As an aspiring young singer, my original intentions involved practicing hard and becoming an international and famous opera star. Of course, all singers still have a little bit of this aspiration still left in them, but it was only a couple of years ago that I realized that there was so much more to it. Once I made the decision to pursue studies in classical voice, I became obsessed with striving to become a better performer. I spent hours on end educating myself about operas and pulling scores from the library to study and listen to. I was not very social and kept telling myself that if I wanted to be a musician I had to literally do nothing but music every single hour of every day. My performances were passable as I practiced often and constantly worked on developing my voice and language proficiency, but there was something missing. I could not connect to the music. I grew frustrated with my performing abilities, as the only thing that was able to go through my mind during performance was the position of my soft palette and the expansion of my ribcage. I was beginning to become frustrated with the one thing that used to make me happy. In the last couple of years, my mother was diagnosed with bone cancer. She had already been treated for breast cancer twice and my personal life at home was not looking good. Because of my mother’s health issues, she has not been able to work and our financial situation has been very difficult as I try to work as much as possible while being a full time student. There were times when we would live with no electricity, gas or water because we could not afford to pay for them. For months at a time, we would have to decide which utility was more important because we could not pay for all of them. I started to hate life again and making music was no longer making me happy. In 2010, the Metropolitan Opera was live broadcasting their production of Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier in movie theaters. I was frustrated and stressed with my personal life but went to watch it out of obligation as a singer. During the trio at the end of the opera, I could not help but sit there and just openly weep. It was not that I could personally relate to the situation of the Marschallin, but that the music was able to tap into some deep well of emotion inside of me. The scene was beautifully sung, but also emotionally rooted and powerful. It was so real. No fabrications and no technicalities. It was a true expression of pure and raw human emotion. It was then that I realized that it is not an artist’s job to create art; it is their job to be human. The music I was listening to became an outlet for my own compressed emotions. I realized that good performances didn’t relate to you because of their studious perfection, but it was through their expression of true and real emotions. Since then, I have changed my outlook on what it means to be an artist. I still dedicate much of my time to practicing, studying language proficiency and developing myself technically, but I also set aside time for myself to live and truly experience life. I try to pick up new hobbies and experience new things every couple of months. I read classic literature and about new scientific discoveries to broaden my understanding of the vast world that surrounds us. I try to be more social, attend public events and spend more time with friends and family. I recently got a scholarship to study Italian opera and language in Italy for a summer and I spent much of my time there learning about the culture and the people. I have expanded my horizons and have allowed myself to say yes to things that normally would be outside of my comfort zone. I believe that as an artist I am supposed to take real emotions and life experiences, concentrate them into a beautiful piece of music, and express them to anyone willing to listen. However, if I only focus on developing myself as a technical artist, then I have no other life experiences to draw from. I have learned to love music again and I now strive to be that same emotional outlet for other people. Whether or not I do become a huge international success or not, if I am able to touch one person in the same way that performance at the Metropolitan Opera affected me then I will consider myself a success. I want to be able to have something to say when I am on stage and I want people to want to listen.”
Classical Music (Orchestral Instrument)
Marlène Ngalissamy
Marlène Ngalissamy is a 20-year-old student from Montréal, QC who will enter her fourth year at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal this autumn. She began to play the bassoon at the age of 12, and has won numerous prestigious awards. She has taken master classes and lessons with many renowned artists, including Stéphane Lévesque, Gustavo Núñez, Christopher Millard, Frédéric Baron and others. Ngalissamy recently had the honour of winning First Prize at the Canadian Music Competition in the 19 year-old age category. Since then, she has been invited to play in the Competition’s gala concert in Toronto, as well as two concerts with Montréal’s Orchestre Métropolitain.
In his submission of this nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation orchestral instrument (wind) grant, Mathieu Harel, Professor of Bassoon, Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal, wrote, “This is a student with exceptional talent. At the academic level, as her file shows, her progress has been extraordinary.” In their adjudication of Ms. Ngalissamy’s performance clips, the jury for orchestral instruments commented, “This is a very gifted bassoon player. The musician is very impressive in all selections. The playing has an emotional centre, and the musician has a good sense of style.”
"A student at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal since 2009 in Mathieu Harel's class, and in music for as long as I can remember, art is an integral part of my life. Starting with piano at the Rostropovitch Academy of Music in Moscow at the age of 5, I discovered bassoon at the age of 12 at Joseph-François Perrault high school. For the past 8 years, I've been learning to master my instrument by taking part in various master classes with internationally renowned teachers (Christopher Millard, Gustavo Nuñez, Stéphane Levesque, Afonso Venturieri, Fréderic Baron), as well as various workshops (Orford, Summer Music Institute in Ottawa, Domaine Forget, Camp musical des Laurentides). All these workshops help me to understand my instrument more and more, and to develop an artistic creativity that makes my performances more inspiring. Recently, I had the honor of winning first prize in the 19 and under category of the Canadian Music Competition. Following this, I was invited to play at the competition's gala concert in Toronto, as well as to play 2 concerts accompanied by the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal. These were very moving and unique events, as it's rare and difficult for a bassoonist to be as convincing as a violinist or pianist as a solo instrument, which I think is a great pity. Of course, I'd love it if one day the bassoon were as popular as the cello and as well-known as the piano, but I'd especially like to promote it as a warm instrument with a naive sensibility and a comic character. For the past 4 years, I've been playing on a bassoon lent to me by the Conservatoire for the duration of my studies there. The cost of a new or used instrument ranges from $20,000 to $40,000, and it's a major challenge for a young musician to be able to afford a quality instrument. One of my goals is to go and perfect my art with different masters in Europe so that I can deepen my knowledge and learn more, which is my main motivation. However, I wouldn't be able to do this without an instrument in my possession. This bursary would be an incredible help in purchasing a bassoon and developing the musical career I intend to embark on.”
Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance
James Hill
James Hill, a 22-year-old pianist from Toronto, will enter his fourth year in the Bachelor of Music Jazz Studies degree program at Humber College this autumn. The recipient of numerous music awards, he won the Gordon Wragg Award, a legacy distinction honouring Humber’s founding President. He has performed in Ontario, notably opening for Oliver Jones at the 2012 Oakville Jazz Festival.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation jazz grant, Denny Christianson, Director of Music, Humber College wrote, “James E. Hill is a pianist, and musician, of considerable talent, who has clearly developed his own artistic voice at a relatively young age. In fact, I would posit that in terms of musical maturity, he is way beyond his calendar years. He is already demonstrating a sophisticated motific approach to his solos, so much so that it requires an intimate knowledge of the linguistic nuances of jazz in order to fully understand what he is doing. James has the potential to become a Canadian jazz icon, for he already has a highly individual voice, and all the necessary foundational knowledge and technique he needs. I eagerly anticipate what his further development will bring.” In adjudicating Mr. Hill’s performance submissions, which included two of his own compositions, the jury for jazz performance commented, “To have made this kind of technical progress in such a short time is nothing short of remarkable. Though the artist’s influences are clearly laid out in the artist’s statement, the playing is fresh and original – not at all derivative. Very compelling; a pleasure to listen to.”
“I have been a music enthusiast since my early childhood years, but it was not until late high school, which was, incidentally, the first time I heard Coltrane’s A Love Supreme and Miles’ Four & More, that I began translating my enthusiasm to the piano. Shortly after discovering my passion for music, I realized that it had consumed me, and that I could no longer live without it. Through music, I believe people have the ability to share, converse, transcend, understand, develop, and enlighten. I believe that music is earth’s one universal language. Anything and everything can be, and is, inspiring, whether it is something that is good or bad is irrelevant. Everything I have experienced in life, and every person I’ve met along the way has contributed in some way to my music, and who I am. Ultimately, music, for me, is a tool for expression, communication, and flourishing. When I perform music for an audience I feel as if I am manifesting my true self, as well as adding my two cents, so to speak. My goal is to inspire, help, enlighten, and encourage others through music — the same way others have done for me. Something I have recently discovered is that it is nice to be the least experienced/skilled musician in a band, because the only direction you can go is up, and when you are among good musicians you will find that they will help you on your way up. To me, that is what music is about, helping others grow and express themselves by expressing yourself. Having no professional training for my first two years playing piano caused me to listen to music with complete ignorance, as far as what was theoretically going on harmonically, melodically, and rhythmically. I owe the majority of my development to those two years of ignorance. Sitting at home on the piano bench with headphones, A Love Supreme, and Miles’ Nefertiti was my land of milk and honey. Discovering the abundance of sounds, scales, rhythms, and textures on both these records for the first time is something I will never forget. Through the close examination of great bands, such as Miles’ second quintet and Coltrane’s quartet, I have managed to devise an effective method to help my band mates and I conceptualize, and perform my compositions. Though in some cases sheet music can be very helpful, I find that a lot of music, especially my own, is easiest to comprehend and internalize if it is taught orally. For me, learning by osmosis has never let me down. If I can sing something, and then transcribe it to my instrument from memory, I feel I have truly internalized it. This method was inspired by one of my favorite musicians, Lennie Tristano. I use this oral approach while rehearsing with my band, and it is always very effective for internalizing music. As well, it allows us to focus more on the group dynamic as a whole, rather than trying to focus on each texture individually. I like to define a band as a single organism made up of several textures, as did Miles and Coltrane, I believe. Also, I do not view a traditional jazz quartet (bass, drums, piano, tenor) as different from, say, a string quartet playing Schoenberg. Each is comprised of four correlating textures contributing to the overall sound of the ensemble. Whenever I am in a playing situation I try to be conscious of the numerous textures in the room, and whether they are contributing to the overall sound in a positive way. Since I only began playing music in grade 12, near the end of high school, I knew I had no time to waste if I was to move to Toronto in a year or so to begin my career as a professional musician. Practicing came very easily to me, not because of any natural talent, but because I simply love to play the piano, and I love to compose. When you break it down, I do not believe that all great musicians have a foundation built from inherent, or natural talent. Great musicians are great musicians because they love music, and sitting in a room with an instrument for hours and hours can be like meditation for such a person. Improvement is the most important thing to me, I will always be content as long as I am improving each and every day, and I can guarantee my own improvement by exercising four simple techniques: Practicing, recording, playing, and performing. Practicing alone with my instrument is fundamental, but making sure to always practice things I cannot already execute. I record myself doing so, listen back, discard the things I do not like, and repeat and archive the things that I do like. My first year in Toronto at Humber was a year full of playing and meeting new musicians. In retrospect, I must have played every night for an entire year with hundreds of new musicians, and I rarely felt comfortable, but feeling uncomfortable is the first, and most important step to take when trying to feel comfortable. Live performances play a pivotal role when trying to refine your sound as a musician. It is important to ingest and digest all criticism, whether good or bad, and understand why people like or dislike what you are doing, and try to accommodate not just yourself, but others as well. When I compose, and practice, I try to step out of my own shoes to hear the music from an outsider’s point of view. I ask questions like: Would someone who knows nothing about the jazz idiom or music theory still be captivated by what I am playing? Am I playing too much? Should I play sparser? I believe these are important questions to try and answer while playing, performing, practicing, and more generally, listening. To put it simply, I know I will be content for the rest of my life as long as I keep an open mind, continue to share my music, never stop improving, feed off of the people and things that inspire me, and take all opportunities and criticism that come my way.”
Contemporary Dance
Melissa Watt
Melissa Watt, of Edmonton, is a 21-year-old student who will complete her final year of the Professional Training Program at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. A graduate of the Victoria School for the Arts, Melissa has participated in numerous summer training intensives and master classes, as well as having received training in film and video work, music, pilates and yoga.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation contemporary dance grant, the School of Toronto Dance Theatre artistic staff said of Melissa, “the faculty is unanimous in choosing her as an outstanding young artist with tremendous potential for a distinguished career in performance. This young artist definitely has the potential for a stellar career in dance, as well as the capacity to influence the art form of contemporary dance through her stature as an interpreter.” In adjudicating Melissa’s performance submissions, the jury for contemporary dance commented, “Melissa is a talented dancer; her potential resonated in performance through the choreography presented in her video. There is an innate sensitivity to her quality of expression and understanding of movement.” “She got me totally interested in her dance; it tells strange stories… she must be enough at ease with her technique that we are allowed to find something more of what is in her dance.” “I was compelled by the artistic statement and felt that it asked great questions and contextualized her interests well within her current community.”
“Dance is something that resonates deeply with me and fills my spirit with life and an indescribable spark. Each day I feel a new emotion, see a new perspective, or encounter a new sensation. My experiences in dance have shaped the person I am today and continue to facilitate immense personal growth. I know that when I am dancing, I am truly alive. Coming into my first year at my current school, I had a predominantly technical background in dance. After having the opportunity to explore my passion for creation, I see that my entire mindset towards the art of dance has grown. Artistically, I am able to create an experience for myself in class and in performance. Before my training here, I would often come off stage not understanding or recalling the experience I had just encountered over the last three to five minutes, but now I am able to be present in the world that my peers and I create together onstage; I am able to identify sensations, energies, and the environment around me while completing my choreographic tasks. This awareness has enabled me to begin asking questions such as: how do I include the audience in these experiences? What approaches allow me to establish a strong relationship with the viewers? These types of questions have inspired me to write regularly in reflection and begin making new discoveries. I feel that my appreciation and understanding for the deep art form that is dance have matured greatly, opening my mind and soul to the bigger picture of dance. Networking with other dance artists, especially those in the profession, has given me great inspiration and insight. Verbal communication has not always been a strong point for me; however, learning to ask questions directly and have discussions has allowed me to not only stay current on the many directions of dance, but has opened me up to sharing with other people, whether that be with another dancer onstage, an audience member, or a full house. Knowing that I am impacting what another person experiences is inspiring for me, as it allows for such a unique exchange between two lives. I also draw inspiration from work that illustrates development in contemporary dance, like that of Aszure Barton. I find the content of her work to be innovative, stimulating, and an inspiration for choreographic tasks I embark on myself. The works of William Forsythe display similar innovation, having reshaped the ways in which ballet is practised. In Canada, I see these concepts being applied in works by Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie. It is inspiring to see such inventive, contemporary movement evolving in our community. My hope is to always remain a student in the sense that I never stop investigating my own training and finding something new to factor into my dancing each day. I will continue to strive for accomplishment in creation and communication through the physicality of movement. I also intend to delve into other art forms and discover their potential relationships with dance, particularly film and video. I see this exploration one day leading me deep into choreography and composition. For now though, the physicality of dance is what I crave the most. Moving through space and feeling as though my body moves harmoniously with the smallest of particles around me makes me feel so connected with the vast world. Above all, I intend to share my experiences with each audience I perform in front of through pure, physical movement and passion, and in turn, I hope to contribute to the ever evolving world of dance.”
Classical Music (Piano)
Christopher Kusuhara
Christopher KusuharaChristopher Kusuhara is a 20-year-old student from Burnaby, BC, entering his third year of study at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montréal this autumn. Christopher has received numerous music awards, having made performance appearances in BC and Montréal.
In submitting Christopher’s nomination, Sara Laimon, Associate Dean, Academic and Student Affairs, Associate Professor, Piano, Schulich School of Music of McGill University wrote, “Chris demonstrates a high level of skills, technique, talent and understanding of music that is well beyond his age. He has a strong work ethic, determination and commitment to his studies, always arriving prepared for lessons, coaching and performances. He has been selected as a finalist in major national competitions such as the Knigge Competition at UBC, the CMC Stepping Stone Competition, in addition to numerous merits at competitions prior to his time at McGill.” In adjudicating Christopher’s performance submissions, the jury for classical piano found he “sounded like a mature artist. His repertoire was difficult and the pianist has a virtuosic technique and flair for performance. The artist’s statement was excellent as well. It showed a personal side to the performer and the struggles pianists have in conveying their art to the audience.”
“Every performance is an opportunity to develop and showcase my abilities as a musician. Oftentimes, simple adjustments such as controlling my breathing and relaxing can improve a performance tremendously. In other cases, difficult sections and passages may have to be worked on for hours in the practice room so that I have the confidence to play to the best of my ability. As a performer, it is often difficult to judge the final product you present to the public. The personal reactions that you feel to your own playing on-stage are often not a true representation of what is being heard by the audience. I believe one of the best ways to improve and evaluate my playing is being able to hear my performance afterwards. Sometimes it is a painful process, similar to hearing your voice recorded for the first time. However, I believe it is a crucial aspect of developing as a musician: being able to listen carefully from the position of a third-party in order to analyze and evaluate. Through listening in this way, I begin to understand the music I play in a much more lucid manner and hear certain things that I would have otherwise missed in the heat of the moment. It is my opinion that being able to play convincingly is much more important than simply delivering a message to an audience. Music has the remarkable ability to speak to each of us in an individual manner. As a performer, I find it important to not only play a work in its ‘raw’ form, but to truly understand what the meaning behind it is. Delivering a message convincingly becomes a much simpler task when one has a personal definition of the music at hand. As an artist, I try to play works that I can connect to and have a personal relationship to, even from the first listening. However, the challenge is in that my audiences often have similar personal relationships with what they hear, along with their own opinions and beliefs. Thus, I believe I have the crucial role as a performer to present the music in an honest and responsible manner, while at the same time delivering a message that will convince my audience of my interpretation. I am inspired by people who work tirelessly to perfect their craft. Oftentimes I find inspiration in many other fields, such as the culinary arts. As musicians, we are all involved in developing our skills on our respective instruments. On a consistent basis, we push ourselves to reach new heights of musical expression through our technical ability. An important goal of mine is to keep sharing music with others. Like many other things in life, where this goal will take me, I have no idea yet. Perhaps it does not matter too much if I am able to continue to do what I love. Whether I am playing for young children at an elementary school who have never heard classical music before, or performing at a national competition for a distinguished jury, my only wish is to do my best in performing and sharing a convincing message with my audience. Many times as I continue to develop and progress, I am reminded of the many people who have helped me along the way to get to where I am now. We all need support to reach our goals, and I have been very lucky and fortunate in my life to have met incredible, caring people who have helped to shape my life. Every time I finish a performance and take a bow, this is what I am reminded of.”
