VIOLINIST
TAKES $8,000 TOP PRIZE
Edmonton, AB – On Saturday, May 18, 2019 — after two days of amazing and very high calibre
competition — violinist Angela Ryu (19 years old), originally from New Denver, BC, and currently
studying at Rice University, The Shepherd School of Music under Paul Kantor, was awarded the
$8,000 top prize in The Shean Strings Competition. She has also won the opportunity to play
with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at a future date. Ms. Ryu was one of 6 Finalists chosen
from the 25 submitted entries to compete in The 2019 Shean Strings Competition on May 17 and
18 in Edmonton, AB.
The complete results of The Shean Strings Competition are as follows:
First Place and $8,000, plus the opportunity to play with the Edmonton Symphony
Orchestra – Angela Ryu, violin (New Denver, BC)
Second Place and $5,000 – Tiffany Yeung, violin (Richmond Hill, ON)
Third Place and $4,000 – Rebecca Weger, violin (Regina, SK)
Fourth Place and $3,000 – Alison Kim, violin (Coquitlam, BC)
(Tie) Fifth Place and $2,000 each – Sonya Shin, violin (Edmonton, AB) and Teresa
Wang, violin (Toronto, ON)
Angela Ryu also won the $1,000 Paul J. Bourret Memorial Award for Best Performance of
the Test Piece – « Improvisation » pour violon seul by Canadian composer André Prévost.
The adjudicators for this year’s Competition were David Hoyt, Chair; Philippe Djokic (violin),
and John Thompson (viola).
The 2020 Shean Piano Competition takes place May 14 and 16 in Edmonton with an $8,000 Top
Prize and the opportunity to perform with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. The $1,000 Paul J.
Bourret Memorial Award for Best Performance of the Test Piece will also be awarded.
2019 Shean Strings Competition Program
The 2019 Shean Strings Competition Backgrounder
The Shean Competition for Strings and Piano, made possible by a generous
grant to the Edmonton Community Foundation from Ranald and Vera Shean in
1996, is open to young amateur musicians between 15 and 28 years of age who
are residents of Canada currently studying here or abroad, or to non-residents
who have been studying in Canada for a minimum of two academic years. Six
semi-finalists are chosen from the submitted discs. The winner of the 2019
Competition may be invited to perform with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
at a later date. Strings and piano are featured in alternative years.
Ranald Shean excelled in both music and sports and was a “Master Music
Teacher”. Vera Shean was an equally gifted violinist and pianist. They met in
Vancouver where Ranald was an associate teacher with Gregori Garbovitsky’s
and Vera was Garbovitsky’s piano student. Vera also completed advanced piano
studies with Sir Arthur Benjamin. Ranald & Vera married and began a lifelong
collaboration in music, predominantly in the Edmonton area.
In the 1940s, Ranald was concertmaster and conductor of the Edmonton
Symphony Orchestra. In addition to playing violin in the Symphony, Vera
performed in recital and as an accompanist for the CBC, and Ranald also
conducted the Edmonton Youth Orchestra. In 1966, they established the
Edmonton Conservatory of Music which later merged with the Alberta College
Conservatory of Music.
Their passion was teaching. During their lives, they both maintained a full
teaching schedule (Vera – piano, Ranald – violin) working seven days a week.
Sunday was “Open House” for their students. Any student who wanted to come
and practice, work with an accompanist (Vera), have extra coaching, play in an
ensemble, etc. was welcome. Both Ranald and Vera were inducted into the City
of Edmonton’s Arts & Culture Hall of Fame.
Their dream for young musicians to experience the same passion they had for
music lives on in The Shean Competition.
The Shean Strings Competition Finalists
Alison Kim, Violin – Coquitlam, BC
Alison Kim began studying the violin at the age of four and her early principal
teachers include Lawrie Hill and Taras Gabora. Currently she studies with
Kristopher Tong of the Borromeo Quartet at the New England Conservatory.
Additionally, she has performed in masterclasses for Cho-Liang Lin, Vadim
Gluzman, Weilerstein Trio, Mihaela Martin, and more.
