Past Award Winners listed below

Local Awards for 2025

Contemporary Showcase Edmonton’s Recognition Awards are given to recognize students who have put extra effort and creative musicianship into their performances.

The Bella Music Awards for strings have kindly been donated by Jim Doucet, owner of Bella Music in Edmonton.

The National Association of Teachers of Singing from North Central Alberta has kindly donated a scholarship for our Voice classes.

The Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Provincial Association has kindly donated scholarships to promote students exploring music by Alberta Composers, having performed these pieces in the Joyce Oliver Alberta Composer and Featured Composers Classes. This organization also presents an award to a promising young Alberta composer from our Creative Music Classes. 

The Edmonton Branch of the Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association has kindly donated a scholarship to promote areas other than piano in our festival.  This year it will be given to a student from the Guitar Classes.

The Gladys Odegard Award for Beginner Piano has kindly been donated by Gladys Odegard to encourage a first-time student who shows aptitude and interest in the performance of music with contemporary idioms.

The Duo Majoya Keyboard Ensemble Award has been kindly donated by Dr. Marnie Giesbrecht and Dr. Joachim Segger from the keyboard duet team called Duo Majoya.

The Michèle Gervais Awards have been kindly donated by Sophia Barry for our Junior Piano program. They are given in honour of her mother who fostered her love of contemporary music and the Contemporary Showcase Festival.

The Geoff Dimmer Memorial Award in Winds is kindly donated by William Dimmer. Geoff Dimmer was a very talented young composer who played piano and trombone. Music was the shining light of his life. Sadly, he was taken at the age of 17.

Violet Archer Awards in Junior Piano.  Canadian composer, Violet Archer, spent the last years of her life composing works for students to experience the joys of contemporary music. These awards recognize her faithful contribution and support of Contemporary Showcase, The Canadian League of Composers and The Canadian Music Centre.  Violet Archer, an Edmontonian, was a founding member of each of these Associations. 

Robert Rosen Young Composers Award. Highly-regarded Canadian composer, Robert Rosen (1956 – 2018), was a former student of Violet Archer and former clinician for the Young Composers Program. His prairie heritage and mountain roots gave both grandness and nuance to his compositions. We are honoured to be presenting the first annual memorial award in his name to a senior student in the Young Composers Program.

All awards will be given at the discretion of the clinicians.

2024 Awards

Creative Music 
Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Provincial & CSE Recognition Award – Mark Rico-Lam
CSE Recognition Award – Cathy Lu

Strings
Bella Music Award & CSE Recognition Award –  Int/Senior – Liyuan Pan
Bella Music Award – Junior – Felicity Hryciw
CSE Recognition Award – Junior – Evan Baptiste

Winds
Int/Senior Award – Dylan Lindsay & Melvin Picazo
Junior – Willem Goodall

Voice
National Association of Teachers of Singing (North Central Alberta) & CSE Recognition Award – Natalia Kuzma

Guitar
Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Edmonton Branch – Anjali Arvind

Joyce Oliver, Alberta Composer Awards
Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Provincial – Senior – Mark Rico-Lam
Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Provincial – Intermediate – Andy Wang

Featured Composer Classes
CSE Recognition Award – Int/Senior – Michael Rico-Lam
CSE Recognition Award – Junior – Gavin Foley

Duo Majoya Keyboard Ensemble Award – Qianna Sheveliora Sianturi & Salomea Kennedy

Beginner Piano
Gladys Odegard Beginner Piano Award – Joanna Li
CSE Recognition Award – Aannya Silva

Junior Piano
Violet Archer Award – Peter Tang
Violet Archer Award – Michael Tadic
Violet Archer Award – Celine Kassidy
CSE Recognition Award – Felicity Hryciw

Intermediate Piano
CSE Recognition Award – Irena Tang
CSE Recognition Award – Gabriel Makrewicz
CSE Recognition Award – Luke Wyatt
CSE Recognition Award – Chloe Yu

Senior Piano
CSE Recognition Award – Mark Rico-Lam
CSE Recognition Award – Noah Mok
CSE Recognition Award – Élise Auld
CSE Recognition Award – David Xing
CSE Recognition Award – Anna Curran

