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Guillaume Villeneuve (Photo by La petite photographe)

Guillaume Villeneuve (violin) – Opus Discovery of the Year Prize

By Kristen Whittle on 6 October 2023 Music Competition, Violin

Violinist Guillaume Villeneuve does not see his instrument as a tool with which to produce sound, but rather emotion. Aiming to connect with his audience at any opportunity, Villeneuve seeks to tell the stories behind the music he plays. “Music is about taking risks,” he said. Thus far, these risks have paid off for the up-and-coming artist. Winning Discovery of the Year category at this year’s Opus Prize ceremony was well deserved after his immense success in the 2022-23 season. Villeneuve said the prize has been “very important” for his career development, and is especially poignant considering “many, many musicians”…

Anna-Sophie Neher (soprano) – Queen Elisabeth Competition Laureate

By Kristen Whittle on 6 October 2023 Music Competition, Vocal

“I love seeing my voice as an algebra problem I need to solve,” said soprano Anna-Sophie Neher, one of two Canadian laureates from the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Her unique approach to practising as an objective science clearly helps her put in the countless hours needed for success. Neher has evidently managed the mental battle all musicians face; she has a methodical, yet human, approach to the ins-and-outs of her professional life. A self-proclaimed “overthinker,” Neher is determined to use the challenges associated with competition to improve her confidence and lessen her self-criticism. “I think that you can only feel truly…

Ian Sabourin

Ian Sabourin (countertenor) – Stingray Star Prize, Atelier Lyrique

By Kristen Whittle on 6 October 2023 Music Competition, Opera

If you asked a younger Ian Sabourin what he wanted to be when he grew up, the countertenor and 2023 Atelier Lyrique Stingray Star Prize winner would not have answered “famous opera singer,” but rather “rock star.” Indeed, Sabourin’s love for music was ignited in two places: the Ottawa Choir of Men and Boys rehearsal hall, and at a Green Day concert he attended at age 8. These opposite genres remained a part of Sabourin’s life until university, at which point he made the decision to focus solely on classical singing. His choice to enter the Atelier competition was somewhat…

Emmanuel Laforest

Emmanuel Laforest (piano) – Canadian Music Competition Grand Prize Winner

By Eva Stone-Barney on 6 October 2023 Music Competition, Piano

This year, pianist Emmanuel Laforest took home the grand prize in the 19-to-30-years-old category at the Canadian Music Competition. A native of Saint-Sulpice, Que., the young pianist is currently a student at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, where he works with Richard Raymond. Laforest first started playing piano at just 7 years old. His childhood teachers included Paul Surdulescu and Jean-Luc Cholette. After high school, he went to CÉGEP for music, where he studied with Marie-Claude Bilodeau. His goal, he says, is to “evolve, as a complete artist, and share my love for music.” So far, these goals have…

Élisabeth-St-Gelais

Elisabeth St-Gelais (soprano) – Prix d’Europe Winner

By Kristen Whittle on 6 October 2023 Music Competition, Vocal

Elisabeth St-Gelais stands out as an unstoppable young professional. Along with winning the prestigious Prix d’Europe competition, she was named a Révélation Classique by Radio-Canada. From a young age, St-Gelais remembers looking forward to learning about the annual recipients of this title, and dreaming about one day seeing herself in the announcement. These two major accomplishments have left St-Gelais feeling ready to continue her work as a freelance soloist in what has quickly become a completely booked upcoming year. This year marked her second time participating in the Prix d’Europe (she advanced to the semifinal round in 2022). Having previous…

2024 Competition Guide

By La Scena Musicale Team on 6 October 2023 Guides, Music Competition

INTERNATIONAL COMPOSITION COMPETITION PIANO TRIO 2024 Mailing: University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Austria Tel: +43 316 389 1900, +43 664 88761832 [email protected] schubert.kug.ac.at/compositioncompetition Deadline: March 27, 2024 Age Limit: 38 years (born after March 27, 1986) Instruments: Trio for Piano, Violin and Violoncello (Piano Trio) On the occasion of the 12th International Competition “Franz Schubert and Modern Music” 2025, contemporary compositions for Trio for Piano, Violin and Violoncello (Piano Trio) are sought. The primary aim of this competition is to encourage the creation of new works for this chamber music category. Conditions of participation: A composition for Trio…

Seokyoung Hong

Seokyoung Hong (piano) – Cliburn Junior Competition Winner

By Kristen Whittle on 6 October 2023 Music Competition, Piano

Korean pianist Seokyoung Hong is a natural performer. His success at the Cliburn Junior Competition is a testament to this, as is his clear love for sharing music from the stage. According to Hong, the spontaneity of performance is what he enjoys most. “Sometimes I don’t even know what I will play on the stage,” he said, adding: “Of course concerts are prepared and practised, but I make choices while playing.” Hong was faced with numerous performance opportunities at the Cliburn competition, which consisted of four rounds. He played a different program in each. Highlights included Liszt’s Concert Étude No.…

Carole-Anne Roussel (soprano) Queen Elisabeth Competition Laureate

By Kristen Whittle on 6 October 2023 Music Competition, Opera

Soprano Carole-Anne Roussel is forging a path that diverges from the mainstream model. She notes that perhaps it was this kind of “bold move,” here in the context of repertoire choices, that made her stand out in the Queen Elisabeth Competition. One of two Canadian laureates, Roussel says she was “proud of the choice to go against the grain” and sing a less popular soprano repertoire, including works by Menotti, Beach, Poulenc, and an aria from Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. Outside of her unique repertoire selections, Roussel aspires to be a relevant, useful musician. She believes strongly in the power…

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko (piano) – Paloma O’Shea Santander Competition Winner

By Kristen Whittle on 6 October 2023 Music Competition, Piano

Pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko has made monumental strides in his musical career this past year. Alongside winning the Paloma O’Shea Santander Competition, he recently completed his Master of Music in Piano Performance at the University of British Columbia, studying with Corey Hamm. Izik-Dzurko also spent the year performing in renowned concert halls the world over (Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, and the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, to name a few). Playing for international audiences is one of Izik-Dzurko’s professional goals, which he is well on his way to achieving. During his time in Spain, he premièred a…

Dmytro Udovychenko (violin) – CMIM

By Kristen Whittle on 6 October 2023 Music Competition, Strings

This year, Ukrainian-born Dmytro Udovychenko took home first place at the Concours musical international de Montreal (CMIM) following a thrilling three rounds of the competition. The young violinists competed against 24 internationally recognized emerging artists for a jury including Koichiro Harada (Japan), Yura Lee (Korea/USA), Malcolm Lowe (Canada), Mihaela Martin (Romania), Lucie Robert (Canada), Dmitry Sitkovetsky (United Kingdom/USA), and Krishna Thiagarajan (Germany/USA). First, the young violinist demonstrated his skills in the performance of works by Bach, Schumann and Ysaÿe. In the semifinals, he performed works by Bartók, Ravel, Wieniawski, and Canadian composer Luna Pearl Woolf. Udovychenko wowed audiences and jurors…

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