Classical Ballet
Martin ten Kortenaar
Martin ten Kortenaar, a 18-year-old dancer from Guelph, ON, was nominated by the National Ballet of Canada where he will join the ballet as an apprentice in the autumn. In addition to performing solo or principal roles in numerous productions, Martin will have more than 35 performance opportunities, including challenging roles from the traditional repertoire, and experiences that will require him to learn and practice corps de ballet skills.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation grant, Mavis Staines, Artistic Director of Canada’s National Ballet School said, “Martin has been recognized as an exceptional talent since he first joined NBS in 2008. It was clear from the outset that he is a dancer with extraordinary physical gifts, including perfect proportions for classical ballet. Even more importantly, Martin has the intelligence and psychological talent to deeply explore his physical potential. Martin pushes his physical potential on a daily basis but understands his challenges and pushes daily to develop both his technical and artistic skills.” In adjudicating Martin’s performance submissions, the jury commended his very good technical control and ease of movement, “He demonstrates a ‘natural’ quality, which indicates that his technique is well absorbed into his body and is now able to support artistic expression without affectation. I do appreciate that he recognizes that contemporary work is important and has aspirations to gain more experience in that area.” “Martin has the right tools that will assist in his development as a professional artist.”
“As an aspiring male ballet dancer, for me the most important part of ballet is to be able to completely draw the audience into the magic of the ballet. If the audience leaves the ballet feeling that they can relate to and believe in the emotional journey of the characters on stage, then the dancers have done their job well. The aim of a ballet dancer is always to dance their part as technically perfect as possible. However, even if after performing I know I have made technical mistakes, it does not mean that the performance has not been a success. Personally, being able to gain confidence and ease every time I go on stage, and being able to totally immerse myself in the character and story I portray is helpful and necessary for my growth as an artist. To be able to let the audience forget about their own lives for a couple of hours and sweep them up into what is happening on stage is personally very fulfilling, and is a very important part of ballet for me. My main aspiration is to achieve the rank of principal dancer at a professional ballet company. I would love to be able to work with talented choreographers, teachers and fellow dancers who would aid in the continued development and refinement of my artistic and technical abilities. My goal is to dance a multitude of roles, from Seigfried in Swan Lake to more contemporary ballets such as Chroma or Glass Pieces. Even though my main focus has been classical ballet for the past five years, I would hope to not become typecast as a strictly classical dancer. I am often inspired by contemporary pieces as well. I had the privilege to work with Aszure Barton this year and perform excerpts from her choreography Les Chambres des Jacques. I hope to never stop learning no matter what stage of my ballet career I am at, whether the lessons be technical or artistic. My favourite place to be is on stage, and my goal is to let the audience experience the same emotions that I feel when I am on stage dancing for them. My inspirations as a developing artist come from the ballets and dancers I have seen, teachers that I have worked with, and, often, the music that accompanies the movement. I’ll never forget the first ballet I saw. It was when I started at the National Ballet School in grade 9 and the whole school went to see the National Ballet of Canada’s production of Prokoviev’s Romeo & Juliet. That performance crystallized my desire to be a dancer. I had no idea a ballet score could be so powerful! It is music that provides so many layers into which a dancer can dive to explore the emotions and feelings with which the music is infused. Prokoviev’s music and Alexei Ratmansky’s choreography have remained a major inspiration for me. To be able to one day dance the part of Romeo would be a highlight of my career, as this ballet contains such depth of emotion and conflict. However, the choreography is so physically and emotionally demanding, that the dancers must be of an incredibly high caliber. I realize that if I wish to dance such a role I must push myself further every day, continually building stronger technique, and I must delve deeper into the core of each role that I have the privilege to dance. I have been inspired by all my ballet teachers but there are two that have been particularly important to me: Raymond Smith and Sergiu Stefanschi. Their years of dancing and teaching experience have given them the wisdom, knowledge and insight to teach ballet technique and artistry at a very high level. During the few years that I have studied with them, I have felt continued improvement in my ballet technique, as well as substantial artistic growth. They have combined patience with a push for perfection that has brought me to a higher level, not only of technique, but also of confidence and comfort on stage. Their unwavering belief in my abilities has been both inspiring and humbling.”
French Theatre
Rose-Anne Déry-Tremblay
Rose-Anne Déry-Tremblay, a native of Trois-Rivières, QC, is a 21-year-old student at the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal, entering her final year of studies this autumn. Ms Déry-Tremblay has assembled an impressive resumé of performances, including plays by Tennessee Williams, Thornton Wilder and Jean-Paul Sartre, to name but a few.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation French Theatre grant, Benoît Dagenais, Directeur, Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal, wrote “Rose‐Anne has all the qualities that make a great actress. Her character readings are extraordinary. Sensitive, honest and precise, she never takes her exceptional gifts for granted, and works tirelessly to refine her technique. Open and free-spirited, she takes on the texts in a creative way and, although reading the genres, eras and styles with appropriate respect and never distorting the author’s work, she always brings a personal and modern touch to work, lending colour to her performances. Rose‐Anne is also a much sought-after acting partner among her colleagues. A team player, always prepared and always engaged, she ensures that the interaction between the characters is complete, human, honest and spontaneous, while making it look effortless.” In their adjudication of Rose-Anne’s performance clips, the jury for French Theatre commented, “Lively candidate, intense, intelligent, talented. Her artistry and interpretation demonstrate a deep commitment to her art, a passion for performance, a great vivacity of spirit, and profound sensitivity.” “This is a truly talented actress … the candidate, who is only 20 years old, shows a great deal of promise.”
* The 2013 French theatre acting grant was funded by CIBC.
“J’ai décidé de faire de ma vie un jeu. Je me suis juré de n’agir que selon ce qui me passionne, j’essaie de ne faire que ce qui me fera évoluer. Pour moi, le théâtre est un art qui représente tout ce qui me plaît, et ce n’est pas pour rien qu’on dit qu’on «joue» : le théâtre est un monde de liberté et de plaisir sans limites! D’où je viens, il n’y a pratiquement pas d’accès à la culture. Je viens d’un village éloigné où les gens ne ressentent pas souvent le besoin de s’intéresser à l’art. Malgré tout, j’ai senti très jeune que j’avais besoin de créer, de me dédoubler, d’exprimer des émotions plus grandes que moi‐même… bref de m’engager complètement dans ce qui me parle le plus au monde : le jeu. Cet «appel» s’explique par le fait que je suis complètement passionnée par l’humain, par ses émotions, par ses travers. J’observe, j’analyse. En fait, les gens qui m’entourent sont ma plus grande source d’inspiration. J’aime écouter les gens et les comprendre. C’est pour ça que l’art qui m’appelle le plus a toujours été le théâtre, c’est un art tellement social! C’est un art qui permet d’entrer dans le fin fond de la psychologie humaine par, à mon avis, le meilleur moyen qui soit : se mettre à la place des gens. Les personnages ne sont que des milliers de gens à découvrir et à comprendre… Je ressens d’autant plus le besoin de faire du théâtre car je veux toucher les gens de chez moi. Ces personnes qui vivent, qui ressentent des émotions au même titre que les artistes eux-mêmes, mais qui n’ont pas toujours les moyens de les exprimer. C’est eux que je veux interpeller d’abord, parce que le théâtre est un art de communication. Il ne faut pas perdre de vue le public : c’est pour atteindre et toucher les gens que je joue. Pas nécessairement dans le but de leur plaire, mais surtout dans celui de les émouvoir, de les faire réfléchir, et même, qui sait, de changer leur vie. C’est peut‐être utopique , mais je crois que savoir se mettre au service d’une oeuvre dramatique bien écrite, s’abandonner à un texte pour le livrer le plus humblement et le plus ouvertement possible, peut faire réfléchir quelqu’un à un point tel qu’il en verra sa vie changée, ne serait‐ce qu’un tout petit peu. Avant d’y arriver, il a fallu développer une méthode de travail qui me convienne, basée sur le travail et la liberté. De plus en plus, j’essaie de laisser vraiment le champ libre à ma création et à mon imagination. Aussi, selon moi, il faut une précision extrême dans la pratique de cet art, parce que cette liberté tant recherchée est impossible sans la rigueur du travail.”
English Theatre
Sarah Marchand
Originally from Gatineau, Québec, Sarah Marchand is a 21-year-old student at Concordia University who will begin her final year of studies there this autumn. In addition to acting in numerous plays and productions, Sarah has been recognized for her creative and academic achievement.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation English theatre grant, Ursula Neuerburg-Denzer, Assistant Professor of Theatre, Department of Theatre, Concordia wrote, “I first met Sarah in April of 2010 at the entry auditions to the Theatre Performance program (acting) within Concordia’s Theatre BFA department. Since then I had the opportunity to see Sarah’s progress from a somewhat shy, but determined beginner to a much matured, confident and strong performer. She was my student during her first year of training and I very much enjoyed her curiosity and commitment. In the shows I have seen her perform, she has played both highly physical as well as psychologically and language-based dramatic parts. In addition to her continuously growing ability as a performer, Sarah has also taken on an additional major in English. From what I know of her, acting and performance training is only rivaled by reading in Sarah’s life. I consider Sarah to be a highly engaged and dedicated theater practitioner well deserving of a prestigious award such as yours.” In adjudicating Ms Marchand’s performance submissions, the jury commented, “Without question or doubt about this artist, I would highly endorse all support to secure her spot as a professional actress. She is full of risk and danger and her choice of material is far left of safe and centre. The variety is refreshing and her artist’s statement is breathtaking.”
* The 2013 English theatre acting grant was funded by CIBC.
“‘For your homework assignment, study the people you pass by. Notice how they carry themselves. Think about where they are going or where they came from.’ What a strange task to be giving a newly admitted undergraduate student freshly moved into a bustling city. Now, upon reflection, I find it a particularly apt way of describing my experience at Concordia. Pedestrians never fazed me when I was going places. At that moment, I realized that it was because I looked at my feet when I walked. When I was younger, my mother took on the courageous task of homeschooling her three children to provide them with a more unique education. Aside from entertaining the neighbours by singing on the driveway as a child, my exposure to acting was minimal. When I returned to a public school in Junior High, I tried out for the fall play as a way to overcome my shyness. The audition was disastrous, to say the very least – I fumbled through my monologue and by the time I had to perform a song, the judges needed to sing with me in order for anything to come out. Naturally, I was not cast. Rather than suppress the audition as a cringe worthy memory, the experience intrigued me. Despite my introverted personality, I wanted to be onstage. I decided to try again for the following play, this time not allowing my nervous anxiety to overwhelm me. I was cast to play “The Frog Maid” in Alice in Wonderland. It was titillating, transcendent and terrifying. I wanted to do more. Fast forward another year and I was now a freshman entering High School. I auditioned for another play, this time obtaining a more significant part. The following year, I had the honour to star in my first lead role. It was at this point where my love for theatre shifted from a fun extracurricular activity into something more serious. I knew acting was something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. In my graduating semester, I played “Ariel” in Footloose. Over the course of three years, I evolved from being unable to sing in an audition to the main character of a musical. While my love for theatre steadily increased, my grades were not in sync with the growth I was experiencing as an actress. I had difficulty retaining and processing information compared to most students. I would study rigorously for tests and continue to receive low grades. Dyslexia is a common disorder that runs in my family, so when I was fourteen I was tested at the Canadian Dyslexic Society. They diagnosed me with having visual dyslexia. In spite of this learning disability, I excelled in Drama and English. Upon graduation, I received the Drama Award. Since there was no Drama program offered at my local Cegep, I decided to take Liberal Arts. Now familiarized with my learning disability, I developed different work methods and graduated with honours. What I have enjoyed most about my undergraduate training is the diverse exposure of acting methods. In my first year, I learned techniques introduced by Stanislavski, Grotowski and Meisner. I have also been given the rare opportunity to learn about JingJu, or Chinese Opera. It was surprising how such a different approach to theatre was incredibly beneficial to my Western form of training. I learned how to refine my physical presence onstage and the inherent value theatre possesses in Eastern cultures. In addition to my Specialization, I am taking a BA in English Literature. I believe that in order to understand a text properly, it is vital that one critically engages with the written material. After analyzing numerous plays and playwrights, the major in English has significantly contributed to my BFA degree. Spawned out of impulse, I was given the wonderful opportunity to take part in an exchange trip to Germany in the summer of 2011. While there, I was exposed to a wide variety of Avant-Garde theatre – notable productions include the Threepenny Opera directed by Robert Wilson and Robert Lepage’s Far Side of the Moon (ironically, the first time I saw the Québec playwright’s work was outside of our shared home province). But perhaps the most memorable piece I saw was set in a small venue and created out of tissue amongst other haphazard products. Regardless of the language barrier, the story had me utterly enchanted. I realized that while theatre can wow an audience with a big stage, impressive set and aggrandized costumes, sometimes the most powerful pieces can be the most intimate. All one really needs is a creative imagination and the will to believe. After witnessing such a cultural difference in theatre, my time in Europe forever changed the way that I approach my work. My acting techniques change with every role that I perform. Portraying something ‘truthfully’ can be a rather loaded term. What is the exact definition of ‘truth’? How can one do an honest interpretation if they are not always honest with themselves? My work influences my perception of the world just as my understanding of existence influences my art. To feel, experience, reflect and transcribe moments in life is indispensable. I am far from mastering this practice, but it takes time and, most importantly, patience. I have heard the common misconception that Canada lacks a clear identity. Having spent my undergraduate studies in Montreal, a city immersed with artistic culture, I can say that this belief is inaccurate. Canadian artists have been a constant inspiration for me. Having recently played ‘The Soldier’ in Judith Thompson’s Palace of the End, the work has made a significant impression on me. A text beautifully brutal, Thompson offers three contrasting views on the 2003 Iraq Invasion. After Palace, I was involved in a production of Ludwig & Mae written by Patrick Leroux – a professor at the Concordia English department. A piece that openly deals with the turmoil of a deteriorating relationship and post-university anxiety, I found the work eerily relatable. What is most inspiring about these individuals is their ability to interweave current political topics in a way that is accessible to a diverse audience. I still get butterflies in my stomach before stepping on stage. I love that. It can be scary never knowing what to expect – what the audience will be like, if all the cues will fall in order, if your lines will run smoothly – but I think that is what makes theatre so fascinating. You never know just what is going to happen. I am growing rapidly aware of life’s uncertainty as I enter my final year of university. I will savour every moment before I plunge into the vast chasm of the real world. For whatever the future holds in store for me, I will always keep an open mind and a willing heart. Most importantly, my mantra will be the short, glimmering gem of advice learned when I first started Concordia: look up when walking. The view is much nicer up there, anyway.”
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Classical Vocal Performance
Betty Allison
Betty Allison is a 30-year-old Soprano from Ladysmith, BC who will continue her Professional Studies with renowned voice teacher Timothy Noble at the Jacobs School of Music, University of Indiana this autumn. Betty received her Bachelor of Education (Music) at the University of Victoria and has been working as a freelance musician since she completed a term with the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble in 2009. She has performed in numerous venues across North America and participated in national and international summer programs, including at the International Vocal Arts Institute in Israel.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation classical voice grant, Timothy Noble said of Betty, “It remains my firm belief that Miss Allison has all of the requisite tools to have a successful career in vocal performance. Miss Allison is a young woman of the highest moral character, has a superb work ethic, and is committed to being successful in her career aspirations.” In adjudicating Betty’s performance submissions, the jury for classical voice praised her stunning voice… “The Rusalka is beautiful, especially the high range… Excellent released voice. Elegant and musical performances. Emotion is conveyed through the voice without ever losing control of the instrument. Compelling and consummate preparation.”
“I didn’t start my music career with the certainty of desire for performance. I began in music education. A branch of music where the word discipline is cliche; the dull brother of ‘practice makes perfect’ and ‘please pay attention.’ A term which, when facing a mass of sixteen year olds, bears the oppressive weight of obligation that suffocates the desire to peruse music. It is therefore difficult to explain to students that discipline is what enables and frees music. To me, discipline is simply the structure of control to perform to the best of my ability. It is the skill of breaking things into segments and then slowly putting them back together; and the ability to be in control at the speed of a performance. Discipline is about fundamentals and precision. As a singer, I have very specific steps and processes for creating and learning. Through my discipline I can learn a role or a song cycle, let go, and trust my performance instincts. Although, you can’t communicate without freedom to let go, you can’t let go without discipline. Discipline includes solitude and the manipulation of my time; working alone with my piano between exercising and cooking. It involves the network people who I trust to be honest; teachers, coaches, and colleagues. The choices and control I exert in these areas is what makes discipline as much a set of personal choices as professional ones. The set of choices on which the life of an artist are based. Discipline is not perfection. It isn’t oppressive or restrictive. Music doesn’t make us move and feel because it is perfect. Rather, it is perfect when it gives us a sense of life. Live performance is never perfect. Something which the development of recording has taken away from the artist; loosing sight between perfect music and a perfect performance. On stage I don’t care if the last high C is cut a bit too soon or if there is a fleeting moment of imperfect pitch. As a performer, my goal is to prepare my role or piece, accurately and with discipline and then let it go. To live it, to trust it, and to become Firodiligi or Rusalka for three hours a night.”