Yuuki Luong – John Weinzweig Scholarship – Junior Award

2024 Honourable Mentions

2022 National Winners

National Award Nominees for 2022
The Mary Hildebrand Memorial Award for Performance Excellence – Noah Mok
The Mary Gardiner Award of Performance Excellence – Senior (Grade 9 +) – Isabella Houston
The Ann Southam Award – Senior (Grade 9 +) – Yue-Xing Vincent Zhang
The Ann Southam Award – Junior (up to Grade 8) –  Vivian Shen
John Weinzweig Scholarship – Senior (Grade 9 +) – Eric Davidson
John Weinzweig Scholarship – Junior (up to Grade 8) – Elijah Mok

2021 National Winners

National Award Nominees
The Mary Hildebrand Memorial Award for Performance Excellence – Molly Danko
The Mary Gardiner Award of Performance Excellence – Senior (Grade 9 +) – Isabella Houston
The Mary Gardiner Award of Performance Excellence – Junior ( up to Grade 8) – Oliver West
The Ann Southam Award – Senior (Grade 9+) – Ben McGowan
The Ann Southam Award – Junior (up to Grade 8) – Mark Rico-Lam
John Weinzweig Scholarship – Senior (Grade 9 +) – Noah Mok
John Weinzweig Scholarship – Junior (up to Grade 8) – Maica McEachern

ACNMP National Awards

Procedure:
The Contemporary Showcase centre must notify ACNMP of their nominee’s name and their piece. Each nominee will submit a link to a YouTube video of their personal performance and submit a copy of the score to info@acnmp.ca on or before December 15, 2025.

The recipient will be notified and an announcement will be made on the ACNMP website and Facebook page on or before January 30, 2026.

The Ann Southam Award

This performance excellence award is established in memory of pioneering Canadian composer Ann Southam by the Southam family. The award will recognize an outstanding performance of a work by a Canadian female composer.

Qualification: The nominee must have performed a work by a Canadian female composer. Each centre may submit one Senior candidate (Grade 9 and above) and one Junior candidate (up to and including Grade 8).

Amount of Award:  Senior $1,000 & Junior $500
This award is made possible by Kip Southam.

The Mary Gardiner Award of Performance Excellence

This award was established in 2010 to honour Mary Gardiner, an awarded composer, pianist, educator, mentor, great champion of Canadian music, and long-serving President of Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects.

Each centre may submit one senior candidate (Grade 9 and above) and one Junior candidate (up to and including Grade 8).

Qualification: The nominee must have participated for three years in the Contemporary Showcase festival at a high level of performance.

This award is made possible by memorial donations and the generosity of the Gardiner family and Eva Michalak.

Mary Hildebrand Memorial Award for Performance Excellence

Mary Hildebrand was a teacher, composer, and dedicated supporter of Contemporary Showcase Mississauga. This award has been established by Mary’s family.

Qualification: Each Contemporary Showcase Centre may submit one senior (Grade 9 and above) solo performance on the recommendation of the adjudicator.

Amount of Award: $500.00
This award is made possible by the family of Mary Hildebrand.

John Weinzweig Centenary Scholarship

To honour John Weinzweig, “the Dean of Canadian Composers,” ACNMP is pleased to announce a scholarship for the performance of solo works by John Weinzweig or by a first or second generation Weinzweig student. The scholarship is funded by “John Weinzweig ONE HUNDRED YEARS 1913–2013”.

There will be one junior (up to and including Grade 8) and one senior (Grade 9 and up) scholarship.

Qualification: Solo performances of any Weinzweig composition on the ACNMP syllabus (acnmp.ca) or of a solo work listed on johnweinzweig.com will be accepted. Or a solo work by one of John Weinzweig’s first or second generation students, such as Murray Adaskin, John Beckwith, Norma Beecroft, Brian Cherney, Samuel Dolin, Harry Freedman, Srul Irving Glick, R. Murray Schafer, Harry Somers. Click here for a list of Weinzweig’s students.

This scholarship is made possible by Daniel Weinzweig.