In 2018, she was a recipient of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada (NYOC)
Award of Excellence and consequently toured Canada, Germany, and Scotland as co-concertmaster. Through NYOC she performed both solo and chamber
works at the Toronto Summer Music Festival and the Ottawa Chamber Music
Festival. She also received a full scholarship to attend Morningside Music Bridge
at the New England Conservatory in 2017. Within Canada, Ms. Kim has received
top prizes at the Canadian National Music Competition, the VMO Concerto
Competition, the VAMSO Concerto Competition, and the VYSO concerto
competition and has performed as a soloist with the Vancouver Metropolitan
Orchestra, the Vancouver Academy Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver
Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Vancouver Academy Intermediate
Orchestra.
Ms. Kim is a member of the Nico Quartet which was chosen as an Honors
Ensemble to represent NEC for the 2018-2019 academic year, and she was
previously a member of the winning quartet in the Friends of Chamber Music
Competition. She is a two time recipient of the BC Arts Council scholarship and
the 2018 recipient of NEC’s Beneficent Society scholarship.
Angela Ryu, Violin – New Denver, BC
Korean-Canadian violinist, Angela Ryu, 19, began her musical studies at the age
of five with Daphne Hughes in New Denver, BC. In 2009, Ms. Ryu moved to
Calgary, AB to further pursue her violin studies at the Mount Royal Conservatory.
She was a full scholarship student of the Advanced Performance Program under
William van der Sloot.
Ms. Ryu has won several national competitions including First Prize at the
Canadian Music Competition, and the Grand Award at the National Music
Festival. She was also a semi-finalist of the 2016 OSM Manulife Competition and
the 2018 Klein International Strings Competition. Ms. Ryu has soloed with the
Calgary Civic Symphony and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, making her
orchestral début at age 13. She held her début recital in the High River concert
series: “Young Musicians Extraordinaire” and has an upcoming engagement with
them in the 2018/2019 season.
Ms. Ryu has performed for renowned artists such as James Ehnes, Pinchas
Zuckerman, Mauricio Fuks, Midori, and Mihaela Martin. She has also participated
in summer festivals such as Morningside Music Bridge, the Orford Music
Academy, the Meadowmount School of Music, and the NAC Young Artists
Program. This summer, she will be attending the Aspen Music Festival with a
violin fellowship. An active musician in her community, Ms. Ryu was a violin
teacher of the Calgary Multicultural Orchestra, providing free lessons and
instruments to children from low-income families. Ms. Ryu is currently pursuing
her first year of her Bachelor of Music degree, under Paul Kantor at Rice
University, The Shepherd School of Music.
Sonya Shin, Violin – Edmonton, AB
Praised for her “big tone and attractive sound”, Sonya Shin, started her violin
studies at the age of five. She has won many top prizes in local, provincial, and
national competitions over the past twelve years such as the Canadian Music
Competition and the Kiwanis Music Festival.
Ms. Shin currently studies with Robert Uchida having previously worked with
Anne McDougall and James Keene. Other influences include Patinka Kopec,
Grigory Kalinovsky, Andrew Dawes, Martin Beaver, and Masao Kawasaki. She is
currently Co-Concertmaster of the Senior Edmonton Youth Orchestra conducted
by Michael Massey.
In 2018, Ms. Shin debuted with the Edmonton Chamber Orchestra performing
the Haydn Violin Concerto in C Major. She has also attended many international
music festivals such as Morningside Music Bridge, Casalmaggiore International
Music Festival in Italy, National Arts Centre – Young Artists Program, and the
Aspen Music Festival. She has received many generous scholarships such as
the Korean Canadian Foundation Scholarship, the Alexandra M. Munn
Scholarship, and The O’Neill Foundation Scholarship.
Ms. Shin has also enjoyed being a volunteer for the Edmonton Symphony
Orchestra’s YONA-Sistema program for the last three years. She is a grade
twelve student at Strathcona High School and will be pursuing her undergraduate
degree in the US starting this fall.
Teresa Wang, Violin – Toronto, ON
Violinist Teresa Wang is a passionate musician who loves sharing her art and
ideas with the world. She enjoys performing in solo, chamber, and orchestral
settings, and has been the concertmaster of the Academy Chamber Orchestra,
Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, McGill Symphony Orchestra, and National
Youth Orchestra of Canada. Ms. Wang has performed as a soloist with the
Academy Chamber Orchestra and Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, and she
was recently named the winner of Jeunesses Musicales Canada’s 2018 Peter
Mendell Award.