Classical Music (Orchestral Instrument)
Jessy Je Young Kim
Jessy Je Young Kim is an 18-year-old student from Vancouver, BC who will begin a Bachelor of Music degree at the Glenn Gould School this autumn. She began to play the violin at the age of 9 and won numerous awards in BC and across Canada. Jessy has received master classes and lessons from many great artists throughout the world, including Choong Jin Chang, Ida Kavafian, Jonathan Crow, Ian Swensen, Ning Feng, Tadeusz Gadzina, Dale Barltrop, Annalee Patipatanakoon and others. Along with her solo work, Jessy enjoys playing chamber music. In 2009 and 2010, she won first place in the Junior section of the Friends of Chamber music competition and the Vancouver Academy of Music’s Elsje de Ridder Armstrong Chamber music competition. Her trio won first place in a Senior Chamber group at the 2010 BC Provincial Festival. Jessy is also the co-founder of the Melody of Vancouver Ensemble (MOVE). In addition, she enjoys playing in orchestras; she has been the concertmaster of the Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra since 2010, and has also played in the Surrey Youth Symphony Orchestra and Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra. In addition to playing the violin, Jessy enjoys playing the piano. Recently, she completed her ARCT piano exam.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation orchestral instrument (strings) grant, Barry Shiffman, Associate Dean & Director of Chamber Music at The Glenn Gould School wrote, “Jessy has had fine teaching in her formative years in Vancouver and the opportunity to join the community of similarly gifted young musicians at the GGS will provide a community that will constantly serve as an inspiration…in addition to being a wonderful young violinist Jessy is a highly accomplished pianist and is a first class scholar in her academics. I see her as a potential leader in the music world and think she deserves every opportunity for her advancement.” In adjudicating Ms Kim’s performance submissions, the jury commended her “grasp of the physicality of sound and of style. The sound is musical in its essence, a quality that we do not hear often and which many musicians would envy! An extremely talented young violinist with already well-developed musicality and performance impact.“
“When I first heard the violin, my mind lit up and I knew that this was going to be my voice which will carry me in life. I was also delighted that I found a way to express my personality in front of people on the stage.In my performances, I have always put musicality first rather than technical ability. Also, I try to live the moment when I play and not worry about the notes. Another important aspect of my performance is trying to connect with the audience. I feel that this is important because a performer can play really well but if they cannot make the connection, it will not be a ‘great’ performance. I want to be a musician that can make people feel different emotions. Although my main focus in my performance is musicality and connection, I also worked really hard to have a strong technical foundation. Personally, I feel that technique is only there to support my musical ideas. However, since I started playing the violin later than most other people, I had to work extra hard to catch up. I had fantastic teachers who helped me develop my technical foundation; I have studied from books like Josephine Trott for Double Stops, Sevcik Op.3, Gavines, Fiorillo, Paganini, and many others. In addition, I try to push my technical capability by playing more difficult repertoire. I feel like I am married to my violin and I try to coax my violin to make the sound I want. After graduating from postsecondary institution, I hope to become a well-rounded musician. I hope to meet great musicians in school and create a chamber music group that will last a long time. In addition, I have dreams of becoming a solo artist playing in different concerts around the world. Another dream I want to pursue is to eventually get a Ph.D and teach at a university. I love sharing my knowledge and ideas about music and violin playing to others and I hope to inspire other young aspirational artists. I am very grateful for the strong support from my teachers and they have been very inspirational. Whenever I look at my teachers, I sometimes say to myself ‘Wow, I want to be exactly like him or her when I grow up.’ However, the people who give me the most inspiration and motivation are the friends that I have. It is so great to have wonderful musicians around me which creates a friendly competitive atmosphere. They motivate me to become a better musician and at the same time be a better person.“
Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance
Sam Dickinson
Sam Dickinson, a 20-year-old guitar player from Toronto, will enter his third year in the Bachelor of Music Jazz Studies degree program at Humber College this autumn. The recipient of numerous music awards, he won the Kendo Award at MusicFest two years ago, and most recently, the Gordon Wragg Award, a legacy distinction honouring Humber’s founding President. He has performed in Ontario and the United States, notably with the Toronto All-Star Band, and has taught for Madoka Murata.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation jazz grant, Denny Christianson, Director of Music of Humber College said of Sam: "He is already playing as well as several of his instructors, so we are taking pains to augment his private lessons with additional instruction from our Advanced Improv teachers, and it is paying off... Sam has become a leader, even among our most elite students, and his quiet demeanor belies the powerful artistic voice which is emerging from within, a voice which will soon become an important one in the fabric which is the Canadian jazz community." In adjudicating Mr. Dickinson’s performance submissions, which included one of his own compositions, the jury for jazz performance commented, “Excellent composition skills, influences of Metheny, Eubanks, Rosenwinkel - some vision here, very mature, great chops and musicality. Command of modern vocabulary - intervallic lines, etc. Very impressive. swinging on the straight ahead tune. Artist statement is on the money and reflects what is head in the music.”
“When performing as an improvising musician, I always try to be creative, proficient, and expressive. I think it’s very important to take risks, but also to put something forward that I can feel confident and grounded about. This is the fine line between practicing and playing- I want to be reacting to what’s happening in the moment at a given performance, but it’s impossible to entirely put aside what I’ve been working on at home, and that material can also provide a useful jumping off point for more creative ideas. All this said, I attempt to put a great deal of emotion into what I do as an artist, because I believe expression is one of the most important purposes of art. Similar to what I said about putting aside what you practice when you perform, I also find it important to practice things that are relevant to me as a performer. I believe it saves a lot of time in the long run if I can practically apply what I practice almost instantly. The one exception I find to this is practicing technique, which is something I’ve also been focusing on lately. Though being a technical player can be used as a crutch or made to be distasteful, I find it’s important to be able to play fast in order to creatively contrast slower or more legato ideas. As an artist I essentially want to express myself in a way that perhaps inspires others or makes them happier. This deals with the fine line between pursuing your goals, and also pleasing an audience. I believe that if I’m pouring my heart into every performance, and making an effort to be creative, then this will come across to a listener as well. I find my music greatly inspired by life events, as well as by more concrete musical examples. When composing, what I write will be very dependent on my mood, and the same is true of a performance. Outside of non-musical events, I get a great deal of inspiration from musicians I play with, as well as those I’ve studied with. Though I’m mainly a jazz player I also enjoy rock and classical music, and attempt to incorporate these into my jazz playing.”
Contemporary Dance
Colby McGovern
Colby McGovern is a 19-year-old student from Alberta who has just completed his first year of the Professional Training Program at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. A graduate of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Colby has participated in numerous summer training intensives as well as having received training in musical theatre, voice, piano, pilates and yoga.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation contemporary dance grant, the School of Toronto Dance Theatre artistic staff said of Colby, “As well as abundant talent, this young artist has determination, focus, drive, and a wonderful positive energy that will take him far. He definitely has the potential for a stellar career in dance, as well as the capacity to influence the art form of contemporary dance through his stature as an interpreter.” In adjudicating Mr. McGoverns’ performance submissions, the jury for contemporary dance commented, “The candidate is strong, fluid and clear with excellent technical facility for his age and experience. He is a promising young artist... He is a natural mover, a gifted dance and is passionately committed to the art form. His technique is very, very good with excellent control… He seems to be very well trained on technique and he seems passionate about his desire to dance. I think he will certainly become a professional and fulfill his dreams, his passion.”
“Coming from a ballet school, where most referred to me as a ‘mover,’ I labeled myself as just that, thinking that I had movement in my bones. I know that I do, but at that time I did not know how much that movement could fulfill my whole being; how something could take over and make the whole world dissolve around you and nothing else matters, until you are forced to stop, either from the music, choreography, exhaustion, or time itself. It is so amazing to experience the feeling of completing a truly stimulating piece of work, and dropping to the floor, dripping of sweat with eyes closed trying to hold on to the place you just were in your mind, the mentality of pure bliss (even if you are gasping for oxygen). Since my departure from the ballet school, I have experienced these feelings a handful of times, each a treasure I cherish. These moments are what I strive for in work, and when I achieve one, it is a personal uplift in my drive to progress and to keep growing as a dancer and as a person. Coming to my new school, the positive atmosphere was incredibly welcoming. I feel honoured to have the privilege to grow with the amazing faculty and my wonderful peers, and to be surrounded by people that understand the feeling of dance in one of its purest forms, and how it has the possibility to open people’s minds, eyes, and hearts. Also to have the opportunity to work with some of Canada’s finest choreographers is a privilege I take to heart. I have also participated in student-run shows that allow students the chance to explore their creativity with choreography at both of my schools thus far; this has given me a taste of what is possible, and I have many creative ideas that excite me to one day bring to the stage. In the future, I aspire to dance in other parts of the world, possibly with The Netherlands Dance Theatre. Coming from a ballet school to the summer program at NDT, I was not prepared for how much the people and their own love of dance would affect me. Also getting my first taste there of some of Crystal Pite’s work was a real treat. Pite’s creations have made me excited to become a part of other people’s visions and creations, as well as to some day work with Crystal Pite herself, as she is a role model for me. Going abroad for The Netherlands Dance Theatre Summer Intensive opened my eyes to how some other countries view dance, and how differently they value performing art as compared to North America. Also it has made me value the opportunities here in Canada, such as working with Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, Kidd Pivot, La La La Human Steps, and Toronto Dance Theatre, to name a few. In order for me to be prepared for work I need to continue training my instrument and growing my body and mind. I have practiced yoga and Pilates, and I am conscious of my health, and how the body, like a piano if finely tuned, and with a skillful brain, can make beautiful music. Other goals of mine include training with and meeting with as many people as possible, to give me a broad view of the possibilities, of creations, and of professional relationships. To take part in the transfer of other artists’ views and sense of movement is the greatest gift I could ask to receive. Lastly, my love for creation, to have the chance to touch someone with something that comes from the purest place in the heart, means the world to me. To know that the feeling I have when dancing could transcend to someone watching, pleases me to my core. Dance is my form of release, my affirmation, my inspiration, and my way to find myself in the world. But most importantly to me, it is my way to connect with people in the deepest and most honest way.”
Classical Music (Piano)
Bryn Wiley
Bryn Wiley is an 18-year-old student from Calgary, AB entering his first year of study at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montreal this fall. In addition to his numerous music awards and performances, Bryn received athletic awards throughout his high school career. An active volunteer, Bryn wrote and performed multiple educational presentations on the history of the keyboard and basic knowledge of the evolution of classical music for children aged 7-9 years at the Cantos Music Foundation, Calgary. In the summer of 2011, he worked as a Research Assistant in the Neuroscience Laboratory of Dr. Q. Pittman, University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine. He also performed as a member of the Calgary Civic Symphony, in senior’s residences and provided accompaniment at a violin teacher’s studio.
In submitting Bryn’s nomination, Sara Laimon, Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs and Associate Professor, Piano, at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, wrote, “It gives me great pleasure to nominate Bryn Wiley as a candidate under consideration for a classical music piano scholarship through the Hnatyshyn Foundation. When Bryn auditioned for our Piano Performance program this year, all eyes and ears turned: this is a talent worth nurturing and he shines with the best applicants who have applied to the undergraduate performance program at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University. With numerous prize-winning pianists in recent years, this is no small feat. What makes Bryn even more impressive is that his excellence is not at all limited to his record as a successful young pianist. In reviewing Bryn’s file, it is evident that this is a young man with ambition, high standards, and who strives for his personal best in all that he pursues be it academics, athletics or music.” In adjudicating Mr. Wiley’s performance submissions, the jury for classical piano found he was “a promising and confident artist. The candidate seemed at ease playing with an orchestra and his or her interest in new music is evident… is not afraid to make bold musical statements… there should be great potential for the future.”
“Outside of the numerous attempts to define it in a purely scientific sense, music can be described as the language of emotion. It is a universally understood medium for expression, however simple or intellectualized it may be. In my performances, I take this very seriously to heart, and I believe that the most important aspect of a performance is the communication of emotion and feeling to the audience. To fully achieve this, I believe that there are several things that are required. The performer must have an almost personal and intimate connection with the composer through the piece and understanding of the style. Performers must have the ability to overcome the obstacle that is the separation of individual emotions. That is to say, no-one can experience exactly what someone else does, no-one can feel the exact same way that someone else feels. Despite this, for a performance to be truly touching and effective, the performer must have the ability to imitate the expression felt in the composer to the best extent possible, most often without even having met the composer face to face. This can only be achieved through a deep understanding of the piece, and a deep understanding of the composer’s intentions. Also, because one can never truly become the composer, or fully feel the way that they have, they must make the piece their own. While still being a vessel for the composer’s wishes, in order to make it authentic and real a bit of the performer’s personality and personal experience must be added. It is a very fine balance, but it is what makes us listen when we hear the likes of Horowitz or Rubenstien. The very best of compositions were written regarding the universality of the human condition, so when someone adds a bit of themselves it makes the composition truly come alive. No-one knows Beethoven like Beethoven , so when we become the best Beethoven that we can be, in our own way, with our own versions of the passions he puts into the music, the piece becomes truly dynamic, expressive and ultimately effective. If we strive instead to be perfect Beethovens, it is a waste of the incredible potential of our own feelings, which can easily find a place in his music. Of course, it is one thing to speak about emotion. But in the performance hall, one must realize that you are not performing purely for yourself. The purpose of a performance is for it to be heard and understood by others. This involves a fine sense of balance. We cannot be too introverted about a piece, as to leave the audience with a confused understanding, or too extrovert, as to leave them grasping for a deeper meaning. We cannot make a piece a pure emotional effect, and leave it intellectually lacking, but we cannot turn it into a mathematical exercise of precision. It is the balance of emotion and intelligence that makes a performance, and makes a complete performer. In terms of goals and aspirations, I am vastly intrigued by the new. I am most inspired, and most affected, when I hear a recording of a performer taking on a piece in a way I had never thought to before, or a piece written by a composer or in a style I had never heard of before. I find to hear a piece played in the way you’ve heard it played many times before is quite a bit less engaging than to hear a completely new take on it, something that makes you challenge all your assumptions on it. It is this fresh take on an old favourite that makes it come alive again, that makes it immortal. For this end, I aspire to try to bring a different sound to the pieces that I play. I try to instill a perspective that is uniquely my own, that will hopefully make the piece come alive again for the listener. Instead of having the listener follow along, evaluating my deviances from preconceived notions about a piece, I want to challenge what they’ve thought about it, to have them gain more from the listening experience by hearing more in the piece. Along this same vein, I consider it a goal of myself as an artist to explore and present lesser known repertoire, especially of a contemporary age. Nothing is quite like when you hear a great work for the first time, and there are new, great works being composed in the present, never heard by the majority of concert-goers. I think there is a great potential in this, for both me and the audience.”
Classical Ballet
Yoshiko Kamikusa
Yoshiko Kamikusa, a 16-year-old ballerina from Vancouver BC, was nominated by the Goh Ballet where she dances in the Senior Professional Program. In addition to performing solo or principal roles in numerous productions, Yoshiko has received numerous national and international awards.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation grant, Chan Han Goh, Director of Goh Ballet said: ”Yoshiko Kamikusa studies dance at the Goh Ballet Academy with dedication and passion. She is a conscientious dancer and a pleasure to have in our professional program. Giving her all, she wholeheartedly achieved the critical components (of the Senior Professional Program)... Training alongside our international faculty in her regular daily schedule, Yoshiko also worked privately with Vera Solovyeva and Nikolay Levitsky. She is keen, dedicated, focused, and has an excellent work ethic, and ranked very well in the program receiving Distinction in RAD exams, most recently being awarded the solo seal.” In adjudicating Ms Kamikusa's performance submissions, the jury commended her choice of material and interpretation: “The Esmeralda variation was sultry and dynamic suiting the gypsy character through slow and controlled movement combined with flexibility. The Kitri variation showed a vivacious and playful character with lightning speed and agility… she was totally in command of the technique and exhibited a strong stage presence from the first entrance to the final pose. The artist statement showed a maturity seemingly beyond her young years. She definitely shows a passion for dance and radiates that joy in her presentation… Her technique would rival any professional. Unusual artistry for such a young person.”
“As a ballerina and artist, I strongly believe that the most important aspect of performance is being able to share the art of ballet with an audience. Of course, there are countless things about performances that contribute to my own benefits, such as building on stage experience, confidence and presence, as well as increasing my quality of dance. However, I concentrate on improvement of all these factors for a much bigger picture and more valued reason; the audience. Performances are not only opportunities for personal development in performing, but moments that I can give to and take pleasure in with people other than myself. In fact, I am happiest when someone receives and understands my passion for ballet from my time on stage. My primary goal and aspiration is to become a prima or principal ballerina in a professional ballet company. It is my dream to pursue a significant career in a field that I love and enjoy most. I hope to work with various directors, choreographers, teachers and other dancers who will appreciate, motivate and nurture me to help create the best artist that I can be. I am determined to continuously develop myself in both technical and artistic terms, for as long as I remain active in this profession. I want to bring joy to all my audiences through my dancing at international levels, so that a greater population can appreciate the arts more, especially the beauty of classical ballet. My inspirations come from various people and situations, but my current teachers, Vera Solovyeva and Nikolay Levitsky, will definitely be given immediate credit. Their years of valuable, professional experience have in no doubt provided me with excellent ballet training and advice, which have proved to be the source of my greatest improvement as a ballerina and artist so far. As teachers, they have generously given and shared with me their passion for ballet and dance that remarkably seems to grow more evident year after year. I am always amazed at their dedication and ability to maximize a dancer’s potential, along with being able to express clear artistic views upon performance. In addition to my wonderful teachers, I am constantly inspired by many great former and current ballerinas in the world. Some of my favorite dancers to watch are Uliana Lopatkina, Sylvie Guillem, Maya Plisetskaya, Altynai Asylmuratova, Maria Kochetkova, Svetlana Zakharova, Alina Cojocaru, and Yuan Yuan Tan. They’re all technically outstanding, but it inspires me much more that they radiate a powerful aura revealing how much they love ballet and dance itself.”
French Theatre
Sasha-Emmanuelle Migilarese
Sasha-Emmanuelle Migilarese, of Laval, QC is a 24-year-old student at Collège Lionel-Groulx in Ste-Thérèse, QC who will enter her final year of studies this autumn. Ms Migilarese assembled an impressive resumé of performances including plays by Tennessee Williams, Albert Camus and Michel Tremblay, to name a few.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation French acting grant, Ghyslain Filion, Director of Collège Lionel-Groulx and François Grisé (Teacher) identified Sasha-Emmanuelle as "a multi-faceted person, a passionate Quebeco-Anglo-Italian, intense yet sensitive, rigorous yet flexible. She is cautious, but knows how to jump; she values solitude, but is second to none in community engagement. She is a simple, easy-going, hard-working person. She managed to have her talent grow throughout her schooling. In sum, Sasha-Emmanuelle’s qualities of authenticity, generosity, kindness, sensitivity and innovation, coupled with her unending quest for precision and her eagerness to play, have made her an extremely stimulating student and artist for all who collaborated with her." In adjudicating Sasha Emmanuelle’s performance submissions, the jury for acting commented: "What a passion! What a great example of youth (spontaneity, in a word). She is a pleasure to listen to; she is devoted to her art and to the improvement of life. That type of energy can, if not change the world, at least improve it. Isn't this what arts in general, and the theatre in particular, should be all about? Her acting is sophisticated and imaginative. Candid and solid. Great stage presence and a good listener (quite tough when one is young). Moving and sincere, a limpid interpretation and a thorough grasp of both texts. She makes us love the characters she impersonates, despite their excesses. I would hire her anytime."
