On Saturday, May 11, 2019, the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg held its annual scholarship auditions in the Eva Clare Hall, at the University of Manitoba. The day was filled with many commendable performances from all 20 young Manitoba artists! The WMC congratulates the following winners:
WMC Scholarship $3,000 – Sydney Clarke– Soprano
WMC Scholarship $2,500 – Albert Chen – Piano
Madeleine Gauvin Scholarship $2,000 – Amanda Robertson – Clarinet
Holtby Scholarship – $1,500 – Juliana Moroz – Cello
Phyllis Ilavsky Scholarship – $1,500 – Nika Martinussen – Piano
Berythe Birse Scholarship – $1000 – Elena Howard-Scott – Soprano
L to R: Sydney Clarke - soprano; Albert Chen - piano; Amanda Robertson - clarinet; Juliana Moroz - cello; Nika Martinussen - piano and Elena Howard-Scott - soprano.
Sydney Clarke - $3000 WMC Scholarship
Soprano Sydney Clarke is a recent graduate of the University of Manitoba’s Desautel Faculty of Music under the tutelage of Tracy Dahl. She is also a graduate of the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music (GGS) in Toronto. This past summer, Sydney performed the role of DONNA ANNA in Manitoba Underground Opera’s (MUO) production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Sydney was also recently the soprano soloist for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s staged production of Carmina Burana. This summer, Sydney will be performing at the NUOVA festival in Edmonton, playing the role of HELENA in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Albert Chen - $2500 WMC Scholarship
Born in the United States, pianist Albert Chen is entering his 4th year of piano performance under the tutelage of Dr. David Moroz. From 2012 to 2016, Albert took part in the Morningside Music Bridge program where two of his recordings were included in the program’s CD’s. Highlights include performing in the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing with his chamber group and Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall as a soloist. Last October, Albert went on tour as the winner of the CFMTA Young Artist Competition. He also received first prize at the Genser Competition and performed Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto with the UMSO in February. Most recently, Albert was the winner of the Aikins Memorial Trophy in the Winnipeg Music Festival and has twice been awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Trophy in 2014 and 2019. He will be performing with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in June.
Amanda Robertson - $2000 Madeleine Gauvin Scholarship
Born in Winnipeg, Amanda Robertson is a graduate from the Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba. She has performed with the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra, the Winnipeg Winds, and has attended the Orford Music Academy, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestral Institute in Whistler, the Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy, and the UBC Chamber Orchestral Festival. In the 2018 Winnipeg Music Festival, she won the Adam N. Leckie Memorial Trophy. Amanda continues to study with Micah Heilbrunn, and will be attending the Glenn Gould School in Toronto under the tutelage of Joaquin Valdepeñas.
Juliana Moroz - $1500 Holtby Scholarship
Juliana Moroz began playing the cello at the age of three. Having started the cello with Andrea Bell, she now studies with Yuri Hooker. She has participated in masterclasses with Richard Aaron, Colin Carr, Desmond Hoebig, Hans Jensen, John Kadz, Brian Manker, and Johanne Perron. A consistent prizewinner in local and provincial music festivals, she has attended the Aspen Summer Festival, Morningside Music Bridge Program, Orford Arts Festival and Rosamunde Summer Festival. She has performed as soloist with both the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Winnipeg Youth Orchestra. She also enjoys performing chamber music, especially with her family as the JAGD quartet. She will attend both Orford in Quebec and the Josef Gingold Chamber Music Festival in Miami Beach this summer. In the fall she will be entering the Robert McDuffie School for Strings at Mercer University as a scholarship student in Macon, Georgia. Her professors will be Richard Aaron and Julie Albers.
Nika Martinussen - $1500 Phyllis Ilavsky Scholarship
Nika Martinussen has always been drawn to the arts, and as a child, fell in love with “the beauty of music”. She has been an active participant in the Winnipeg Music Festival since the age of 9, performing in numerous trophy classes, and has represented Winnipeg several times in the Provincial Music Festival, most recently in the Advanced Canadian Composers class, performing “Prelude opus 3 no 1” by Winnipeg teacher and pianist, the late John Melnyk Senior. She is currently in the middle of completing her ARCT studies in Piano Performance. Nika will be graduating in June 2019 from J.H. Bruns Collegiate, where her academic awards have included earning the highest GPA for three consecutive years. In the fall of 2019, she will be attending the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Engineering as a Schulich Leader Scholar, but will be continuing her piano studies long distance with Jacqueline Ryz, whose teaching, mentorship, and guidance have been influential, inspirational, and appreciated over the last 10 years.
Elena Howard-Scott - $1000 Berythe Birse Scholarship
Having recently completed her B.Mus in Vocal Performance at the University of Manitoba, Elena Howard-Scott is a sought-after crossover artist living in Winnipeg. Studying under appraised coloratura soprano Tracy Dahl, Elena has been working regularly in Winnipeg’s musical theatre scene, while honing her classical skills. In October 2018, Elena was a first place winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (North Dakota/Manitoba District), and went on to compete in the Regional competition in Minneapolis. A frequent competitor in Winnipeg competitions, Elena was a finalist in the Winnipeg Music Festival’s Rose Bowl Trophy in 2018, winner of the Tudor Bowl in 2016, University of Manitoba’s Zita Bernstein Lieder Competition winner in 2018, one of two winners of the Lawrence Genser price at the University of Manitoba in 2018, and the MRMTA Advanced Level winner in 2019. Elena looks forward to representing Winnipeg in the 2019 MRMTA National Vocal Competition in July. In the world of musical theatre, Elena’s recent credits include Kiss of the Spider Woman (Dry Cold Productions), Pippin (Winnipeg Studio Theatre) Chicago (Pizza Party Productions), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Rainbow Stage), Evil Dead the Musical (Wasteland Productions), CASH: Ring of Fire (Rainbow Stage), The Hollow (RMTC Master Playwright’s Festival),The Stock (ArtLaunch Productions), Ruddigore (Gilbert & Sullivan Society), The Magic Flute (MB Underground Opera). She also recently sang her first lead opera role as Pamina in The Magic Flute (Opera NUOVA). Elena thanks everyone in her life who have offered her constant support over the years.
The WMC scholarship program has been a feature of the Women’s Musical Club mandate since 1915. Hundreds of young musicians have won these scholarships over the years, and many have gone on to achieve international acclaim. The names of the winners and the amounts of the awards are listed in a brochure which is updated yearly.
This year’s six winners will perform and receive their scholarship cheques at the annual WMC Scholarship Winners’ Recital that will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 29th, 2019 at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The public is invited to attend and be treated to an afternoon of amazing music from these talented Manitoban performers! Single tickets are available online or at the door. Call 204-944-9431 for a subscription. Tickets $30; Under 30 – $15.
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