Announcing the Semi-Finalists: WMC McLellan Competition

Congratulations to the twelve Semi-Finalists who will compete in Round 2 of the WMC Competition for Solo Performance with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. The public is invited to hear their performances on Saturday, February 28, 2026 from 9 am - 4 pm at St. Andrew's River Heights United Church, 255 Oak St., Winnipeg. Admission is $10.

We regret that Samuel Hughes (trumpet) has withdrawn from the Semi-Final Competition due to a scheduling conflict. Runner-up Ying Ni He (clarinet) will be added in his place.

Grace Budoloski is a versatile singer and dancer with a wealth of performance experience. She holds a Master’s Degree in Voice Performance from the University of Victoria where she studied with Benjamin Butterfield, and is presently completing an Artist Diploma at the Desautels Faculty of Music in Winnipeg.

Taylor Burns is an award-winning singer originally from Kingston, Ontario, and holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Western Ontario. She recently completed her Masters Degree in Vocal Performance at the Desautels Faculty of Music. Now based in Winnipeg, Taylor is an active teacher and a chorister in one of the city's foremost vocal ensembles, Dead of Winter.

Taiwanese-Canadian pianist and composer Fan-En Chiang is a top-prize winner in the Canadian Music Competition and winner of the Aikins Memorial Trophy in the Winnipeg Music Festival. He has performed as guest artist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in a number of concert engagements.

Eli Granger recently graduated from the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music, now pursuing a Master of Music in Euphonium Performance at the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory, where they serve as a graduate teaching assistant.

Ying Ni He is an active clarinetist and pianist in the local military music community. She greatly enjoys making music with others and likes to take on unconventional music projects with her peers, such as mixed instrument quartets. She enjoys travelling to other countries and learning about local folk music traditions.

Ari Hooker is an exciting up-and-coming composer and concert pianist who has garnered many local awards. He has already written a large amount of chamber music and has performed part of his Piano Concerto in C Major with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. He is currently in his fourth year of studies at the University of Manitoba.

(Withdrawn: Samuel Hughes holds a Bachelor in Trumpet Performance from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, and will play principal trumpet with Symphony Nova Scotia in fall. Orchestras he has appeared with include the Winnipeg Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.)

Soprano Katherine Mayba is a multidisciplinary musician, holding a Master of Music in Voice Performance from the University of Manitoba and ARCT Performance Diplomas in voice, piano and violin from The Royal Conservatory of Music. She has performed with a variety of companies including Manitoba Opera, Opera NUOVA, Halifax Opera, and Orford Musique.

Juliana Moroz is a cellist, named to CBC’s “30 under 30”. She holds a Bachelor of Music from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings and a Master’s degree from Rice University in 2025. She has participated in summer festivals in North America and Europe, is currently based in Toronto as a Rebanks Family Fellowship Artist.

Angela Suet Kee Ng is in her fourth year of piano studies on scholarship at the University of Toronto. A multiple award winner, her recent prizes were with the Ontario Music Festivals Provincial Competitions, and the University of Toronto Concerto Competition. She has also performed at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall with the American Protégé International Music Talent Competition.

Soprano Diana Rockwell has been a passionate performer since the age of six as a dancer, actor, singer, and instrumentalist. Originally from Yellowknife, NWT, she recently completed her Masters of Music at the University of Manitoba. Awards include a Rose Bowl trophy with the Winnipeg Music Festival and first prize in the 2023 CFMTA National Vocal Competition.

Ashley Schneberger is Rose Bowl and Scholarship winner with the Winnipeg Music Festival, and has appeared in a wide range of roles with various organizations, including Manitoba Underground Opera, Chicago Summer Opera and NUOVA Vocal Arts. She holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Manitoba.

Shion Tamashiro studied at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in Brussels, Belgium, before arriving in Winnipeg to study violin at the Desautels Faculty of Music, where she currently studies with Gwen Hoebig. Her performance in the Faculty’s 2025 Concerto Competition captured the top prize. Shion was previously a member of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra for four years.