Meet our 2026 WMC Scholarship Winners

Congratulations to these outstanding performers who earned a total of $13,500 at the Scholarship Competition on May 9, 2026. These winners will perform in WMC's Centre Stage Series on Sunday, December 27, 7:00 pm at St. Andrew's River Heights United Church, 255 Oak St., Winnipeg.

Sophie Caron, cello - Winner of the $3000 Women's Musical Club Scholarship

Sophie Caron is a Franco-Manitoban cellist and soprano recognized for her expressive musicality and versatility across classical and contemporary genres. She is a trophy winner at the Winnipeg Music Festival and the AMAF Provincial Music and Arts Festival, and was a finalist in the Canadian Music Competition, earning distinction for both her vocal and cello performances.

Sophie has collaborated with Manitoban and Canadian composers and has premiered major works by Canadian composer Sid Robinovitch with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and the Winnipeg Sonora Voices. She is currently entering her third year of undergraduate studies at the Desautels Faculty of Music, studying under the guidance of Dr. Minna Rose Chung, Valdine Anderson, and Tracy Dahl.

Sabina Rzazade, piano - Winner of the $2500 Women's Musical Club Scholarship

Sabina Rzazade is originally from Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, where she began studying piano at the age of eight. Quickly recognized as a promising young talent, she received prizes at several international competitions, including the Frederic Chopin Competition and First Prize at the Konstantin Igumnov International Competition. As a soloist, she performed with the Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra in 2014 and 2015, and with the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra in 2016 and 2017.

In 2017, Sabina moved to Canada to continue her musical education with Professor Alexander Tselyakov, earning her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Brandon University. Currently based in Toronto, she recently completed a Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano at the Faculty of Music, U. of Toronto. She maintains an active career as a performer, teacher, and collaborative pianist.

Jayden Fraser, baritone - Winner of the $2000 Madeleine Gauvin Scholarship

Jayden Fraser is a versatile singer and performer known for his infectious stage presence and dynamic artistry. Born and raised in Winnipeg, he recently completed his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of Manitoba under the direction of Mel Braun and Monica Huisman. Jayden also participated in the Creative Manitoba Mentorship Program under the guidance of Donna Fletcher, focusing on stage directing. Through this program, he served as Apprentice Director for the University of Manitoba’s musical theatre ensemble and directed scenes from several major works. His acting credits include Frog in A Year with Frog and Toad (MYTP), Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos with Chicago Summer Opera, and members of the D’Ysquith family in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder with NUOVA. In the fall, Jayden will begin his Master of Music in Opera at the University of Toronto.

David Yu, piano - Winner of the $2000 Virtuosi Scholarship

David Yu is the winner of the newly-minted Virtuosi Scholarship for best performance of a contemporary work. He earned this honour with the performance of Let Hands Speak by Kelly-Marie Murphy, composed in 2003. David began studying piano at age 11 and has studied with Professor Megumi Masaki at Brandon University since 2018. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree (June 2023) and a Master of Music degree (June 2025) from Brandon University. During his studies, he received numerous awards at the Brandon Festival of the Arts and the AMAF Provincial Festival. In addition to performing, David maintains an active private studio and currently teaches more than 20 piano students in Brandon.

Émilie Strain, piano - Winner of the $1500 Holtby Scholarship

An emerging artist and performer, Émilie Strain has experienced the lifestyle of a musician for as long as she can remember, growing up with two professional violinists as parents. Émilie has performed and competed in a variety of prestigious musical events ranging from local and provincial music/arts festivals to university competitions, and will be making her international debut this summer at the Orford Musique summer academy.

Émilie studies with David Moroz at the Desautels Faculty of Music.

Nathan Gibbens, percussion - Winner of the $1500 Phyllis Ilavsky Scholarship

Nathan Gibbens is a Winnipeg-based percussionist currently studying at the University of Manitoba under the instruction of Victoria Sparks and Dr. Ben Reimer. Nathan has performed with several prominent ensembles across Manitoba, including as extra percussionist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and currently as Principal Timpanist with the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed extensively with the U. of M. Wind Ensemble, and in 2026 is scheduled to appear as a featured soloist with that ensemble.

Beyond the university setting, Nathan has performed with the Winnipeg Wind Ensemble and has appeared with the Winnipeg Pops Orchestra as both a featured soloist and extra percussionist. Nathan was named winner of the Desautels Faculty of Music Concerto Competition and received second prize in the Lawrence Genser Scholarship Competition. In addition to his performing career, he is an active music educator and clinician. He has worked as a guest instructor at both middle school and high school levels and has served as a clinician for the Manitoba Band Association Provincial Honour Band. Mason Dueck, cello - Winner of the $1000 Berythe Birse Scholarship

Winnipeg-born cellist Mason Dueck is an emerging performer currently completing the fourth year of a Bachelor of Music in Performance at the University of Manitoba, where he studies with Dr. Minna Chung. He plans to begin a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Performance at in Fall 2026.

His recent accomplishments include reaching the final round of the 2025 Lawrence Genser Competition and receiving numerous scholarships and awards, including the Don Wright Scholarship in Music, the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music Scholarship, and the Mary Louise Young Scholarship in Music. Most recently, Mason was selected as a winner of the 2026 Agassiz Chamber Music Festival Glimpses of the Future Competition. A passionate chamber and orchestral musician, Mason has participated in numerous performance and orchestral programs across Canada and the United States, including Chicago Summer Opera, Rushmore Music Festival, National Academy Orchestra of Canada, PRISMA (Pacific Region International Summer Music Association) Festival & Academy, and Rosemunde Summer Music Academy. He also looks forward to returning to the PRISMA festival in Powell River, British Columbia, this June.

Honourable Mention: Joanna Loepp Thiessen, contralto and Elisheva Schwartz, cello