* The 2012 French theatre acting grant was funded by CIBC.
"Ever since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to be close to people. An urgent need for communication, analysis and understanding of others took hold of me. My deep love for the human race gives me great inspiration and an uncontrollable desire to express myself and create. Inevitably, this had to take me somewhere. Without really knowing how, one thing was certain: this was what I was going to do with my life. Quietly, the path was laid out before me, doors opened little by little; the whole was becoming clearer and clearer. Theater! Whether on stage, in rehearsal or alone in front of a text, I find myself, I'm whole. Creating! Going on adventures, running with my eyes closed, leaping into the void. Falling, getting up again and going even further. Surrendering to the poetry of a text, savoring the words and letting them invade my inner world. Taking on a character different from my own and letting it transport me to an unknown universe. A new role always plunges me into a new story, a new playground. The research process is by far my favorite part of the job, and it's what connects me most with my passion for humanity. I love exploring every layer of the character and wrapping his carcass in living flesh. Involving every part of my body in its making, finding its music, its breath. Questioning it, provoking it to find new reactions, but above all, understanding it. Each character I've had the privilege of embodying has, in its own way, left its mark on me. Thanks to this horde of characters, and their baggage of life, I've learned to better understand the world around me, and to define myself as a human being. Antonin Artaud once said: ‘The actor is an athlete of emotion.’ Indeed, to practice this art, we are called upon to share our emotional home in order to serve the play. Acting is first and foremost a gift of self. For the love of theater, of humanity in all its qualities and faults, and out of a desire to change and move things forward, we put our personalities aside to make room for someone else. To breathe life into a character who can convey a message to the public. To move the audience and make them feel alive too. To give with passion, motivation, determination, presence and generosity. At school, I was lucky enough to work with people who were able to pass on this concern to me. The beauty of being an artist is to be confronted with yourself and others, to take on larger-than-life challenges, to understand that nothing can be taken for granted, and that perseverance and determination pay off! I'll soon be entering my final year at school with an undeniable sense of pride. A major stage in my life is coming to an end and, to my amazement, I see myself transformed. I still have so much to learn and discover. That's what spurs me on to dive in headfirst and collaborate as best I can, to help discover and advance the magnificent profession we're lucky enough to practice. The unknown beckons, like an eternal child marvelling at her sandbox. I can't wait to get started!”
English Theatre
Edmund Stapleton
Originally from Paradise, Newfoundland, Edmund Stapleton is a 25-year-old student at the University of Alberta who will begin his final year this autumn. He completed a BA degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland, with a cumulative GPA of 3.94, demonstrating grades above 90% in his philosophy, political sciences and logics classes. He has maintained a high A average throughout his time at the University of Alberta. In his final year, Edmund will be performing in three shows while receiving his final training in voice, movement and singing.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation English theatre grant, Sandra M. Nicholls Co-ordinator of the BFA Acting Program, University of Alberta wrote, “Edmund is possessed of a far ranging imagination. He comes with curiosity and an open willingness to investigate every learning opportunity presented to him. His efforts reflect a mature and engaged process, a sophistication, and pliability of physical, intellectual and spiritual aptitude. Edmund demonstrates a deep and abiding respect for the views, values and creative offerings of his working colleagues. His creative efforts are characterized by generosity of spirit, personal initiative, bold, inventive choices, and his greatest strength lies in his committed drive to the generation of work of value.Edmund always has all the dials turned on high and the energy that he radiates has a profound effect on the daily climate of the classes and productions of which he is a part. He is an informed and perceptive analyzer of the human condition through scripted material.” In adjudicating Mr. Stapleton’s performance submissions, the jury commented: “A superb young actor with the range to play very maturely the role of Titus and to take his time and to make all of the text ring out. Great material, incredible command of text, clear and appropriate physicality. Original choices & interpretation, a real dynamic range, brilliant detail, personal and original choices. A sense of reality, circumstance, truth. A truly original personality, rooted and passionate, specific in his interests, truthful, unusual and sincere. His statement was lovely and full of his love of his native Newfoundland and his desire to build on those who have gone before him. I believe this person will go far and has loads to offer. I look forward to seeing the many ways that this young artist contributes to the future of theatre in Canada.”
* The 2012 English theatre acting grant was funded by CIBC.
“Acting is the greatest challenge I have ever faced. An actor is a bearer of Truth. We wade through the muck and shit of the human experience in an attempt to find that which is necessary, that which is most human, and bring that before a witness with an open soul. Plays are not reality and actors aren’t there to trick you into thinking that they are: the Theatre in a heightened reality where Truth and Imagination reign and where actors are your ferrymen, guiding you down a river to some form of enlightenment. I grew up in a small town just outside of St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador called Paradise. From my bedroom window I could see the North Atlantic Ocean; trawlers trying to fill their quotas, gulls swooping to make their catch, whales coming to the surface from the icy depths and ambitious waves attempting to dissolve the rugged coast. Where I come from cannot be separated from who I’ve become nor from the work I produce. For me, acting is rugged and harsh but holds within it an ethereal beauty that is unparalleled. Acting must come from within but be manifested without (a very Stanislavskian notion); the process must be organic and rooted in Truth and crafted with the utmost care. But one must not get too precious. This, if anything, is what my time in the BFA Acting program at the University of Alberta has shown me. You cannot be afraid to get dirty, to make all the wrong choices, for it is those exact choices that lead to the most dynamic and captivating moments on stage. My training over the past two years has focused on freedom: freeing my body so that it may move in unexpected ways, freeing my voice so that it may move my scene partner and touch an entire audience, freeing my imagination so that every choice is unique and honest. Of course within each of these disciplines there have been very technical elements. I’ve had to learn difficult choreography and improvisational structures, I’ve had to negotiate vowel sounds to “turn off” my Newfoundland accent and I’ve had to understand analytic script work. Then I’ve had to integrate all these elements into performance. One model of learning that has stuck with me has been that of Conscience-Competence. One begins in ignorance of their lack of skill (Unconscious-Incompetence) then becomes aware of their shortcomings (Conscious-Incompetence) then begins to train to improve (Conscious-Competence) then through repetition and understanding gains the skills thry lacked at the outset (Unconscious-Competence). My second year of training has been developing the skills I learned in my first year so that by my final year I will be able to easefully integrate movement, voice, character, etc, into my performance. I believe the best performances blend the aforementioned elements (movement, voice, character, imagination) together into a full-bodied and fully imagined life. This past semester I was given the challenge of playing Titus Andronicus in Titus Andronicus. Titus is a man who has grown up on the battlefield, who holds honour and respect as deities, and who vows to revenge the wrongs done to his family by baking two young men into pies and feeding them to their mother. As always I began looking at the text for clues into who this man was, what others thought of him and what he thought of himself. What images has Shakespeare associated with this character? Titus talks at length about the stormy seas so I fashioned my choices around this image; one minute he is calm the next he is raging the next the sun is breaking through the clouds. These choices were guided by the work I had done analyzing the script but the truth only appeared in rehearsal and performance. I can be a very serious person and this bleeds over into my acting. My challenge has (and continues to be) to find that sense of play in my work. The more I stop caring about the “right” choice and just make the honest, in the moment choice, the more dynamic my performance. Two books that have helped me understand this seemingly easy concept have been Benjamin Hoff’s The Tao of Pooh and W. Timothy Gallwey’s The Inner Game of Tennis. Both of this books (and I would say philosophies) don’t deal directly with acting but the lessons they have provided me about acting and in-the-moment living have been priceless. The Tao of Pooh explains the tenants of the Taoist philosophy through the stories of Winnie-the-Pooh and how one must be open and accepting to react to the world around us. The Inner Game of Tennis shows how to quiet that critic inside all of us that takes us out of the game and into our heads and keeps us from reaching or full potential. As a tennis player I also see tennis as a perfect metaphor for acting: the ball is the dialogue (or communication) between myself and my scene partner each of us trying to win the point, each of us having to react to what the other is giving and each of us having to use different techniques to win the game. I’ve been presented with various schools of thought on acting during my training including Meisner’s repetition exercises, Halprin’s RSVP creation process, Grotowski’s emblems (archetypes), Linklater’s resonating ladder and many, many others. A great emphasis has been placed on creating my own method; taking the elements that make sense and work for me and combining them into a personal process. The breadth of what is covered at the U of A has allowed me to place countless tools in my toolbox that can be used to solve any acting challenge I meet. With the recent troubles present in Canadian Theatre (one needs only look at the closing of the Vancouver Playhouse or Dancap Productions) I believe that now is the time for my generation of creators to make their mark. Canada is such a vast country (believe me, I know) and it is impossible to have a distinct “Canadian” theatre. It is, however, possible to have a distinct Newfoundland Theatre, a distinct Quebec Theatre, a distinct Alberta Theatre, etc. Stories from each region of our country can illuminate what makes every place unique but also what unifies us as a people, as Canadians. This is where I think my path lies. I want to bring the stories from my corner of the world to the national and world stage. People like Jillian Keiley, Rick Mercer, Gordon Pincent, Seamus O’Regan and Alan Hawco have been trailblazers in promoting Newfoundland culture and bringing our stories to a larger audience. They have helped to open the door that I now want to kick it in and show the incredible talent present in Canada’s youngest province. I also have a huge love affair with classical work (Shakespeare, Shaw, Ibsen) and will continue to pursue work in this milieu. It is impossible to tell where the future will take me (Television, Film, America, Europe) but my past and heritage will always be a part of it. I have a fire and passion to tell stories (my own and other people’s) and to bring Truth to those who seek it. I grew up on the water and have my sea legs and am ready to be that ferryman, transporting an audience to another world where they may see themselves in a new light, perhaps more clearly, and will return to this world changed and enlightened and a just little more human.”
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Classical Vocal Performance
Emily Duncan-Brown
Emily Duncan-Brown, of Mississauga ON, is a 25-year-old soprano who will continue her professional studies with renowned voice teacher Ruth Falcon in New York this autumn. Emily holds a Professional Studies Diploma and a Master of Music Degree from Mannes College, the New School for Music in New York and a Bachelor of Music from McGill University. She was a child actress with Cirque du Soleil and has performed in numerous venues across North America, as well as participating in national and international summer programs, including at the International Vocal Arts Institute in Israel. In addition to receiving many prestigious awards, she captured First Place at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions - New England Region.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation classical voice grant, Ruth Falcon identified Ms. Duncan-Brown as having a ravishingly beautiful lyric soprano voice, and went on to say: "She is comfortable in different languages and styles and is able to express herself beautifully in such. She is equally at home on the operatic stage and in recital repertoire. I believe that this young singer and artist will find her way into an outstanding career." In adjudicating Emily's performance submissions, the jury for classical voice praised her stunning, beautiful voice and elegant style. “This is a good voice with good energies and intonations. Brava!”
“I feel incredibly lucky to be able to pursue what I love most in the world as a career. To be an opera singer is to leave a piece of yourself on the stage for every performance, and it is to leave a piece of yourself with every member of that audience. Because you sing text along with the musical line you hold twice the responsibility of an instrumentalist, but also twice the power to do what I believe is the most important aspect of this art - to communicate an emotion to your audience. It is my goal to serve the music and text with what I can uniquely offer as an artist. I want to make the audience laugh through my sense of humor seeping into my vocal phrasing and facial expressions. I want to make them get shivers and cry from the colours of vulnerability and grief in my voice. Of course this requires the highest level of technical proficiency in order to give these vocal expressions, but it also requires a deep understanding of the character in order to give the most truthful performance. I believe in order to give the most genuine performance you must constantly be involved in artistic self-analysis and reflection. I was raised to believe the Stanislavsky quote ‘Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art’ as law. It is essential for us to remember that this is a selfless art - each performance is to serve that greater purpose. serving the music, text and touching the public. My dream would be to have a career like Renee Fleming, performing at the greatest opera houses all over the world. But my goal is to make my living doing what I love first and foremost. I need to be singing, to be sharing my passion, and I believe I have the potential for a great career. it is just a long and lucky road there. I aspire to be known as a great musician, singer, actor and colleague. I would like to be known for my versatility and unique timbre. I want to sing Baroque music through Mozart and Verdi on through contemporary composers. I want to be respected for the work I put into making my performances truthful and moving - no matter what stage I'm on. The technical mastery comes with devoted practice and a trusted guide. Practically every lesson, with the help of my teacher, I come to understand some tiny nuance of my voice that had been a mystery before. I believe healthy singing should sound easy: no tension from the neck up, but active and elastic ribs and support. I am a sensitive person. I am constantly moved by music and inspired by art and the people who create it. But what inspires me the most has been my work teaching children how to sing, teaching them about the music itself and finally watching their reactions. I know through them that this art form is far from fading. I watched a twelve-year-old student of mine attend her first live opera, and it was a life changing experience for us both. She sat there in awe, physically shaking from her emotions, and couldn't stop talking about it when it was over. I watched her describing the experience to her peers, and the details she remembered. Her reaction was so similar to the way I would feel as a child that I was flooded with hope. She is the future of this art. whether she ends up a performer or audience member, she is passionate about the music and that is what is important.”
Classical Music (Orchestral Instrument)
Heemin Choi
Heemin Choi is a 18-year-old student from Halifax, NS who commenced a Bachelor of Music degree at Dalhousie University this autumn. He began playing the violin at the age of 6 and won numerous awards from the Kiwanis Music Festival annually. Choi was the First Runner-up at the Canadian Music Competition in 2003 and in 2004. In January 2005, he became the youngest Nova Scotia Talent Trust scholarship recipient in 60 years. Heemin has received numerous scholarships from The Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers Association, Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts Alumni Association, String Music Atlantic, and Canadian Music Competition. In 2005 he joined the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra and is now the Concertmaster for the third consecutive year. He also won the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition in 2007, and performed the Symphonie Espagnole by Lalo in Halifax as well as in Denton Hall. In 2006, he participated in the Domaine Forget Music Camp and also had the opportunity to attend Meadowmount School of Music in 2008. Recently, Heemin received the Ray Simpson Award by the Nova Scotia Talent Trust, in recognition of excellence in instrumental music. Additionally, he won the Rose Bowl in the string category for two consecutive years (2010/2011). He was a guest soloist with Symphony Nova Scotia, during their summer tour in 2010. Heemin has been privileged to receive master classes and lessons from many great artists throughout the world, including Pinchas Zukerman, Regis Pasquier, Yehonatan Berik, Donald Weilerstein, Almita Vamos, Gerardo Ribeiro, Mimi Zweig, Jean Angers, among others.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation orchestral instrument (strings) grant, Philippe Djokic, Professor of Violin at Dalhousie University praised Heemin: "In the forty years of my teaching career, I have encountered few students who possess all of the qualities necessary for a successful performance career. Heemin Choi certainly has all of these qualities and more. He has been very generous in sharing his talent with community organizations in Nova Scotia, offering his services as performer for numerous fundraisers and other significant events such as the Nova Scotia Talent Trust benefit concert, the Korean War Veterans Association and the recent Canada Winter Games Closing Ceremonies. With all the praise and attention he has garnered recently, he manages to remain level-headed and humble while maintaining his academic standing and focusing on his career aspirations." In adjudicating Mr. Choi's performance submissions, the jury commended his good sense for interpretation and strong musicality: “He plays with very good expression, good sound and good phrasing. Very musical, mature, and effective performances.”
“For me, the pleasure and privilege of playing the violin, especially at an institution of such fine professional artistic quality like Dalhousie has been a great honour. Despite having been offered major scholarships to such institutions such as the Cleveland Institute of Music, New England Conservatory among others, I believe that the level of artistic help that I am able to benefit from is just as great here in Canada even when compared to the big and famous institutions around the world. Throughout my training and advice received from my mentors and teachers in the 12 years I have been playing the violin, I have learned to appreciate not only the technical aspects of making music, but the musical finesse and concentration that contributes to extending my artistic sphere of knowledge. Through prospective studies of many technical studies such as Paganini, Gaviniers, Dont, Sevcik, Rode, as well as J.S Bach, I have been able to develop my technical aspects of playing while simultaneously understanding that great music making requires much more than technical perfection but also a internal understanding of the musical ideas that are being portrayed on the paper. By applying the technicality of the studies to such Concerti like Paganini, Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Mendelssohn, Vieuxtemps, Wieniawski, Bach, Sibelius, Lalo, Saint-Saens, among many others, I have been able to understand a little more of the vast spectrum of the musical varieties and subtleties that make a successful musician. Moreover, by performing some of these major works with orchestras such as Symphony Nova Scotia, the Chebucto Orchestra, Nova Symphonia and the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, I have been able to experience not only the joy of performing with a group of extremely talented musicians that have been able to contribute and mentor my musical development, but I have also began to learn the things that contribute to a truly great performer, whether it be in a solo concert setting, quartet or orchestra. Despite having infinite more things to learn and experience, through my current experience I believe that performing is the culmination of the technical precision practiced hours daily, as well as the sheer, almost overwhelming experience of being able to play such great compositions to an audience who appreciates that hard work that was put into place. With my personal experience specifically, I believe that the musicality of a performer is displayed best when supported with sound technical basis, and that through self expression and personal interpretation of a work, as well as being able to recognize the interpretations of many great artists that have played the piece previously, a performer is able to emerge as ones own identity, creating a combination of musical ideas from previous mentors and adding it to ones own. As an artist, I hope to continue my education past my undergraduate degree, continuing on to do my masters as well as a possible PhD. While a career as a soloist would be ideal, another great hope for me is to be able to create great music with many other musicians in an orchestra setting, while simultaneously being able to teach and pursue a solo career, whether it is in an international setting. However, the sheer privilege of being able to share my musical ideas with colleagues in an orchestra setting is an aspiration that would be extremely fulfilling for me.”
Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance
Matthew Chalmers
Matthew Chalmers, a 17-year-old drummer and vibraphonist from Toronto, will enter his first year in the Bachelor of Music Jazz Studies degree program at Humber College this autumn. A graduate of Etobicoke School of the Arts, Matthew studied drums with: Barry Romberg, Jeff Salem, Steve Mancuso, Barry Elmes, Ari Hoenig, Larnell Lewis and Raul Rekow; theory/piano/improvisation with Brian Dickinson, Mike Malone, Kirk MacDonald and Dave Neill, and participated in Music Ensembles and Classes at Humber College Community Music School . In addition to having amassed an impressive resumé of solo and ensemble performances in Toronto, he is also the recipient of numerous national and international music awards.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation jazz grant, Denny Christianson, Director of Music, Humber College said: "My first experience of Matthew was while working with him in an all-star youth band at the All-Canadian Jazz Festival in Port Hope. I thought maybe a 30-year-old top-flight pro had snuck onto the stage. As I looked up and realized I was listening to a 15-year-old, a huge smile came over my face. It was immediately evident that this was an extraordinary talent, and after following his progress closely over the last few years, I am convinced he will become an internationally recognized performer." In adjudicating Chalmer's performance submissions, which included one of his own compositions, the jury for jazz performance was impressed by the beautiful relaxed feel of his playing. “Matthew has a good melodic approach to the instrument on the trades, very conversational with a story-telling quality; great balance on the kit, between all the instruments (cymbals, toms, snare); nice touch and use of dynamics. He provided a good diversity of tunes, rhythms, grooves, and dynamics.”
“I consider expression to be the most important aspect when playing. This is the overall goal of any artist, conveying what they feel is important and relevant to their audience. A performance, no matter what the genre, needs to express feelings and move the listeners in some way. Sometimes when I'm playing with a group and the music ‘isn't my thing’ I like to think: ‘this is the kind of music and musicians I'm playing with right now; here we go!’ Although the audience may not understand why something that you've just played excited them so much, they do feel it. It's most likely because you're putting everything you've got into it. Drummer Terry Clarke has a great philosophy, ‘Play every gig like it's your last.’ It is also important for an artist to motivate, educate and inspire an audience. You need to know your audience and be able to take them from something they know to somewhere outside their comfort zone. This hopefully opens their eyes and let's them know the possibilities that exist outside their normal definition of music. Helping them through this journey by linking the known with the unknown will inspire their creativity. I'm addicted to listening to music. I've realized that I not only have to be a great player, but I must know the work of every great jazz musician that has influenced the evolution of music. My Christmas/birthday lists are only CD's, and obscure ones at that. I feel so uninformed when someone asks me if I've heard a certain album and I haven't so I immediately go on iTunes and buy it. I listen to a wide range of music, as it all inspires me. To get more specific about certain artists, here is a short list of people I listen to and who inspire me (in no specific order): Phil Nimmons, Rob McConnell, Barry Elmes, Kevin Turcotte, Terry Clarke, Don Thompson, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, Tony Williams, Frankie Dunlop, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Stewart, Eric Harland, Brian Blade, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Larnell Lewis, Barry Romberg, Stefon Harris, Bobby Hutcherson, Milt Jackson, Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau, Ahmad Jamal, Edward Simon, Miles Davis, Dave Douglas, Kenny Dorham, Freddie Hubbard, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Hank Mobley, Phil Woods, Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, Donny McCaslin, PJ Perry, Charlie Parker, JJ Johnson, Robin Eubanks, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Ron Carter, Rich Brown, Caetano Veloso, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Tito Puente, Ignacio Berroa, Rosa Passos, Kurt Elling, Stevie Wonder, Take 6, John Legend, John Mayer, Alicia Keys, Earth Wind and Fire, Chicago, and so on. I call this list "short" because this is only a taste of the people I listen to and who inspire me from each genre.”
Contemporary Dance
Alexandre Morin
Alexandre Morin, of St-Colomba, Quebec, is a 19 year-old student who has just completed his first year of the Professional Training Program at LADMMI, bringing to these studies training in other disciplines including Ashtanga and Acro-Yoga. He has distinguished himself as an excellent student, dancer and choreographer for student-run performances and has received several awards, including one for outstanding leadership skills.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation contemporary dance grant, Linda Rabin said of Alexandre, “What a wonderful talent! What a terrific spirit! It has been a total joy to have Alex in class. He is an open spirited man, game to partake in most every exercise and to express his perceptions. His observations are intelligent, insightful of self and of others.” In adjudicating Mr. Morin's performance submissions, the jury for contemporary dance – which included: Merrilee Hodgins, A.R.A.D., Artistic Director, The School of Dance, Ottawa, Founder, and Brent Lott, Artistic Director, Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers, commented: “the young man sets himself apart with his artistry and dynamic range of movement - Lovely dancer. Unaffected natural mover. Dynamic range. His choice of material showed the depth of his thinking and also showed that he has no fear of commitment to movements, ideas, use of space and flow. I felt I was watching an emerging artist more than any other applicant.”
“Dance is my deepest life passion. Dance is present in everything I do and is an integral part of my being. I love movement for the sensations it provokes in my body and for the way it allows me to communicate my thoughts and my feelings. Dance defines my purpose in life. I am as passionate about creation as I am about dancing. Whether it is participating in the creative process with a choreographer or working on one of my independent projects, it allows me to experiment new ideas and it is an act of self discovery leading me to previously unknown avenues of expression that I can share with the audience. I practice yoga regularly to complement my dance training in order to find equilibrium and access my body’s full potential while staying connected with my mind. The importance of breath in the yoga practice has allowed me to discover how to live more fully in the moment and be more conscious of my body not only on a postural but also a sensorial level. Despite my young age I have begun to teach and choreograph. I experience a pure state of satisfaction when I see a student who has applied one of my corrections or a group of dancers who have delivered my choreography with integrity and commitment while respecting the initial intention. Marc Boivin, one of my teachers who I have had the honour to work with, inspires me on many levels. He is a dedicated and complete artist who dances, teaches and creates. He has performed around the world. He continues to contribute to the evolution of the dance milieu which led to his recent election to le Regroupement québécois de la danse. He is also the new president of this organization. What inspires me most about his teaching is his profound knowledge and intellectual approach to dance. He led me to pay particular attention to each movement, to follow its path in the body while nourishing each gesture with images or a specific intention. Approaching dance in this way has allowed me to discover how to initiate movement from a place of pure physicality and has opened my body to new sensations. I am inspired not only through the art of dance but other art forms. I visit art galleries, I seek out new and innovative music and I watch a wide range of film genres. In essence, all my interests revolve around a burning necessity within me to express myself physically through dance which demands having a healthy body, mind and spirit. I love going to dance performances. The beauty of dance reveals itself in the fragile moments when the performer reveals their vulnerability allowing the audience to experience a moment of pure abandon. This can trigger an indescribable sensation that occurs when the performer and audience become one. As an artist in training I am striving to prepare my body physically and to perfect my technique in order to meet the demands of the contemporary dance milieu. It is important for me as a dancer to equally master the technical and interpretative aspects of dance because I believe that the source of a dance artist’s expression originates in the physicality of the human body. My goal as a young artist is to invest myself completely in my art and to contribute to the advancement of contemporary dance while transmitting my passion for dance by performing and hopefully inspiring others around the world.”
Classical Music (Piano)
Jan Lisiecki
Jan Lisiecki is a 16-year-old student from Calgary, AB entering his first year of study at the Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School in Toronto this fall. Jan made his orchestral debut at age 9 and has since given over 50 performances with orchestras worldwide . He has been honoured with many prestigious awards, including the "Debut Atlantic" and CBC Révélations Radio-Canada Musique in 2010, and has won numerous major Canadian music titles. Jan Lisiecki performs frequently for various charity organizations, including the David Foster Foundation, the Polish Humanitarian Organization and the Wish Upon a Star Foundation. In June 2008 he was appointed a National Youth Representative by UNICEF Canada.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation classical piano grant, James Anagnoson, Dean of The Glenn Gould School, wrote: "Jan is, simply put, a once-in-a-generation talent. The artistry and maturity in his playing at the age of 16 is extraordinary. I heard him play in recital last week and was struck with both the artistic integrity and the highly personal quality he brought to every note of the program. He has substantial virtuosic ability, but never uses it just for show. Instead he uses it with ease and indeed panache, but only as the music requires it. Predictably, the end result is musically more fulfilling and has much greater impact." In adjudicating Lisiecki 's performance submissions, the jury for classical piano found his interpretations to be very powerfully expressive, clear rhythmically and technically. “Lyrical, characterful and assured. Altogether, an exceptional performer!”
“Music is a language, one that is universally understood and practiced. What I try to achieve when performing is to portray as truthfully and beautifully as possible the composer's work, without showing only how well I can play it. I focus on elegance and refinement, with technique only serving as a means of achieving those goals. Music is something to be shared, and I am greatly inspired by the audiences I perform for. I realize how lucky I am to be able to share this music with them, and I play for them. I feel very privileged to be able to perform while touching music, something that is much greater than one can comprehend. I believe that this quote represents me very well: … ‘I pay no attention whatsoever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.’ - W. A. Mozart.”
Classical Ballet
Larissa Khotchenkova
Larissa Khotchenkova, an 18-year-old Torontonian, joined The National Ballet of Canada as an Apprentice in August; she has been training at Canada’s National Ballet School since 2004. Ms Khotchenkova has been chosen to perform solo or principal roles in numerous productions, and completed the Summer Dance Program at the Boston Ballet School in 2010, and with the Hamburg Ballet School in 2009. In February 2011, she was awarded the Peter Dwyer Scholarship by the Canada Council for the Arts.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation grant, Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada said: "Larissa was first recognized as an unusual talent in her grade 9 year at Canada's National Ballet School, where she was selected to perform in the corps of Serenade, even though such young dancers are not generally included in the school's annual performances. It was clear then, as it is now, that this is a dancer with extraordinary physical gifts including perfect proportions for a classical dancer, highly arched feet and a flexible back. More to the point, the combinations of her gifts creates a whole that is more than the sum of the parts. I fully expect that Larissa will develop into a unique and valuable performer." In adjudicating Ms Khotchenkova's performance submissions, the jury commended her strong technique, turns and long lines and great feet: “Good coordination and musicality. Beautiful dancer, the strongest of the candidates and one who is certain to be an exceptional talent in her professional career - she is ready to work with a company.”
“I think what first attracted me to ballet were the pretty costumes. I remember sitting in the audience, watching a Russian production of The Nutcracker, delighted by the grandeur and beauty of everything on stage. However, after immersing myself in the rigors of the professional ballet world I have developed a very different appreciation for it. Today, ballet appeals to me because it is such a multifaceted art form. A ballerina is not only a dancer; she is an athlete, an actress and an artist. In the past several years, I have had a glimpse of how exhilarating it can be when you are able to combine all these elements into one moment. I am realizing the importance of submitting myself to the music and to the story, and enjoy being able to experience such a wide range of emotions on stage. Another thing that I enjoy about ballet is the fact that a ballet dancer’s work is never done, neither technically nor artistically. I look forward to going into the studio everyday knowing that I have something to work on and something to improve. I love the fact that I will never have to stop learning and growing.”
French Theatre
Marie-Anick Blais
Marie-Anick Blais is a 23-year-old student at Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal who will enter her final year of studies this autumn. As a graduate of Collège Lionel-Groulx in Ste-Thérèse, QC, Blais assembled an impressive resumé of performances in varied roles from costume drama to improvisation. A young woman in harmony with nature, she earned her living this summer planting trees.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation French acting grant, Raymond Cloutier, Director of Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal identified Marie-Anick as: "an exemplary student completely dedicated to her art. Serious, intense, she possesses real depth at the same time being capable of inventiveness and imagination. Intelligent and other-directed, she is guided by the text, her partner, the director and, above all, her unfailing instinct." In adjudicating Ms Blais' performance submissions, the jury commented: "She shows maturity in her work. She's very responsive to her partner and makes it easy for her audience to understand the story unfolding onstage. She seems to have a good sense of rhythm and her acting is very nuanced. Very lively. You feel that she's putting everything into her part: her body, voice, thoughts, emotions. Her qualities as an actress make her a captivating performer."
"On stage, I feel complete! Theater allows me to invest myself completely. It's stimulating and exciting, and I need the constant research and hard work it forces me to do. I'm my own working tool. I take immense pleasure in modifying myself, splitting myself and dissecting every part of my being to make a character out of it. I always want to be receptive and attentive to what's going on around me, the better to draw inspiration from it. It's an art form that deals with the human in all its facets, which is why it's so important to observe it in order to express it better. Human beings are an infinite source of inspiration, so as a dramatic artist, I can live and express myself through them and for them. An actress has to invest herself in the creative process. I like to dive headfirst into roles without asking myself too many questions beforehand, and let what comes to me emerge. She must also possess great sensitivity to be able to receive and express those emotions that are greater than herself. She has to rise up and let herself be carried away by the poetry of the texts she embodies. It's an art that demands complete abandon and commitment. I want to give my heart and soul to every role I'm offered. I have an irresistible urge to create, imagine and express what's inside me. This passion has inspired me for many years. Having been fortunate enough to be part of several fascinating projects before I entered the Conservatoire, I was able to appreciate the importance of the training offered here, and for the past two years I've never stopped learning, broadening my horizons and developing as an artist. Since then, I've never stopped working, thinking and living according to what I'm passionate about. I'm aware that I'm part of a cutting-edge theater school, surrounded by inspiring and passionate professionals who teach me this art with intensity and dedication. I'm invested in the day-to-day work and confident in what I'll be tomorrow... The art of acting, of dramatic interpretation, of character creation, remains an unattainable goal! I now have an effective personal working method that I can apply to everything I do. My teachers have always given me roles that represented a challenge to be taken up, a difficulty to be solved, keeping in mind the desire to help me evolve as an artist. An artist must speak out, inhabit the stage and take a stand. I hope to be an integral part of our culture and to serve the voice of our authors. For years now, so many things have been bubbling up around me, both at home and abroad, and it's through all these events that I'm going to draw my inspiration to continue becoming the being I deeply am. Every year, our society writes a new page in its history. There are newspapers for facts, history books for posterity and specialists for each of the disciplines of economics, politics, law, science and technology... But to represent the human being, what vibrates within him or her and cannot be qualified or quantified, there is the actor, there is the actress. Those who represent humanity and play out its tragedy, its drama and its profound comedy, with naturalness, ardor and generosity. In August 2011, I begin my final year of training at the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal, and it is with great enthusiasm and determination that I intend to complete this important training! The future is opening up before me, and I'm eager to dive in and take control of my destiny. I still have everything to learn, to live, to choose and every day is a new opportunity to do so and I'm going to seize it with impatience."
English Theatre
Lisa Truong
Originally from Edmonton, Lisa Truong is a 21-year-old student at the National Theatre School in Montreal who began her final year this autumn. During her previous two years of studies, Ms Troung has demonstrated her awakening hunger for the work; her presence is invested, open-minded and inquisitive. In addition to the roles she has portrayed as course requirements she has also appeared in numerous professional-calibre stage productions.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation English theatre grant, Sherry Bie, Artistic Director, English Section of the National Theatre School wrote, “Lisa's eager spirit allows her to leap into the work. She recognizes the challenges of the training and rises daily to them. She brings determination, strength and courage to her rehersal work in the studio…Her journey next year and beyond holds enormous promise. I anticipate she will be a force on our stages in the years to come.” In adjudicating Ms Troung's performance submissions, the jury for acting – which included: Danielle Irvine Artistic Director and Co-Founder, First Light Productions Theatre Company, St, John's; Lise Anne Johnston, Artistic Director, Great Canadian Theatre Company, Ottawa ; and Caymar Chai, Founder, Neworld Theatre, Vancouver– was impressed that she makes strong choices, is comfortable with silence and has the ability to sustain throughout them. “She is very truthful, very in the moment, and specific from beat to beat. She scores high on the performance side, demonstrates her potential as a theatre creator, and has a strong artistic statement. She has a clear sense of her process and her artistic goals.”
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Classical Vocal Performance
Emanuel Lebel
Emanuel Lebel is a 25-year-old student at Université Laval who will commence his second year of a Masters program in classical voice this autumn. A baritone, M. Lebel is a graduate of the Conservatoire de musique de Québec, and has been singing as a member of professional choirs of Opéra de Québec and Orchestre symphonique de Québec for a number of years. He has also given numerous solo performances in opera and ensemble productions in the Quebec City region.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation classical voice grant, Michel Ducharme, Professor and Musical Director of the Opera Workshop of the Faculty of Music at Université Laval identified Emanuel Lebel as “an exceptional performer with a magnificent, rich and personal baritone voice and, above all, who has a natural and refined musicality, a broad and diverse cultural influence (something all too rare in a person his age), musical skills that greatly surpass what one expects from a performer, a keen intellect, and boundless intellectual curiosity.” In adjudicating M. Lebel’s performance submissions, the jury for classical voice – which included: Isabel Bayrakdarian, soprano, Toronto; Kim Mattice Wanat, Founder, Opera Nuova, Edmonton; and Timothy Vernon, Artistic Director, Pacific Opera, Victoria – lauded the “fresh, clear resonant tone of his voice, as well as his excellent sense of phrasing, even range, and good diction. He was also commended for having a technically very secure voice, for bringing emotional depth to his performance and demonstrating good sensitivity to text.”
Classical Music (Orchestral Instrument)
Stéphane Tétreault
Stéphane Tétreault is a 17-year-old student who will begin a Bachelor of Music degree at Université de Montréal this autumn. He has studied violoncello for over seven years under the tutelage of Yuli Turovsky, as well as being tutored in orchestral conducting, music theory and arrangement, and piano performance. He has participated with distinction in numerous solo and chamber music competitions, achieving a number of first place rankings, as well as giving solo performances with chamber ensembles of I Musici de Montréal, Orchestre l'Orchestre Métropolitain and the National Academy Orchestra of Canada, in venues that have included Place des Arts and Carnegie Hall.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation orchestral instrument (strings) grant, Christiane Laflamme, Vice-Dean of Performance Studies of the Faculty of Music at Université de Montréal, identified Stéphane Tétreault as having obtained excellent results in all his admittance tests. “There is no doubt this young musician has all the qualities to excel in university and pursue a brilliant international career.” In adjudicating M. Tétreault’s performance submissions, the jury for orchestral instrument – which included: Philippe Djokic, Professor of Violin, Dalhousie University, Halifax; Lynn Kuo, violinist; Assistant and Guest Concertmaster, National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, Toronto; and Richard Roberts, Assistant Professor of Violin, McGill University, and Concertmaster, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal – commended his warm, musical playing for achieving precise dynamic contrasts with solid intonation and excellent, convincing interpretation, and demonstrating the type of playing that is destined for a solo career. He was recognized as a highly developed, technically proficient, and musically assured talent, possessing an ease and virtuosity giving the impression of listening to a musician of much more experience.
Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance
Daniel Reynolds
Daniel Reynolds is a 21-year-old student at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University who will enter his fourth year of a Bachelor of Music Jazz Studies degree program this autumn. He has studied at McGill under Jan Jarczyk, and taken private instruction with Chet Doxas. A graduate of Lord Byng High School in Vancouver, Mr. Reynolds has participated in master class performance and workshop sessions in Vancouver, Banff and Ottawa, as well as amassing an impressive resume of solo and ensemble performances in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver. He is also a developing talent in jazz composition, aspiring to express the beauty of nature through music.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation jazz grant, André J. Roy, Chair, Department of Performance, Schulich School of Music of McGill University identified Daniel Reynolds as ”an enthusiastic, serious and generous musician who is highly respected and admired by his peers as well as faculty members. He has been noted for his improvised solos that exhibit a sophisticated and intellectual process usually associated with musicians significantly more experienced.” In adjudicating Mr. Reynolds’ performance submissions, which included two of his own compositions, the jury for jazz performance – which included: Ingrid Jensen, Artist-in-residence, Trumpet Faculty, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Joel Miller, saxophonist, Montreal; and Jodi Proznik, bassist and educator, South Surrey, British Columbia – was impressed by the maturity of his musicianship, emphasizing a strong vocabulary and rhythmic feel. His interpretations were commended for exhibiting very good phrasing and a beautiful touch, as well as conveying thoughtful ideas. His original compositions were described as full of emotion and strong harmonic adventure.
Contemporary Dance
Jarret Siddall
Jarrett Siddall is a 22-year-old student who has just completed his first year of the Professional Training Program at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, bringing to these studies training and performing experience from the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers and Citie Ballet, both based in Edmonton. He has distinguished himself as an excellent student of ballet, dancer and choreographer for student-run performances, choreographic workshop participant and class representative.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation classical ballet grant, Patricia Fraser, Artistic Director and her colleagues at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre identified Jarrett Siddall as “energetic, committed, and willing to take charge” and having “the potential for a stellar career in dance, as well as the capacity to influence the art form of contemporary dance through his stature as an interpretor.” In adjudicating Mr. Siddall’s performance submissions, the jury for contemporary dance – which included: Sasha Ivanochko, Founder, blackandblue dance projects, Toronto; Robin Poitras, Artistic Director, New Dance Horizons, Regina; and Wen Wei Wang, Choreographer, Wen Wei Dance, Vancouver – was impressed by his excellent and natural movement quality, combined with a strong athleticism and the ability to convey nuance and subtlety in exploring grace and emotion. He was judged to have considerable promise in the contemporary field.
Classical Music (Piano)
Jocelyn Lai
Jocelyn Lai is a 19-year-old student at the University of British Columbia who completed the first year of her dual-degree program in Piano Performance, taken under the tutelage of Professor Jane Coop, and Commerce in the spring of 2010. During the period of her high school studies at Crofton House School, Ms Lai participated with distinction in numerous international, national and provincial competitions, including first place in the 2007 Performing Arts BC National Piano Competition. She has also taken part in numerous summer programs and masterclasses, working with distinguished pianists and pedagogues such as Anton Kuerti and John Perry. She ultimately intends to pursue graduate studies in music.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation classical piano grant, Richard Kurth, Director of the School of Music at the University of British Columbia along with Jane Coop, Head of the Piano Division, identified Jocelyn Lai as “the highest ranking student entering our School of Music this year. She has surpassed our high expectations and if anything has widened her margin of superiority during her first year of studies. A serious, committed and very motivated young woman, Jocelyn has studied and performed a wide-ranging and challenging repertoire in recent years. Her playing has become sophisticated and compelling, and she carries herself with a maturity far beyond her years.” In adjudicating Ms Lai’s performance submissions, the jury for classical piano – included: James Anagnoson, Dean, Royal Conservatory, Glenn Gould School, Toronto; Edmund Dawe, Dean, Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg; and Bruce Vogt, pianist, Professor, University of Victoria – found her interpretations to demonstrate musicianship of a high order, exhibiting a fine sense of timing, of interval tensions, excellent clarity and shaping of musical details. She was commended for her musically imaginative, convincing and elegant performances.
Classical Ballet
Danielle Gould
Danielle Gould is a 17-year-old student who will be undertaking a full-time program at the Goh Ballet Academy of Vancouver, where she has been training since 2008. Ms Gould completed the Advanced 2 Ballet Examination of the Royal Academy of Dance with outstanding results and has received recognition in both local and international competitions. She has been chosen to perform solo or principal roles in numerous productions, and has qualified for such programs as the Vancouver Ballet Society Scholarship Seminar; Boston Ballet Centre for Dance Education Summer School; Pacific Northwest Ballet Summer School, Seattle; and the Genee International Ballet Competition, London.
In adjudicating Ms Gould's performance submissions, the jury commended her fresh and easy approach to classical ballet, with clean and expressive leg actions, beautiful artistry and physicality, and the ability to express her movement effortlessly, yet with a solid technique. She was judged to possess all the ingredients of a promising classical dancer.
French Theatre
Guylaine Jacob
Guylaine Jacob is a 21-year-old student at Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Québec who will enter her final year of studies this autumn. As a graduate of Collège Lionel-Groulx in Ste-Thérèse studying the stage arts, Ms Jacob assembled an impressive resume of performances in varied roles from costume drama to improvisation, and since commencing studies at the Conservatoire in 2008 has distinguished herself as a versatile and generous collaborator in professional-caliber productions, as well as participating in performing arts events in the community at-large.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation French acting grant, André Jean, Director of Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Québec identified Guylaine Jacob as “an actress who never cheats or overacts, and is able to find a character’s faults and vulnerabilities. This 21-year-old artist can always flesh out the truth and humanity of her characters, whatever the level of the piece being performed.” In adjudicating Ms Jacob’s performance submissions, the jury for acting – which included: Claude Guilmain, Co-founder, Théâtre La Tangente, Toronto; Louise Laprade, stage director and actress, Montreal; and Jacques Leblanc, Artistic Director, Théâtre de la Bordée, Quebec - commented, “Her performance in Uncle Vania was complex and full of subtlety, powerful emotion, and dramatic shifts in mood. She delivered her lines with great clarity, and seemed to have it all at her fingertips. Her voice was pleasant and warm, she had perfect diction, and she spoke her lines clearly and plainly. I loved her performance, and found it very moving. I also greatly enjoyed her reading of the poem Un cerf-volant (A Kite).”
English Theatre
Barbara Kozicki
Barbara Kozicki is a 31-year-old student at the University of British Columbia who will be starting her final year in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting Program this autumn. During her previous two years of studies at the UBC Department of Theatre and Film, Ms Kozicki has established herself as a quiet and determined leader in a very talented and exuberant class, as reflected in her nomination by her instructors. In addition to the roles she has portrayed as course requirements in professional-calibre stage productions, Ms Kozicki has taken on numerous film, television and voice assignments with production houses in Vancouver and Calgary as she hones her craft.
In submitting the nomination for The Hnatyshyn Foundation english theatre grant, Stephen Heatley, Associate Professor and Scholarship Chair of the Department of Theatre and Film at the University of British Columbia identified Barbara Kozicki as “well known for her work ethic, her generosity, her grace, her heart and her talent. She really is a joy to watch in rehearsal and in performance because she is always learning and searching for something better.” In adjudicating Ms Kozicki’s performance submissions, the jury for acting – which included: Scott Burke Artistic Producer, Eastern Front Theatre, Halifax; Caleb Marshall, Artistic Producer, Theatre New Brunswick, Fredericton; and Bradley Moss, Director, Theatre Network, Edmonton – was impressed that she is very clear with her acting choices, which makes her very watchable. She was commended for the manner in which she grabbed focus with a strong, direct, and physically connected performance style.
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Classical Vocal Performance
Stéphanie Lavoie
Stéphanie Lavoie, a 24 year-old soprano from Quebec. A student at the Quebec City Conservatory of Music since 2002, in the fall of 2009 she will enter the final year of a Diploma of Advanced Studies II in Music (equivalent to Master's level studies at a university). Her studies have also included classes in composition, conducting, piano, theatre and dance. In addition to her studies, Stéphanie has held numerous roles at the Atelier Lyrique du Conservatoire playing the role of Elisetta in Il matrimonio segreto, by Cimarosa in 2009 and the Gingerbread Witch in Hänsel und Gretel by Humperdink. She has performed as a member of the Choeur de l'opéra de Québec and taught music at the École des Ursulines de Québec. Stéphanie speaks French, English and German; she's improving her Italian and is presently studying Arabic.
According to Jacqueline Martel-Cistellini, voice teacher at the Quebec City Conservatory, "Stéphanie has a very fine voice. Her subtle sense of melody, her stage presence and her great determination, all justify our greatest expectations. Stéphanie is fully deserving of full support for her budding career." The Hnatyshyn Foundation classical voice jury, consisting of Donald Bell, Lyne Fortin and Garry Gable, were equally enthusiastic about Stéphanie's potential. "My impression is that this artist understands her instrument and how to use it to portray the music she is performing. She stands head and shoulders above the other contestants in the control of her instrument, the evenness of the voice throughout, the consistent vibrato rate, the trueness of pitch, and the clarity of vowels, and in the interpretation as well. She is not merely a technician but an artist with control of her instrument. I was thrilled to listen to her selections."
Classical Music (Orchestral Instrument)
Joshua Peters
Seventeen-year-old violinist Joshua Peters of Winnipeg, Manitoba, received his high school education at Kelvin High School in Winnipeg. He will begin a Bachelor's Degree of Music in Violin Performance at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University. Joshua has won numerous awards at music festivals in Winnipeg including first prize from the Victor Feldbrill Trophy (best strings performance at 2009 Winnipeg Music Festival) in 2009 and the Winnipeg Bach Festival Trophy in 2007 and 2009 (best performance of a work by Bach).
André Roy, Chair, Department of Performance at McGill, describes him as "one of the most promising young violinists to enter an undergraduate program at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University." Says Mr. Roy, "His audition was remarkable and his C.V. very impressive: concerto appearances and Concertmaster of the Winnipeg Youth Orchestra, considerable awards and scholarships and a high school International Baccalaureate certificate that is proof of his enormous capability and potential to succeed." The Hnatyshyn Foundation jury, composed of David Currie, Guillaume Tardif and Robert Uchida, were very impressed with Joshua's dramatic audition performance. "Great artistic promise, technical skill beyond his age, innate musicality!"
Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance
Luke Sellick
Nineteen-year-old Luke Sellick is a double bassist from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He entered the second year of a Bachelor of Jazz Studies program at the University of Manitoba in the spring of 2009. Luke has performed with many jazz bands including numerous private and public performances with Winnipeg musicians and at the Winnipeg Jazz Festival. He won the CanWest Jazz Scholarship three years in a row ( 2005-2007) and four awards in 2008 - Cool FM Jazz Major Scholarship, Starbucks Scholarship for the Most Promising New Jazz Student, EMMC Higher Education Bursary and the Gron Morgan Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
Joan Linklater, Associate Dean, Marcel. A. Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba says of Luke: "this straight A+ performance is unprecedented in my experience at the Faculty of Music and is an extraordinary testimony to Luke's academic achievement and musical accomplishments.” Says Professor Steve Kirby, Director of Jazz Studies "Luke Sellick is the most excellent candidate I've seen to date because of his talent, vision, work ethic, character, humility and outgoing personality. Luke is an individual that embodies the characteristics commensurate with an award of this magnitude." The Hnatyshyn Foundation jazz jury, composed of David Braid, Roddy Ellias and Ian McDougall, were impressed with Luke's strong performance. "Good intonation and command of the instrument. Nice sense of phrasing, good tone production even in challenging pieces. Very talented."
Contemporary Dance
Kim Henry
Kim Henry is a 22-year-old contemporary dancer from Terrebonne, Quebec. A graduate of Collège Andre-Grasset, She has received six years of dance training and will enter her second year in the Professional Program at L'école de danse contemporaine de Montréal.
According to Lucie Boissinot, Artistic Director, LADMMI, "we see in Kim Henry an extremely promising contemporary dance performer. She possesses both a natural sense of movement and a very acute artistic sense and at LADMMI she stands out on several levels.” One of her teachers wrote: "Great work, great consistency! Wonderful discipline, perseverance and a splendid autonomy! Dazzling progress! We can already foresee the dancer that you will become in the course of your next two years of training. Bravo!" The Hnatyshyn Foundation contemporary dance jury, composed of Peggy Baker, Gerry Morita and Tedd Robinson, praised Kim's grounding, intensity and daring. "She has the least amount of years of training with the greatest potential to become a professional dancer."
Classical Music (Piano)
Lucas Porter
Lucas Porter is an 18-year-old pianist from Port Williams, Nova Scotia. A graduate of Horton High School, he completed the first year of a Performance Diploma Degree in piano at the Glenn Gould School of Music in the spring of 2009. Lucas has participated in numerous master classes with many of the best teachers such as Leon Fleisher and John Perry and has won many scholarships and awards including first place at the CFMTA National Piano Competition and the Vest Performance of Baroque and Most Promising Performer in 2007, as well as winning the Glenn Gould Concerto Competition in 2009.
Marc Durand, Professor, Faculty of Music, University of Montreal and Visiting Artist and Program Advisor, The Glenn Gould Professional of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, says, "Lucas Porter is an outstanding pianist, a most knowledgeable musician for his young age and as well, a very inspiring artist. His musical concepts are always very intelligent, imaginative and convincing.Lucas is one of the most gifted pianists that I worked with over the past thirty years. He will most certainly become one of the very best pianists in the country." The Hnatyshyn Foundation piano jury, consisting of John Hansen, Lawrence Jones and Ireneus Zuk, were very impressed with Lucas' audition performance. "The pianist had superb control of the instrument, especially in the Ravel and Prokofiev. Brilliant technique, commands a wide range of pianistic colours and expression. Lots of promise here!"
Classical Ballet
Jackson Carroll
18-year-old Jackson Carroll of Toronto, Ontario, will be undertaking an apprenticeship program at the National Ballet of Canada in Toronto in August, 2009. He has been training at the National Ballet School for the past several years. Jackson has danced in The National Ballet School's Spring Showcase, Year-end Show and at their Annual General Meeting. He has also performed at the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland (2008) and at the Teatro Puccini in Florence, Italy (2007). In 2009, Jackson was awarded the National Ballet School 's Peter Dwyer Award and in 2007, the Jonathan Cope Prize from the Wells School in London, England.
Lindsay Fischer, Artistic Director, YOU dance, The National Ballet School of Canada describes Jackson 's ballet technique as very strong. "Jackson's physical characteristics reflect who he is artistically. Each time I have seen him perform, it has forced me to let go of my preconceived notions of what I was about to see, and to experience the work as it actually was in the moment he performed it.In spite of his gifts, Jackson is unspoiled and conscious of the obligations that talent brings." François Chevennement, Margaret Kaufman and Mary Jago-Romeril, the members of the Hnatyshyn Foundation ballet jury, were unanimous in their praise of Jackson's technique: "Excellent classical technique. Excellent musicality and style and quality of movement. Outstanding in both Classical and Contemporary techniques. Amazing versatility."
French Theatre
Danièle Gagné-Belley
Danièle Gagné-Belley, a 21-year-old theatre acting student from Quebec, was born in Moncton, New Brunswick, a graduate of the École secondaire de Rochebelle in Sainte-Foy. She is currently studying at the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique in Québec City where she will be starting her final year in the three-year acting program in the fall of 2009.
André Jean, Director of the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Québec, says of Danièle: "all her teachers attended her public performances and other academic evaluation exercises and are in a good position to attest her talent and progress both before an audience and in the rehearsal room. All have noted her great work capacity, her passion and the impressive versatility of an artistic range that continues to grow." The members of the Hnatyshyn Foundation jury - Michel Dumont, Roland Mahé and Andrei Zaharia - praised Danièle's command of her craft. "She is an extremely talented candidate. Diction, stage presence, inventiveness, authenticity, honesty, she has it all! Her interpretation is spontaneous, direct, convincing, full of charm; in a word, excellent! A true actress in the making!"
English Theatre
Leah Doz
A 20-year-old acting student from Edmonton, Alberta, Leah Doz will enter her third year towards a certificate in Acting at the National Theatre School of Canada in the fall of 2009.
Leah has acted in productions of the National Arts Centre (Ottawa , ON), Citadel Theatre (Edmonton, Alberta) and Seacoast Theatre Centre (West Vancouver, British Columbia) as well as in the Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts productions. Besides acting, her performance abilities include singing, dance - ballet, modern, jazz and tap and piano. She also creates and writes theatre and composes dance.
Sherry Bie, Artistic Director, English Section at the National Theatre School of Canada, is unreserved in her praise for Leah: "She is focused, generous and daring. Infinitely playful. A true artist! Her maturity and focus give her all the resources to make a seamless and potent transition from school to the professional milieu. Doubtless Leah will be a force to be reckoned with on our stages in years to come." The Hnatyshyn Foundation jury members, Martin Bragg, Jillian Kieley and Glynis Leyshon, found Leah to be a performer with clarity and subdued strength. "She is emotionally connected to the character she's playing, - her Jamaican accent is impeccable."
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Classical Vocal Performance
Valérie Bélanger
Valérie Bélanger is a 24-year-old soprano from Lambton, Quebec . A student at the Quebec City Conservatory of Music since 2003, she is currently pursuing a Diploma of Advanced Studies II in Music (equivalent to Master's level studies at a university) under the tutelage of Hélène Fortin. Her studies have also included participation in summer programs at the University of Sherbrooke , the Camp musical du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and the Domaine Forget Music and Dance Academy. Valérie received the highest mark of any voice student in the music conservatories throughout Quebec when she took her final DESM l exam in April 2007 and has placed in the top four of her age group at the national finals of the Canadian Music Competition for the past three years. Her performance experience includes concerts with the Grand Orchestre des jeunes de Québec, the Quebec City Symphony Orchestra and the Multiphonique chamber music vocal ensemble.
