Orchestras Canada

Congratulations to the young winners of the 28th annual Concours de l’Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivieres : grand prize winner, flutist Ariane Brisson, and second place winners, clarinettist Éric Abramovitz and percussionist Charles-Alexis Côté (the latter also awarded the People’s Choice award).

Congratulations are also due to eight young classical or jazz musicians who will be taking part in “My First NAC”, a free concert in the Studio of the National Arts Centre on May 29. They’ve all been touched by one or more of the NAC’s artist training programs (from the Manhattan on the Rideau masterclasses, ‘Musically Speaking’ pre-show chats and concerts, Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra, the Summer Music Institute Young Artists Program, to the Debut Series), and each will be awarded a $1,000 Astral Artist Prize. The young performers are Matthew Chalmers, jazz vibraphone/drums; Timothy Chooi, violin; Lara Deutsch, flute; Aidan Ferguson, mezzo-soprano; Emilie Grimes, viola; Alexander Malikov, piano; Simon Millerd, jazz trumpet; and Dan Reynolds, jazz piano.

Orchestra Toronto has announced the winner of the 2012 Marta Hidy Prize: fifteen-year-old cellist Daniel Hass of Toronto. The prize is named for the Canadian violinist Marta Hidy, whose legacy as a solo artist, orchestral and chamber musician, conductor, teacher and music professor it honours. Daniel is a student of David Hetherington, and is principal cellist of both the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Academy Chamber Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra.

The National Youth Orchestra of Canada has announced its Composer-in-Residence for 2012 : James O’Callaghan. Mr. O’Callaghan, who was also selected for the Canadian League of Composers/Canadian Music Centre’s inaugural Composer Mentoring Project in 2011, will compose an original work for the NYOC’s 2013 North American tour.

After an emotional series of farewell concerts, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra has named departing Music Director John Morris Russell as its Conductor Laureate, the first time in the orchestra’s 65-year history when that title has been awarded. Speaking about the appointment, Maestro Russell said “I am deeply honoured to receive this title and look forward with joy and affection to many years of great music making to come.”

On Saturday, February 4, the George Weston Recital Hall will be home to both a concert by the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra (led by Alain Trudel) and an Alumni Homecoming. The program features violinist Christina Choi (in the first movement of Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1), the world premiere of a new work by Jordan Pal entitled Burn, as well as Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite.

For more information about the alumni event, please contact TSYO Manager, Stephanie Rauhut (srauhut@tso.ca, 416-593-7769 x.372)

Conductor Alain Trudel, already serving as the music director of Orchestra London and the Orchestre symphonique de Laval and conductor of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, has just been announced as the new conductor of the University of Western Ontario Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, effective September 2012. Speaking about the appointment, Orchestra London executive director Joe Swan noted that the orchestra has always had a good relationship with the University of Western Ontario, “but this will give us a much deeper working relationship. So we’re delighted about it.”

The Regina Symphony Orchestra has announced a career transition for its long-time and well-loved concertmaster Eduard Minevich. After 13 years with the orchestra (as well as 10, 11 and 6 years each as concertmaster with the KW Symphony, Orchestra London and the Leningrad Concert Orchestra respectively), Minevich will step down as RSO concertmaster at the end of the 2011-12 season – but he will stay on with the organization, leading its new Piapot project (through which he’s teaching violin to young students, arranging music and performing as soloist at the Piapot First Nation) and exploring opportunities to expand the RSO’s education programs into more communities in future seasons.

Congratulations to Toronto artist manager Ann Summers Dossena, who has been awarded the Manager of the Year Award at the annual Awards Ceremony and Luncheon of NAPAMA – the North American Association of Performing Arts Managers and Agents – and APAP – the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. The presentation was made by Robert Baird, Toronto artist manager and president of NAPAMA, at the Hilton New York. From her 1958 start in New York, through her years in Rome (1968-1977) to her Toronto base since 1977, Ann Summers Dossena has been a tireless advocate for the arts for more than five decades.

The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Market Hall, and the Kawartha Youth Orchestra have named conductor Dina Gilbert as RBC Emerging Artist for 2012, under a newly created emerging artist apprenticeship program. Ms Gilbert holds a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the Université de Montréal. The program is a collaboration between three community arts partners, Market Hall, the Kawartha Youth Orchestra and Peterborough Symphony Orchestra. Working under the guidance of PSO and KYO music director Michael Newnham, Ms Gilbert will receive an intensive period of mentoring and gain insight into the role played by a conductor and music director of community and youth orchestras.

Symphony Nova Scotia has announced the appointment of Emma Penick as its new Director of Development.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has announced the appointment of Stephanie Rauhut as the new Manager of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and assistant in the Education department.