The Louise MacPhearson Memorial Award

This award is established in memory of Louise MacPherson, a prominent music teacher in Saskatoon, Vice President for the Canadian Music Competitions, and long-serving executive of the Saskatchewan Registered Music Teachers’ Association. 

Qualification: Each Contemporary Showcase Centre may submit one student composition on the recommendation of the adjudicator.

Procedure: The Contemporary Showcase centre must notify ACNMP of their nominee’s name and their piece. Each nominee will submit a link to a YouTube video of performance and submit a copy of the score to info@acnmp.ca on or before December 15, 2025. 

The recipient will be notified, and an announcement will be made on the ACNMP website and Facebook page on or before January 30, 2026. 

Amount of Award: $200.00

This award is made possible by her daughter Jill Kelman.

Previous Award Winners

2023 Awards

Young Composers Program
CSE Recognition Award – Rachel Chow

Creative Music 
Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Provincial & CSE Recognition Award – Mark Rico-Lam
CSE Recognition Award – Charlton Qiu

Strings
Bella Music Award & CSE Recognition Award –  Senior – Kylie Pitsaroop
Bella Music Award – Junior/Int – Viggo Napora and Matthias Klann

Voice
National Association of Teachers of Singing (North Central Alberta) – Danielle Tang

Guitar
Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Edmonton Branch – Gideon Emke

Joyce Oliver & Featured Composer Classes, Alberta Composer Awards
Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Provincial – Int/Senior – Michael Rico-Lam
Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Provincial – Junior – Aiden Griffith

Duo Majoya Keyboard Ensemble Award – Roland McNeil and Charlton Qiu

Beginner Piano
Gladys Odegard Beginner Piano Award – Cindy Jiang
CSE Recognition Award – John Engel

Junior Piano
Violet Archer Award – Irena Tang
Violet Archer Award – Mei Chi
Violet Archer Award – Rohin Sandhu
CSE Recognition Award – Rafael Creutzig

Intermediate Piano
CSE Recognition Award – Liam Li
CSE Recognition Award – Michael Rico-Lam
CSE Recognition Award – Charlton Qiu
CSE Recognition Award – Kathleen Cai

Senior Piano
CSE Recognition Award – Mark Rico-Lam
CSE Recognition Award – Charlotte Kiang
CSE Recognition Award – Natalia Kuzma
CSE Recognition Award – Brandon Bouwmeester

2022 Awards

Young Composers Program
Robert Rosen Memorial Award – Niles Maj-Pfleger
CSE Recognition Award – Elliot Taylor

Creative Music 
Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Provincial & CSE Recognition Award – Senior – Mark Rico-Lam

Strings
Bella Music Award & CSE Recognition Award –  Int/Sr – Elijah Mok
Bella Music Award – Junior – Liyuan Pan

Winds
CSE Recognition Award – Eric Davidson

Voice
CSE Recognition Award – Senior – Laura Bittman

Erin Bai Memorial Award
Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Edmonton Branch – Lexi Nagowski

Joyce Oliver Class, Alberta Composer Awards
Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Provincial – Senior – Isabella Houston
Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association (ARMTA), Provincial – Jr/Int – Angela Sun

Gladys Odegard Beginner Piano Award – Keyla Chu

Duo Majoya Keyboard Ensemble Award – Isabella Houston and Jonathan Urschel

Junior Piano
Violet Archer Award – Fillip Sibal
Violet Archer Award – Rohin Sandhu
Violet Archer Award – Mei Chi
CSE Recognition Award – Gabrielle Jiang
CSE Recognition Award – Angus Merritt

Intermediate Piano
CSE Recognition Award – Natalia Kuzma
CSE Recognition Award – Kathleen Cai
CSE Recognition Award – Leah Wang
CSE Recognition Award – Michael Rico-Lam
CSE Recognition Award – Roland McNeil

Senior Piano
CSE Recognition Award – Noah Mok
CSE Recognition Award – Mark Rico-Lam
CSE Recognition Award – Élise Auld
CSE Recognition Award – Oliver West
CSE Recognition Award – Naomi Chan