According to Hélène Fortin, voice teacher at the Quebec City Conservatory, "Valérie has a very pure tone, vocal agility, great musical and emotional maturity and innate stage presence. Her voice has the colour and agility necessary for the performance of oratorio and the baroque and classical repertoire. She sings German lieder and French music with ease. Opera gives her the opportunity to demonstrate her acting talent and the flamboyant side of her personality. She sings with ease in six languages. This young singer has everything she needs for a successful career as a classical soloist." The Hnatyshyn Foundation classical voice jury, consisting of Helen Pridmore, Mel Braun and Lynn Channing, were equally enthusiastic about Valérie's potential. "This is such an exciting voice! The music was presented with grace, elegance and polish. Her singing was absolutely outstanding in every way. Technique was faultless, diction ever-so-clear, musicality and style stunning, vocal line gorgeous and characterization masterful. A lovely silvery tone capable of singing in many genres."
Classical Music (Orchestral Instrument)
Emily Belvedere
Twenty-year-old harpist Emily Belvedere of Richmond Hill, Ontario, received her high school education through home schooling. She has been taking music lessons for twelve years, nine of those with Sarah Davidson, harpist with the Canadian Opera Company. She is currently enrolled in the post-secondary Performance Diploma Program at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto where she has just completed her first year of study with Judy Loman. Emily has won numerous awards at music festivals throughout Ontario including first prize from the Toronto Chapter of the American Harp Society (ARCT category) in 2007 and first-prize for harp in the 2006 Guelph Kiwanis Music Festival.
Judy Loman, Emily's harp teacher at the Royal Conservatory of Music, describes her as "one of the most talented students that I have had the pleasure to teach. She has a natural aptitude for the harp, is intelligent, creative, and has innate musical taste. She plays with complete confidence and her performances reflect the musical ideas implied in the compositions she is playing. She has the ability to stir her audiences and I predict a great future for her." The Hnatyshyn Foundation jury, composed of Gwen Hoebig, Nora Bumanis and Brian Sand, were very impressed with Emily's dramatic audition performance: "Very musical, great drama and musical understanding, wonderful dynamics, shaping and rhythm. A very engrossing performance!"
Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance
Samantha Chrol
Nineteen-year-old Samantha Chrol is a saxophonist and clarinetist from Winnipeg , Manitoba . She received her high school education at River East Collegiate and completed the first year of a Bachelor of Jazz Studies program at the University of Manitoba in the spring of 2008. Samantha has performed with many student jazz bands and is the first chair saxophonist in the University of Manitoba Jazz Lab Orchestra . She won the Outstanding Soloist Award from the Brandon Jazz Festival two years in a row and was also the first Canadian to win an Outstanding Soloist Award in the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition at Lincoln Centre in New York in 2007.
Steve Kirby, Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Manitoba , describes Samantha as "a rare jewel." Says Professor Kirby, "She has such a warm, open and honest approach to everything she does, and she has an extremely inquisitive mind. On top of that she brings this enormous rhythmic and melodic gift combined with the most warm, supple and attractive tone imaginable for a saxophonist/clarinetist her age." The Hnatyshyn Foundation jazz jury, composed of musicians Phil Nimmons, Jane Bunnett and Richard Gagnon, were impressed with Samantha's strong performance. "Good intonation and command of the instrument. Shadings and nuances along with some energy/fire were musically very effective. Nice builds and endings in the improvised solos. This young musician has a very nice sound and style already established."
Contemporary Dance
Paige Culley
Paige Culley is a 19-year-old contemporary dancer from Rossland in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. A graduate of Rossland Secondary School, she has received ten years of dance training including programs at the Steps Dance Centre and McKay School of Dance in Trail, B.C., as well as summer sessions at Move: The Company and Arts Umbrella in Vancouver . She will use her Hnatyshyn Foundation grant to continue her training at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre where she has just completed her first year in the three-year Professional Training Program.
According to Patricia Fraser, Artistic Director of the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, "Paige is already an excellent performer; she is dynamic, versatile and physical, with a very beautiful quality in her movement. The faculty find her a joy to work with." Adds her teacher of improvisation: "Paige brings a rich and quiet focus and presence to her work. She immerses herself in every activity, seeking out the detail and allowing unexpected movement choices to emerge. Her curiosity and desire will take her far." The Hnatyshyn Foundation contemporary dance jury, composed of Brent Lott, Judith Garay and Marie Beaulieu, praised Paige's strong technique, ease of movement and beautiful lines. "She has a performance quality that is dynamic and completely engaging. She demonstrates excellent technique, a wide dynamic range, a resilient and integrated physicality and maturity beyond her years. She shows great potential for her future career."
Classical Music (Piano)
Isabelle David
Isabelle David is an 18-year-old pianist from Sainte-Julie, Quebec. A graduate of École secondaire du Mont-Bruno, she completed the first year of a Licentiate of Music degree in piano performance at McGill University's Schulich School of Music in the spring of 2008 under the tutelage of Richard Raymond. Isabelle has been taking piano lessons since the age of eight and has won many scholarships and awards including first prize in the national finals of the Canadian Music Competition and second prize in the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Standard Life Competition in 2006, as well as first prize in the 2005 Quebec Music Teachers' Association concerto competition. Isabelle has performed as a soloist with the Orchestre des jeunes de la Montérégie, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. In 2009 she performed with the Orchestre des jeunes de Fribourg, Switzerland .
André Roy, Chair of the Department of Performance at the Schulich School of Music, says of Isabelle, "She is one of those students that truly stand out in the cohort of incoming young musicians in the undergraduate program at McGill. We are completely taken by her modesty, her surprising level of accomplishment and her musical maturity. We are convinced she will be a leader in her discipline." The Hnatyshyn Foundation piano jury, consisting of Marilyn Engle, Arthur Rowe and Gérald Lévesque, were very impressed with Isabelle's audition performance. "In this recording one could hear sophistication and excellent listening to shifting harmonies and colours , especially in the Romantic and Late-Romantic repertoire. The pianist shows lots of temperament and good control. The performance has the feeling of how an older pianist might have played this."
Classical Ballet
Tristan Dobrowney
Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 20-year-old Tristan Dobrowney has been dancing since the age of 6. He began taking dance lessons at the Vesnianka Academy of Ukrainian Dance and added ballet classes at age 12. Accepted into the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School when he was 14, Tristan completed his high school education at University of Winnipeg Collegiate. He graduated at the top of his class from The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Professional Division in June 2008 and will spend the 2008/2009 season as an apprentice with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet company under the direction of Andre Lewis. Tristan has danced roles in Royal Winnipeg Ballet productions of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake and has also performed with the Brandon Dance Ensemble and Dance Fredericton. He has received numerous ballet scholarships and awards over the years and has been chosen to participate in the 2008 Banff Centre summer dance program.
Jorden Morris, Associate School Director of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, describes Tristan's ballet technique as very strong. "He has a very nice jump, good turns and beautiful extensions. He is also an excellent partner, confident and attentive to the needs of a ballerina en pointe. Versatility is also one of Tristan's strengths; he is strong in modern and contemporary work and has real dynamic flair in his character dancing." Anik Bissonnette, Joysanne Sidimus and Igor Dobrovolskiy, the members of the Hnatyshyn Foundation ballet jury, also praised Tristan's technique: "He has ease in his jumps, clean positions and excellent footwork, - a very promising young dancer."
French Theatre
Catherine Hughes
Catherine Hughes, a 22-year-old theatre acting student from Val-Morin, Quebec, is a graduate of the École polyvalente des Monts in Sainte-Agathe and the Collège Lionel-Groulx in Sainte-Thérèse. She is currently studying at the Conservatoire d'art dramatique in Québec City where she will be starting her final year in the three-year acting program in the fall of 2008.
André Jean, Director of the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Québec, describes Catherine as "an actress who never cheats." He adds, "Ms. Hughes has impressed all her teachers with her great sensitivity and with the way she approaches acting. She knows how to find the flaw or vulnerability of every character and always brings truth and humanity to her performance regardless of the kind of role she is undertaking. She is very versatile and can approach any genre with creativity and emotional depth whether it be comedy, clowning, farce, commedia dell'arte, improvisation, classical text or contemporary theatre." The members of the Hnatyshyn Foundation jury - Daniel Cournoyer, Geneviève Pineault and Marcia Babineau - praised Catherine's command of her craft. "Sensitive, intelligent acting full of subtlety. She fully understands the scene and what is at stake as well as the emotional arc of her character. Great stage presence and emotional responsiveness to the other actors. Her performance is authentic, personal, imaginative and technically solid."
English Theatre
Kaitlyn Semple
A 21-year-old acting student from Regina, Saskatchewan, Kaitlyn Semple completed her third year towards a BFA in Theatre Acting at the University of Regina in the spring of 2008. After graduating from Campbell Collegiate High School in 2005 she also spent one year studying Musical Theatre Performance at Sheridan College in Toronto. Kaitlyn has acted in productions of the Souris Valley Theatre ( Estevan, Sask.), Regina Little Theatre and Regina Lyric Light Opera as well as in University of Regina productions. Besides acting, her performance abilities include singing, ballet, modern dance and tap.
Gerald Lenton-Young, Theatre Performance Chair at the University of Regina , is unreserved in his praise for Kaitlyn: "In my thirty years as a professional director and twenty years teaching at university, Kaitlyn Semple is the most passionate, disciplined, dedicated and gifted young actor I ever had the pleasure of working with. There is no question in my mind that she will have a distinguished career on the stage." The Hnatyshyn Foundation jury members, Perry Schneiderman, Lois Brown and Michael Shamata, found Kaitlyn to be a performer with emotional depth, an excellent sense of text and great stage presence. "She is personally connected to the character she's playing, - makes me feel for her dilemma. She plays for high stakes with passion."
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Acting (English Theatre)
Lindsey Angell
A 23-year-old acting student from High River, Alberta, Lindsey Angell is currently enrolled in Studio 58, the Theatre Arts Program of Vancouver's Langara College. She is a graduate of the Alberta High School of Fine Arts in Okotoks, and of the two-year Theatre Arts program at Mount Royal College in Calgary. While studying at Mount Royal College, Lindsey acted in the college's annual Shakespeare in the Park summer festival as well as in other MRC productions. Besides acting, her performance abilities include singing, tap dancing, clowning and mime.
Kathryn Shaw, Artistic Director of Studio 58, describes Lindsey as "an exceptional student with a very promising future as an actor. She displays marvelous emotional transparency, depth and range. Her presence is terrific and she has the confidence to command the stage. Vulnerability and edge are both hallmarks of her work. Lindsey has the makings of a leading lady." The Hnatyshyn Foundation jury members, John Lazarus, Linda Moore and Gerald Lenton-Young, found Lindsey's audition performance to have good emotional depth with thoughts and actions thoroughly developed. "She is believable and engaging, - clearly strongly connected to the material and to her own emotional sources. Gestures clean and communicative, good sense of humour and irony."
Classical Vocal Performance
Allison Cecilia Arends
Allison Cecilia Arends is a 24-year-old soprano from Regina, Saskatchewan. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from the University of Victoria in 2005 and is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance at the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Mary Morrison. Her studies have also included participation in summer programs at the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Franz Schubert Institut in Baden, Austria, and with the prestigious Stuttgart Festival International Choir in Germany. In the summer of 2007 she will travel to Italy to participate in the Opera Studio at the Centre for Opera in Sulmona. Allison has received numerous awards and scholarships from the Regina Music Festival and the Saskatchewan Provincial Music Festival, and won the University of Victoria Concerto Competition in 2003. Her performance experience includes concerts with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, the Regina Symphony Orchestra, the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, the University of Victoria Orchestra and Saskatoon Opera.
According to Darryl Edwards, Head of Voice Studies at the University of Toronto, "Allison has distinguished herself with the sterling clarity, exquisite flexibility, stratospheric quality, and the compelling beauty of her singing. She is tireless in treading the pathways to her personal excellence." The jury, consisting of Nancy Hermiston, Daniel Lichti and Hélène Fortin, judged Allison to be a young singer of great potential. "The voice is stunningly beautiful and she uses it with intelligence and great sensitivity. This is singing of a high order from a young artist."
Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance
Eli Bennett
Eli Bennett is an 18-year-old tenor saxophonist from Vancouver, British Columbia. He received his high school education through home-schooling and will start a Bachelor of Applied Music program in jazz performance and music composition at Toronto's Humber College in the fall of 2007. Eli has performed at many jazz festivals including the 2006 Ottawa International Jazz Festival where he played with the CBC Galaxie Rising Stars and the 2006 Telluride Jazz Festival, where he performed with the prestigious Telluride Student All-Stars Jazz Ensemble. In both 2006 and 2007 he was selected for the Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles program. He has won many awards and scholarships including two major awards from MusicFest Canada, - the 2005 Rico Golden Reed Award for the best student saxophonist and the 2007 Yamaha Kando Award for most outstanding young musician. Eli's composition, Mistaken Perception, won the 2007 DownBeat Student Music Award for best original high-school composition.
Denny Christianson, Director of the Music Program at Humber College, noted: "it is not often that one has the occasion to suggest that a young musician is blessed with a certain degree of genius, but in this case, I believe it is warranted. Having worked with talented kids for a great number of years, I have not seen a saxophonist of Eli's stature, at his age, in at least fifteen years." The Hnatyshyn Foundation jazz jury, composed of jazz musicians Christine Jensen, Barry Elmes and André Lachance, were impressed with Eli's strong performance. "He has an excellent command of both the saxophone and the jazz idiom and a nicely developed tone. Advanced development of the jazz language showed in his improvisations. Overall he shows a lot of maturity for his age."
Classical Music (String Instrument)
Victor Fournelle-Blain
Nineteen-year-old violinist Victor Fournelle-Blain of Sainte-Julienne, Quebec, received his high school education at the Académie Antoine-Manseau in Joliette. He has been taking music lessons for eleven years, the last six with Johanne Arel at the Montreal Conservatory of Music where he obtained his Diploma of Intermediate Studies in 2006. He is currently enrolled in the Conservatory's university-level Advanced Studies I program. Victor has been concertmaster of the Conservatory's String Orchestra for several years and has performed as a soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of the Conservatory. He has won a number of music awards including first prize in the 2006 Montreal Conservatory Concerto Competition and first-prize for strings in his age category in the national final of the 2006 Canadian Music Competition.
Guy Fouquet, Conductor of the Montreal Conservatory String Orchestra, considers Victor to be one of the most talented students that he has ever heard play at the Conservatory. "In addition to his huge talent and his natural facility with the violin, he plays with great sensitivity and perfect control of the bow. His sound is never forced. He is a complete musician, brilliant in everything he does, and I have no doubt that he is destined for a very successful career." The Hnatyshyn Foundation jury, composed of Jeremy Brown, Elaine Klimasko and Jeremy Berkman, were very impressed with Victor's polished audition performance. "Outstanding musicianship for his age, - verve, brilliant technique, musicality. A very talented young musician!"
Classical Music (Piano)
Devon Joiner
Devon Joiner is an 18-year-old pianist from Nanaimo, British Columbia. A graduate of Wellington Secondary School in Nanaimo, he completed the first year of his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance at the University of British Columbia in the spring of 2007. Devon has been studying piano since the age of four and completed his Piano Performer's A.R.C.T. diploma at age 14, receiving First Class Honours with Distinction. He has won many awards in Vancouver Island music festivals and, for the past three years has won every class he has entered. He has also competed successfully in the BC Provincial Finals, as well as at the Canadian Chopin Piano Competition, the Canadian Music Competition and the International Russian Music Piano Competition. Devon performed his debut solo recital at age 14 and has been a guest artist in many concerts including those with the Nanaimo Youth Choir, the Camerata Singers, the Island Bel Canto Singers and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Jane Coop, Head of the Keyboard Division at the UBC School of Music, says of Devon, "He has the intelligence, focus, maturity of attitude and presence of someone much older. He plays Mozart and Tchaikovsky as if he were two different people - he completely transforms his attitude and approach according to the style and technical necessities of the composer." The Hnatyshyn Foundation piano jury, consisting of Stéphane Lemelin, Kristina Szutor and David Louie, found Devon's audition performance to be "artistically mature, with stylistic awareness, natural phrasing and sensitivity to sound." They also praised his clear musical ideas, lucid sound and rhythm. "This is very impressive maturity for an 18-year-old. A big talent!"
Classical Music (Wind Instrument)
Keith Dyrda
Eighteen-year-old trombonist Keith Dyrda is from Oakbank, Manitoba, where he graduated from Springfield Collegiate in June 2007. He started his musical education with the violin, earning a silver medal for the Royal Conservatory of Music Grade 8 level, and has been playing the trombone for the last seven years. He will be undertaking a Bachelor of Music degree in classical trombone performance at Montreal's McGill University in the fall of 2007. Keith has played with a number of bands and orchestras including the National Youth Band, the Winnipeg Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra. He has also performed as a soloist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the University of Manitoba Orchestra. He has won numerous trophies at the Winnipeg Music Festival as well as the award for Outstanding Trombonist at the Brandon Jazz Festival in both 2006 and 2007.
Douglas McNabney, Chair of the Department of Performance at McGill University's Schulich School of Music, describes Keith as one of the most promising young brass players to enter an undergraduate program at McGill. "His name has been on everyone's lips since his audition here last February. Rarely have I seen such unanimous praise from an audition jury. He impressed us by his musicality, remarkable possession of the trombone, his versatility in multiple fields and his limitless potential." The Hnatyshyn Foundation jury, composed of Jeremy Brown, Elaine Klimasko and Jeremy Berkman, praised Keith's lyrical tone, phrasing, intonation and beautiful use of vibrato. "This is first rate trombone playing, - a superb young artist!"
Contemporary Dance
Megan Nadain
Megan Nadain is a 20-year-old contemporary dancer from North Vancouver, British Columbia. A graduate of Sentinel Secondary School in West Vancouver, she has received ten years of dance training including programs at the Anna Wyman School of Dance Arts and MainDance, as well as summer sessions at the Banff Centre and the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC. She will use her Hnatyshyn Foundation grant to continue her training at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre where she has just completed her first year in the three-year Professional Training Program.
