Congratulations to the gifted young musicians who took part in NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition this year. The big winners were bassoonist Darren Hicks, flutist Christian Paquette, clarinettist Nicholas Galuban, harpist Antoine Malette-Chénier, and trombonist Riccardo Nazario del Castello, with honourable mentions going to flutists Lara Deutsch and Graham McVeety and oboist Aidan Dugan. The NAC Orchestra Bursary was established in 1979 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and to thank the people of the National Capital Region for their support during the Orchestra’s first decade. The first competition took place in 1981. The Bursary Committee and Jury were chaired for the second year by Roderick Bell, passionate music lover, former Canadian Ambassador to Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and an active volunteer at the National Arts Centre.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation has announced that Andrea Cohen, a community health services executive, has been named as its next CEO, succeeding Robin Cardozo.

At its late May concerts with pianist Yevgeny Sudbin, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of its association with Conductor Laureate Kazuyoshi Akiyama. Amazingly, Maestro Akiyama began his twelve year tenure as VSO Music Director in 1972.

The Calgary Philharmonic has advised that the 2012-13 season brings a promotion for Mélanie Léonard, the CPO’s Resident Conductor for the last four seasons. Effective in September, Ms. Léonard will take on the role of Associate Conductor.

Luce Moreau, President and CEO of the Orchestre Metropolitain since 2008, has stepped down from that role, effective immediately.

The Canadian Federation of Musicians has announced the appointment of Liana White as its new Executive Director. In her new role, Ms. White will assume responsibilities formerly overseen by Alan Willaert, AFM Vice President from Canada. Ms. White, who is celebrating her 16th year working with the Federation, has vast experience in the arts & entertainment community, a solid reputation as a knowledgeable resource on cross-border immigration requirements, and a demonstrated understanding of the needs of musician’s today. In her new role Ms. White will oversee governance matters for the union at large, including serving as the primary liaison with Local affiliate offices and for member relations.

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra has announced the identity of this year’s WSO Golden Baton Awards, given annually to those who have made a significant contribution to the musical life of the community through their excellence or their special support and contribution to the WSO. They are celebrated coloratura soprano Tracy Dahl (artistic achievement) and former WSO board chair (and now Auditor General for the Province of Manitoba) Carol Bellringer (community leadership).

Congratulations to clarinetist Emmy Munger and flutist Étienne Morissette, recent winners of the Orchestre des jeunes du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean’s recent Young Soloists competition. Both winners are students at the Conservatoire de musique de Saguenay and have been members of the youth orchestra for a number of years. They will be featured as soloists with the youth orchestra in 2012-13.

Best wishes to Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra clarinettist Rick Klassen, retiring this season after an amazing 39 seasons with the orchestra.

Calgary’s Rosza Foundation presents an annual award for excellence in arts management to an outstanding Alberta arts administrator – and we offer hearty congratulations to Stephen McHolm, CEO of the Honens International Piano Competition for being nominated in 2012. The award winners will be announced in June.

We’d also like to convey congratulations to Tricia Baldwin, Managing Director of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Erika Beatty, CEO of Symphony Nova Scotia. They each won a 2012 John Hobday Award for Arts Administration, through the Canada Council for the Arts. Ms. Baldwin will use her award for professional development to travel to two international conferences and interview world leaders who are bringing music to millions through live, recorded and internet-streamed processes. Afterwards, she will present her findings at an Orchestras Canada conference and apply her new knowledge in her work as Managing Director of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir. Ms. Beatty will use her award to be mentored by Pierre Lamoureux, owner of Cinemusica / FogoLabs, one of the top concert film producers in the world. Her goal is to explore how digital and emerging technologies can be used to capture and communicate the beauty and intensity of the performing arts to Canadian and international audiences. Mr. Lamoureux has agreed to share the essentials of his successful commercial business model, including planning, filming and post-production work for clients as varied as opera and ballet companies, to touring bands and documentary productions.

The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra is delighted to announce that Mélanie Léonard, its Resident Conductor for the past three seasons, has been appointed to the position of Associate Conductor. Her new title will take effect this September, at the commencement of the 2012/2013 Season. As stated in the CPO’s media release, “Ms. Léonard’s impassioned love of music, her charming stage presence, and her rapport with musicians and audiences have become her signature style.”

Hearty congratulations to the winners of the 2012 Knigge Piano Competition, held at the UBC School of Music. First Prize went to Rudin Lengo (a student at the Glenn Gould School); second prize went to Jocelyn Lai, (studying at UBC); and third prize went to Shifra Day, (a student at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal). The prize for the best performance of the required work (Echoes by UBC alumnus Richard Covey) went to Isabelle David (from the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal). Distinguished juror John O’Conor had this to say about the standard of competition: “It was a great pleasure to be on the jury of the Knigge Competition. It was a feast of piano playing from eight very talented young pianists and I wish them all great satisfaction for the future. They all deserve to do very well.”

We recently learned, with sadness, of the recent passing of Dr. Larry Agranove, a London Ontario business leader, consultant and long-time instructor at the School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University. A life-long lover of the arts, Dr. Agranove was the founding president of the Ontario Federation of Symphony Orchestras, and president of the London Symphony (later re-named Orchestra London).

Vancouver’s Musicfest has just announced the appointment of Matthew Baird as its new program director, succeeding George Laverock. Baird is well-known to Canadian orchestras through his many years of work at the CBC.

Orchestra News notes, with sadness, the passing of violinist and violist Eleanora Turovsky, founding concertmaster of I Musici de Montréal, a 12-year member of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and a well-known teacher at the Université de Montréal.