The Canada Council for the Arts has announced the 2024 winners of the Jean-Marie Beaudet Award in Orchestra Conducting and the Virginia Parker Prize. These awards recognize Canadian artists’ achievements in the performing arts and classical music.
The Jean-Marie Beaudet Award, created in 1989, is presented to a young Canadian conductor who shows promise through the artistic merit of their works. This award is worth $20,000 and encourages Canadian orchestra conductors to continue creating, innovating, and leading the current generation of musicians. This year’s winner is Benoit Gauthier, the artistic director and conductor for the Orchestre symphonique de la Côte-Nord (OSCN). Gauthier founded OSCN in 2012 and has since worked alongside the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and the Orchestre symphonique de Laval.
Benoit Gauthier
Photo: Isabelle Paradis
The Virginia Parker Prize, created in 1982, is awarded to a talented classical singer, instrumentalist or music conductor under 32-years-old who demonstrates incredible skill and has a significant influence on artistic life in Canada and internationally. This award is worth $30,000 and supports the continued growth of Canadian musicians both nationally and internationally. This year’s winner is Michael Bridge, who plays the acoustic and digital accordion. Dr. Bridge has performed in Canada, the US, Brazil and Poland. In addition to his music career, Dr. Bridge has taught masterclasses in various countries and is a sessional instructor at the University of Toronto.
Michael Bridge
Photo: Sam Gaetz
To learn more about The Canada Council for the Arts and their contributions to the arts and literary scene in Canada, please visit their website.