According to Patricia Fraser, Artistic Director of the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, "This young artist definitely has the potential for a stellar career in dance, as well as the capability to influence the art form of contemporary dance through her stature as an interpreter. Megan is a bright spirit with beautiful interpretive skills, - strong, passionate, a risk-taker, and full of fire." The Hnatyshyn Foundation contemporary dance jury, composed of David Earle, Anne Flynn and Michael Montanaro, praised Megan's solid technique, outstanding musicality and vitality. "Here is a beautiful dancer capable of combining flow and control with exuberance and passion, delivering a performance that was a joy to watch. She has amazing potential."
French Theatre
Claudiane Ruelland
Claudiane Ruelland is a 23-year-old theatre acting student from Quebec City. A graduate of the École secondaire de Neufchâtel and the Cégep de Sainte-Foy, she has just completed her second year of drama studies at the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Québec. She will be starting her final year in the three-year acting program in the fall of 2007.
Says André Jean, Director of the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Québec, "From the very start of her training Ms. Ruelland distinguished herself because of the authenticity, humanity and depth that she brought to her roles despite her relatively young age. She is a true artist who approaches her characters from the inside, adding her own touches of colour. All her teachers are impressed with her versatility; she handles comedy, drama, classical text and contemporary work with equal ease." The members of the Hnatyshyn Foundation jury - Guy Mignault, Brigitte Haentjens and Maurice Arsenault - praised Claudiane's sensitivity, emotional authenticity and measured performance. "She handles classical text very well without overplaying it. Good understanding of the role. Believable and restrained in her acting. She is certainly an actress who will go far."
Classical Ballet
Alyssa Stevens
An 18-year-old ballet dancer from Surrey, B.C., Alyssa Stevens has been dancing since she was 3 years old. A graduate of Magee Secondary School in Vancouver, she received her training at the Flora Pigeau Academy of Dance and the Goh Ballet Academy in Vancouver, as well as at summer sessions given by the Banff Centre for the Arts. In September 2007 she began the professional training program at the Goh Ballet Academy. Alyssa danced the role of Clara in the Alberta Ballet / Ballet BC productions of The Nutcracker in 2002 and 2003, as well as in the 2006 Goh Ballet production. She also performed in China in 2006 as part of the Canadian Youth Ballet Tour. She has been awarded numerous dance scholarships over the years and has received the Royal Academy of Dance Solo Seal Award, the highest examination honour given by the Royal Academy.
Lin Yee Goh, Principal of the Goh Ballet Academy, describes Alyssa as a dancer of great potential. "She is a professional, flexible dancer with great attitude, excellent technique and beautiful expression. Besides ballet, she also excels in modern, contemporary and jazz forms of dance. I anticipate that she will go very far.” David LaHay, Nancy Kilgour and Merrilee Hodgins, the members of the Hnatyshyn Foundation ballet jury, were unanimous in their praise of Alyssa's audition performance. "Her years of training and self-discipline are obvious. A very talented young dancer who already has excellent classical technique and can also do very well in the contemporary idiom. She dances with musicality and sensitivity. Very engaging and expressive, a pleasure to watch."
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Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance
Carl Bray
Carl Bray is a talented 18-year-old jazz pianist from Regina, Saskatchewan. He graduated from Campbell Collegiate in June 2006 and will be starting a Bachelor of Applied Music degree in jazz piano at Toronto's Humber School of Creative and Performing Arts in the fall of 2006. He performed in the All-Canadian Young Jazz Showcase at the Port Hope Jazz Festival in 2004 and 2005, and at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2005 Canada Summer Games. He was also chosen as a member of the Yamaha All-Star Jazz Big Band in MusicFest at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in May 2006. He has studied piano for 12 years and, for the past two years, has been giving lessons in jazz piano.
Denny Christianson, Director of the Music Program at Humber School of Creative and Performing Arts, describes Carl as "a young musician of exceptional promise who has risen to the elite level of his age group." The Hnatyshyn Foundation jazz jury, composed of jazz musicians Oliver Jones, Lorne Lofsky and Lenny Solomon, was impressed with Carl's "strong, confident technique and creative phrasing." They praised his good understanding of the jazz language and his command of his instrument. "He swings!"
Acting (English Theatre)
Luke Camilleri
A 22-year-old acting student from Courtenay, B.C., Luke Camilleri has completed his first year at Studio 58, the Theatre Arts Progam of Vancouver's Langara College. He is a graduate of Georges P. Vanier Secondary School located in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island.
Although he had very little theatre experience before beginning his training at Studio 58, Luke has exceeded his teachers' expectations. Kathryn Shaw, Artistic Director of the Theatre Arts Program, describes him as "a very natural young actor who has a superlative vocal instrument, a well-integrated body and true love of the craft." Ms. Shaw feels that he has enormous potential as an actor. "What strikes me most about Luke," she says, "is his emotional transparency, his deep identification with a wide variety of characters, his physical and vocal ease and his ability to play in the moment." The Hnatyshyn Foundation adjudicators who evaluated his audition tape - Jackie Burroughs, Steven Schipper and Ruth Smillie - described Luke as "strong yet vulnerable". They praised his good thinking, his focus and his ability to be engaged in the moment. "This young man understands the connection between text, breath and emotion. He is clearly a talented actor."
Acting (French Theatre)
Audray Demers
Audray Demers is a very promising theatre acting student from Candiac, Quebec, who is barely 18 years old. A graduate of the Collège Durocher in Saint-Lambert, she has just completed her first year of drama studies in the Option-Théâtre program at Collège Lionel-Groulx in Sainte-Thérèse. She will be starting her second year in the four-year acting program in the fall of 2006. She has also studied music (piano and guitar) and has had five years of dance training.
Audray's teachers at College Lionel-Groulx were very impressed with her progress during her first year in the acting program. "She made a giant step forward in all areas," says Clément Cazelais. Adds Marie-Louise Hétu, her voice and diction teacher, "Audray has developed confidence and authority on the stage. Her acting has become more subtle; excellent progress." The members of the Hnatyshyn Foundation jury - Monique Mercure, Joël Beddows and Gill Champagne - praised her focus, her intensity and her intelligent performance on her audition tape. "She understands the essence of theatre acting. She is a very promising talent."
Classical Music (Piano)
Rosy Yuxuan Ge
Rosy Yuxuan Ge is an exceptional 17-year-old pianist from Edmonton, Alberta. Born in Shandong, China, she immigrated to Canada in 1998 and has studied in Edmonton with music teacher Wolfram Linnebach for the last six years. A graduate of Harry Ainlay High School, she will begin her Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Alberta in September 2006. Rosy has consistently taken first-place honours in her age group at the Edmonton Kiwanis Music Festival over the past several years and was the 2005 first-place at the Canadian Music Competitions in the "18 and under" category. She gave her debut solo recital at the Taylor University College in Edmonton in 2004 and was a soloist with the Alberta Philharmonic Orchestra in 2005.
Leonard Ratzlaff, Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Alberta, noted: "her recent audition stood out, not only as the most impressive for this year, but as the most outstanding undergraduate audition that many on the faculty have heard in many years. Ms. Ge performed with great pianistic refinement, an informed sense of style, wonderful technical facility and ease as well as an already mature musical approach." The Hnatyshyn Foundation piano jury, consisting of Louis-Philippe Pelletier, Jane Coop and Jean Desmarais, described her performance as "exciting, imaginative, genuine, free, risk-taking and dramatic. A pianist with enormous potential."
Contemporary Dance
Lisa Hering
Lisa Hering, a 23-year-old contemporary dancer now living in Calgary, began her training primarily in classical ballet at the West Edmonton Ballet Academy with Stacey Buffie. She also participated in training programs at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Arts Umbrella in Vancouver. Lisa performed briefly with Ballet Espressivo and the Ontario Ballet Theatre and spent a year with the Bat Dor Dance Company in Israel. She will use her Hnatyshyn Foundation grant to continue her studies at the University of Calgary where she has just completed her first year in the B.A. Dance Program.
Anna Mouat, Associate Professor of Dance at the University of Calgary, describes Lisa as "an excellent dancer: strong, lyrical and expressive, who is deeply committed to her art form." Adds Professor Mouat, "Lisa has demonstrated the ability to grasp a wide range of movement vocabulary and styles. She possesses a strong sense of musicality and a compelling stage presence." The Hnatyshyn Foundation contemporary dance jury, composed of Brian Webb, Tony Chong and Sylvie Pinard, also praised Lisa's strong technique, her versatility in movement styles and her stage presence. "Her sense of maturity and potential to be an artist/interpreter rather than just being a 'dancer' is striking."
Classical Ballet
Kostyantyn Keshyshev
Kostyantyn Keshyshev is a very promising 19-year-old dancer from Vancouver, B.C. A recent immigrant to Canada from Ukraine, where he got his initial training at the Odessa Ballet Academy, "Kostya" has been taking the part-time program at the Goh Ballet Academy for the past three years. With the help of his Hnatyshyn Foundation grant, he will begin the Academy's full-time professional program in the fall of 2006. He has passed his Royal Academy of Dance Advanced 2 level exams with distinction and will compete in the Varna International Ballet Competition and the Genée International Ballet Competition in the summer of 2006. As part of the Goh Youth Ballet Ensemble, he danced principal roles during the group's 2006 tour of China.
Brian Gross of the Goh Ballet Academy says, "Kostya definitely has all the ingredients to achieve a stellar career. His commanding stage presence and classical looks, coupled with his powerful and versatile technical ability, have already drawn the attention of the many adjudicators who have evaluated him for exams, competitions and scholarships. Most importantly, he has enthusiasm, passion and love for dance." Veronica Tennant, Marquita Witham-Lester and Igor Dobrovolskiy, the members of the Hnatyshyn Foundation ballet jury, found him to be a strong, athletic performer with many physical attributes. "He definitely has the potential to become a very fine classical and contemporary dancer. He has already acquired fine technique, with an elegant style for the classical work and a dynamic quality in the contemporary."
Classical Music (Orchestral Instrument)
Paul Medeiros
Eighteen-year-old violinist Paul Medeiros is a graduate of Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford, Nova Scotia. He began his violin studies at age seven, taking lessons from Karen Langille, first violinist in Symphony Nova Scotia, and later from Professor Philippe Djokic of Dalhousie University. He has been playing as a member of the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra since the age of 15 and also enjoys playing the oboe, acting and singing. Paul has been admitted as a scholarship student to the 2006 Summer String Session at Domain Forget Académie de Musique in Charlevoix, Quebec. He will begin his first year of the Bachelor of Music program in violin performance at Dalhousie University in September 2006.
Lynn Stodola, Chair of the Dalhousie University Music Department, considers Paul to be already an accomplished performer with exceptional promise for a brilliant career. The Dalhousie faculty members who adjudicated his entrance audition unanimously judged him to be "an outstanding applicant, a performer of tremendous promise and possessed of extraordinary musical sensitivity and technical skill." The Hnatyshyn Foundation jury, composed of Martin Riseley, Judy Loman and Joanna G'froerer, noted Paul's "sensitive playing with lots of feeling and good phrasing."
Classical Vocal Performance
Lambroula Maria Pappas
Lambroula Maria Pappas is a 30-year-old lyric soprano from Burnaby, British Columbia. She has studied at the University of British Columbia, where she received a Master of Music degree in Opera, and at the Atelier lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal. She will use her Developing Artist Grant to continue her vocal training at the Vancouver Academy of Music. She has received a number of grants and scholarships, and has been a of the Debut Young Artists Competition, Les Jeunes Artistes Competition (CBC Radio), the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques competition and the Montreal Opera Prize. Her performance experience includes roles with the Opéra de Nice, the Pacific Opera in Victoria and the Montreal Opera, as well as concerts and recitals in North America and Europe.
According to David Meek, Head of Voice/Opera at the Vancouver Academy of Music, Ms. Pappas has developed into a very fine, young professional artist. "She has a beautiful lyric sound with good flexibility, is a very fine and very attractive actor on stage, and delivers her characters with honesty and in a very empathetic way that makes them touching and very believable." The jury, consisting of Julie Nesrallah, Sylvia Richardson and Michel Ducharme, described her as a "very talented, polished singer who is very mature both musically and technically." They praised her interpretive imagination and very attractive sound.
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Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz
Jonathan Challoner
Jonathan Challoner is a remarkable 18-year-old trumpet and trombone player from Coombs, British Columbia. The Vancouver Island student graduated from Kwalikum Secondary School in June 2005 and will be starting a Bachelor of Applied Music degree in jazz trumpet at Toronto's Humber School of Creative and Performing Arts in the fall. He has distinguished himself in music competitions in Canada and the United States, including the West Coast Jazz Festival in Nanaimo, Musicfest Canada and the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho. Jonathan has also been a member of several all-star bands including the Vail Jazz All-Stars and the Gibson-Baldwin Grammy Jazz Band. He is the only Canadian member of the 2005 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra which will play at this year's Montreal and Monterey jazz festivals, and at Lincoln Center in New York City.
"In a year of what most music educators would consider a banner crop of graduating high school musicians, Jon Challoner stands out, even among the elite," says Denny Christianson, Director of the Music Program at Humber School of Creative and Performing Arts. The Hnatyshyn Foundation jazz jury, composed of Oscar Peterson, Brad Turner and John Geggie, was very impressed with Jonathan's "strong command of the horn". They praised his depth of vocabulary, inflection and harmonic diversity. "He is a very good musician who deserves our congratulations."
Classical Vocal Performance
Lisa DiMaria
Lisa DiMaria is an outstanding 23-year-old soprano who comes from Gormley, not far from Toronto, Ontario. She graduated with honours from Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts Secondary School in 2001 and obtained her Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from the University of Toronto in the spring of 2005. She will begin her Master of Music degree in Operatic Performance at the University of Toronto in the fall of 2005, under the tutelage of distinguished voice teacher Mary Morrison, C.M. Lisa has won numerous awards at music competitions in Ontario including the Greater Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival, the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition and the Rising Stars talent competition at the CNE.
"Lisa sings with an emotional connection to the poet, character and composer that is beyond her years", says Lorna MacDonald, Head of Voice Studies at the University of Toronto. Joseph Rouleau, Lynn Channing and Jane Leibel, the members of The Hnatyshyn Foundation classical voice jury, agreed. In awarding her first place in the competition they praised her "very free, open, beautiful sound" and noted her expressive singing, intelligent and thoughtful phrasing, and attention to dynamics. "She handles technical difficulties with ease and confidence. Her intonation is superb and her diction in all languages is solid. Very fine potential for a career in opera."
Acting (English Theatrer)
Greg Gale
Greg Gale is a multitalented 21-year-old acting student from Corner Brook, Newfoundland. A graduate of Herdman Collegiate in Corner Brook and a former student in the Faculty of Arts at Memorial University, Greg has just completed his first year of drama studies at the National Theatre School of Canada (NTS) in Montreal. He will be starting his second year in the NTS three-year Acting Program in the fall of 2005. Greg was involved in the Youth Theatre Program of Theatre Newfoundland Labrador for six years and appeared in local productions in the Corner Brook and Stephenville area. He also received vocal and dance training in Newfoundland.
"Greg is everything you want in a young acting student - bright, audacious, generous, curious, sexy - a perfect balance of self worth and humility.and a great musician," says Bill Webster, teacher of classical text at the National Theatre School. "This young man is profoundly, startlingly gifted." The Hnatyshyn Foundation acting jury, composed of Jean-Louis Roux, Mieko Ouchi and Paul Lefebvre, noted Greg's restrained and nuanced performance in his audition selections from both the classical and contemporary repertoire. "Good voice, good presence, high level of emotion. He is a bright, versatile, young talent destined to do very well as an actor."
Classical Ballet
Maude Sabourin
At 17 years old, Maude Sabourin of Terrebonne, Quebec, is already an accomplished ballet dancer. In the summer of 2005 she completed her secondary school education in the combined academic and dance program offered by Montreal's École nationale de ballet contemporain (ENBC) and the Pensionnat du Saint-Nom-de-Marie. In September she will begin the three-year post-secondary classical dance program offered by the ENBC in cooperation with the Cégep du Vieux Montréal. She has won several scholarships and awards of excellence for dance in Quebec. As a member of the Jeune Ballet du Québec for the past two years, Maude has performed in Canada, the United States and France. She also appeared in the 2002 and 2003 productions of The Nutcracker by the Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal.
"Maude Sabourin is an exceptionally talented young woman with great physical, technical and artistic abilities," says Françoise Vaussenat, Director of Studies at the ENBC. "Moreover she has the motivation and work ethic to have a great career in dance." The Hnatyshyn Foundation classical ballet jury, composed of Celia Franca, Jean Grand-Maître and Gizella Witkowsky, described Maude as "a very strong and promising dancer with great versatility." They noted her strong technique, beautiful port de bras and excellent footwork. "She is edgy, contemporary and daring in her dancing. She already possesses a charismatic presence and a strong sense of herself."
Classical Music (Orchestral Instrument)
Jeffrey Dyrda
Jeffrey Dyrda is an exceptional 18-year-old classical violinist and jazz saxophone player from Oakbank, a town near Winnipeg, Manitoba. He completed the Royal Conservatory of Music grade 10 violin examination with first class distinction in 2002 and graduated high school with honours from Springfield Collegiate in June 2005. He has been a member of the Winnipeg Youth Orchestra since 1996, and its concertmaster since 2002. Jeffrey will start his Bachelor of Music, Honours, degree in classical violin at McGill University in Montreal in the fall of 2005. Jeffrey has won numerous awards at music competitions in Manitoba and has participated in a variety of summer chamber music programs in both Canada and the United States. He has also performed as a soloist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
"Jeffrey Dyrda is one of the most promising young violinists to enter an undergraduate program at McGill University", says Dr. Douglas McNabney, Chair of the Department of Performance at McGill's Faculty of Music. "Imagine our surprise when we realized that he also did one of the best auditions on jazz saxophone on the same day!" The Hnatyshyn Foundation classical music jury, composed of Terence Tam, Gwen Thompson and Douglas Sturdevant, praised Jeffrey's "technically advanced, accomplished and polished performance", noting that his technique, style, nuances, intonation, rhythm and pacing were all excellent. "He is an accomplished performer and musician."