2021 Awards

Young Composers Program
Robert Rosen Memorial Award – Niles Maj
CSE Recognition Award – Jonathan Urschel
CSE Recognition Award – Ian Liu

Strings
Bella Music Award – Liam Ng
Bella Music Award – Anna Regehr
Tirecraft Award – Liam Ng

Winds
Tirecraft Award – Intermediate – Megumi Varghese
Tirecraft Award – Junior – Calla Ehrkamp

Voice
CSE Recognition Award – Senior – Molly Danko
CSE Recognition Award – Intermediate – Alessandra Belle Ortynski

Creative Music 
ARMTA (Prov) – Senior – Mark Rico-Lam
CSE Recognition Award – Mark Rico-Lam
MacEwan University Award for Creative Music – Sointu Aalto

Erin Bai Memorial Award
ARMTA (Edm) – Avianna Shieh

Joyce Oliver Class, Alberta Composer Awards
ARMTA (Prov) – Senior – Isabella Houston
ARMTA (Prov) – Intermediate – Fen Krotz Adams

Gladys Odegard Beginner Piano Award – Olivia Tobisch

Junior Piano
Violet Archer Award – Bruno Lukevicious
Violet Archer Award – Michael Rico-Lam
Violet Archer Award – Clark Charlton

Intermediate Piano
CSE Recognition Award – William Lee
CSE Recognition Award – Ava Marquez
CSE Recognition Award – Hannah Gutowski
CSE Recognition Award – Sarah Steinke

Senior Piano
CSE Recognition Award – Mark Rico-Lam
CSE Recognition Award – Elise Auld
CSE Recognition Award – Oliver West
CSE Recognition Award – Ela Yabis-Sibal

Duet / Ensemble
CSE Recognition Award – Odin, Kyla, Tidus, Sylar Garritano

2021 National Winners

National Award Nominees

The Mary Hildebrand Memorial Award for Performance Excellence – Molly Danko
The Mary Gardiner Award of Performance Excellence – Senior (Grade 9 +) – Isabella Houston
The Mary Gardiner Award of Performance Excellence – Junior ( up to Grade 8) – Oliver West
The Ann Southam Award – Senior (Grade 10 +) – Ben McGowan
The Ann Southam Award – Junior (up to Grade 9) – Mark Rico-Lam
John Weinzweig Scholarship – Senior (Grade 9 +) – Noah Mok
John Weinzweig Scholarship – Junior (up to Grade 8) – Maica McEachern

2020 Awards

YCP – Robert Rosen Memorial Award – Sointu Aalto

Alberta Registered Music Teacher’s Association Awards
Creative Music (Sr.) – Sointu Aalto
Senior Piano (Joyce Oliver class) – Jonathan Urschel
Junior Piano (Joyce Oliver class) – Eliah Urschel

Bella Music Awards for Strings
Elijah Mok
Luke Emery

Tirecraft Awards
Winds – Megumi Varghese
Strings – Sointu Aalto

Violet Archer Awards for Piano Gr. 1-3
Eliah Urschel
Fen Krotz Adams
Sara Mis

CSE Recognition Awards
Voice – Allessandra Belle Ortynski
Gr. 4-6 Piano – Elise Auld
Gr. 4-6 Piano – Sarah Steinke
Gr. 4-6 Piano – Evangelene Doring-Lindgren
Gr. 7+ Piano – Noah Mok
Gr. 7+ Piano – Oliver West
Gr. 7+ Piano – Isabella Houston Piano ensemble award – Hugo & Amos Koehn

National award nominations for 2020

Mary Hildebrand Award – Sr – Sointu Aalto, cello
Mary Gardiner – Sr. – Sointu Aalto, cello (Winner – video)
Mary Gardiner – Jr. – Kauri Aalto, violin
Ann Southam – Sr – Cassidy Nouanethong, piano
Ann Southam – Jr. – Yue-Xing Vincent Zhang, piano (Winner – video)
John Weinzweig Award – Jr – Noah Mok, Piano (Winner – video)
Louise MacPherson Memorial Award in composition – Sointu Aalto – announcement

National award WINNERS for 2020

2019 Awards

Photo: Some Award Recipients from 2019