As an avid chamber musician, Ms. Wang has collaborated with artists such as
Martin Beaver, Stéphane Lemelin, Douglas McNabney, John Novacek, Eric
Nowlin, and Scott St. John. She has appeared as a fellow at the Toronto
Summer Music Festival, Manchester Music Festival, and National Youth
Orchestra of Canada. After winning McGill’s 2017/18 Chamber Music
Competition with the Z4 Quartet, her ensemble pursued residencies at Beijing’s
Central Conservatory of Music and the Lunenburg Academy. Ms. Wang studied
for many years at the Glenn Gould School’s Young Artists Performance
Academy, and is currently completing her Master of Music at McGill University,
studying with Axel Strauss.
Rebecca Weger, Violin – Regina, SK
Rebecca Weger is currently in her third year of a bachelor’s program in violin
performance in the studio of Andrew Wan at the Schulich School of Music, McGill
University. She grew up in Regina, SK, studying violin with Rudolf Sternadel at
the Conservatory of Performing Arts. In 2018, Ms. Weger presented a recital for
the Regina Musical Club, was chosen as a Fellow for the Colorado College
Summer Music Festival, and performed as Concertmaster of the McGill
Symphony Orchestra. Her string quartet recently placed first in the McGill
Chamber Music Competition. Ms. Weger was a member of the Regina
Symphony Orchestra for four seasons, playing her début concert at the age of
13. She has played in master classes for James Ehnes, Erika Raum, Martin
Beaver, Annalee Patipatanakoon, Axel Strauss, Mark Fewer, Yehonatan Berick,
and Midori. She has participated in summer programs with Regina Summer
Strings, the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy, Camp Musical des
Laurentides, Orford Music, and Domaine Forget. Ms. Weger is a proud recipient
of a Prince Edward Arts Scholarship from the Saskatchewan Arts Board, and
would like to thank them for their financial support of her studies at McGill
University.
Tiffany Yeung, Violin – Richmond Hill, ON
Tiffany Yeung, age 16, is a full scholarship student of Dr. Conrad Chow in The
Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy at The Royal Conservatory of Music.
Most recently, Ms. Yeung was the winner of the 2017 “Remember Enescu”
International Violin Competition held in Sinaia, Romania and was the 1
st prize winner at the 2017 Vancouver International Music Competition. For 3 consecutive
years, she was the first prize winner at the Canadian Music Competition, as well
as the grand prize winner in 2011 & 2012.
Ms. Yeung has performed as a soloist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra,
Toronto Sinfonietta, Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, Oakville Chamber
Orchestra, Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, and the CAST Orchestra.
Additionally, she has led the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra as
Concertmaster and was the winner of the 2015 TSYO Concerto Competition.
Ms. Yeung has performed in master classes with distinguished artists: Aaron
Rosand, Miriam Fried, Elmar Oliveira, Joel Smirnoff, Almita Vamos, Grigory
Kalinovsky, and Jinjoo Cho and has attended the NAC Young Artists Program,
Summit Music Festival, where she was a winner of the 2017 Mary Smart
Concerto Competition, and the Heifetz International Music Institute.
Ms. Yeung plays on an 1836 Chanot violin on generous loan from The Royal
Conservatory of Music.
The Shean Strings Competition Adjudicators
David Hoyt, Chair
David Hoyt graduated from the University of Alberta with a degree in musicology.
While still a student, he joined the Edmonton Symphony (ESO) horn section
becoming Principal Horn in 1975. He also played horn with the Canadian Opera
Company, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Hamilton Philharmonic, and the Chuck
Mangione Band. He played Principal Horn for the Toronto Symphony and
performed in Carnegie Hall with l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.
David Hoyt began conducting professionally in 1982, becoming assistant
conductor of the Edmonton Symphony in 1985 and of the Canadian Opera
Company in 1991. He has been guest conductor for the Atlantic Symphony,
Orchestra London, the Winnipeg Symphony, the Saskatoon Orchestra, the
Regina Symphony, the Calgary Philharmonic, the Edmonton Opera Company,
the Alberta Baroque Ensemble, the Okanagan Symphony, the Vancouver Island
Orchestra, and the Vancouver Symphony.
David Hoyt had a long-standing relationship with the Banff Centre working there
yearly since 1972. He taught for ten years at the University of Alberta, and has
taught across the country at Festival 500 (St. John’s), The Scotia Festival
(Halifax), Domaine Forget (Québec), Les Concerts Bell (Montréal), International
Music Camp (Toronto), Festival of the Sound (Parry Sound), MusiCamrose
(Alberta), and Courtney Music Festival (British Columbia).
David Hoyt resigned from the ESO in 2004 and presently conducts two
ensembles: The Mill Creek Colliery Band and Orchestra Borealis. For the last
twenty years he has been artistic director of The Shean Strings & Piano
Competition. He is married to pianist Janet Scott-Hoyt and they have two
daughters, both musicians.
Philippe Djokic, Violin
Of Yugoslavian parentage, Philippe Djokic emigrated to the US in 1952. He
studied with Christine Dethier and Ivan Galamian at Juilliard, winning the school’s
prestigious Fritz Kreisler Prize. He won first prize in the CBC Talent Festival in
1977, won the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibault competition in Paris in 1975,
the Sibelius Violin Competition in Helsinki in 1977, and was silver medallist at the
Vaclav Huml Competition, Zagreb, in 1979, and the Paganini Competition,
Genoa, in 1982.
In 1975, Mr. Djokic joined the faculty of the department of music at Dalhousie
University, where he was appointed professor of violin, conducted the Dalhousie
Orchestra, and was in charge of orchestral training and chamber music
performance.
With the pianist William Tritt and ’cellist William Valleau, Philippe Djokic formed
the Dalart Trio, which was heard on CBC broadcasts, and won the 1978
Chalmers Foundation Award. The Trio premièred Steve Tittle’s where there is no
other (only we), and Clifford Ford’s Metamorphose.
Djokic is active as a chamber musician, appearing regularly as half of the Djokic-
Stodola duo with his wife, pianist Lynn Stodola, and with their daughter, ’cellist
Denise Djokic, and son, violinist and CBC Great Canadian Dream finalist Mark
Djokic. The Djokic-Stodola duo gave the first performance of Sonata 1985 by
Oskar Morawetz and commissioned what finally matters most is grace by Steve
Tittle. The duo performs at international music festivals, and has toured Europe
and North America, inaugurating the Ottawa International Chamber Music
Festival in 1994 and continuing to perform there annually. The duo also performs
regularly at the Juneau Jazz and Classic Festivals in Juneau, Alaska. As a
family, the Djokics have performed in the St Cecilia Society series in Halifax, and
at the Indian River (PEI) and Ottawa festivals.
Mr. Djokic has appeared as soloist at Wigmore Hall, London, and with orchestras
in Europe and North America, appearing regularly at the Anchorage and Sitka
festivals in Alaska, and the Park City International Chamber Music Festival in
Utah. He has also performed at the Dubrovnik Music Festival in Yugoslavia. He
served as Concertmaster of Symphony Nova Scotia and as a guest
Concertmaster with the Toronto Symphony on its tour of northern Canada. In
Canada, he has been guest soloist with the Toronto Symphony, Montréal
Symphony Orchestra, Québec Symphony Orchestra, and Symphony Nova
Scotia. His 1992 recording of the Delius Violin Concerto with Symphony Nova
Scotia won a five-star rating from Music Magazine and international acclaim.
He is on the faculty of Québec’s Domaine Forget Summer Music Institute. Mr.
Djokic plays a Guarnerius violin made in 1740.
John Thompson, Viola
John Thompson has recently retired after serving as Principal Viola in the
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra for over forty seasons. During that time, he
performed as a soloist with the orchestra on many occasions, as well as pursuing
an active chamber music career as a member of such ensembles as the Calgary
Philharmonic String Quartet, the Alberta Chamber Players, and Kensington
Sinfonia. He regularly played with visiting artists such as the Orford String
Quartet, the Allegri String Quartet, Henri Temianka, Miriam Fried, the Bow
Quartet, and many more.
He has always had an enthusiasm for working with youth, as a teacher at the
Mount Royal University Conservatory (MRUC) and the University of Calgary, and
as a conductor with the Calgary Youth Orchestra and the Conservatory Strings,
and as a chamber music coach in the Academy programme at MRUC.
Many of his students have received honours at local, provincial, and national
competitions, and a number of his students may be found performing with
professional orchestras across North America.
Mr. Thompson is regularly invited to adjudicate across Canada, and continues to
be active as a violist in a variety of settings.
He has been honoured with an Alberta Achievement Award and a Distinguished
Teaching Award from Mount Royal University for his services to young musicians.
