Past Award Winners listed below
Local Awards for 2023
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.
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.
All awards will be given at the discretion of the clinicians.
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
2023 National Winners
The Mary Gardiner Award of Performance Excellence – Junior (up to Grade 8) – Elijah Mok
The Ann Southam Award – Senior (Grade 9 +) – Élise Auld
The Ann Southam Award – Junior (up to Grade 8) – Hannah Gutowski
John Weinzweig Scholarship – Senior (Grade 9 +) – Charlotte Kiang
John Weinzweig Scholarship – Junior (up to Grade 8) – Michael Rico-Lam
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
The Ann Southam Award
The Ann Southam Award is a new performance excellence award that is established in memory of pioneering Canadian composer Ann Southam by the Southam family.
This new national award will recognize an outstanding performance of a work by a Canadian female composer. Each Contemporary Showcase centre may nominate one performer at the Junior Level (pre-Grade 1 to 8) and Senior Level (Grade 9 and above).
Click here to read more about Ann 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.
Qualifications for this solo performance: The nominee must have participated for three years in the Contemporary Showcase Festival at a high level of performance.
Procedure: Each Contemporary Showcase Centre with a qualifying performer will submit the performance by December 13 of the festival year via a personal youtube video.
Please list the name of the performer, composition and grade in the email and announce this information on the video. The recipient will be announced on the ACNMP website by January 15.
Levels: Each Centre may submit a Senior, grade 9 and above, and a Junior, grade 8 and below , candidate.
Mary Hildebrand Memorial Award for Performance Excellence
ACNMP is pleased to announce a new National Award: The 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 up) solo performance on the recommendation of the adjudicator.
Each nominee will submit a performance by December 13 of the festival year via a personal youtube video. The recipient will be announced on the ACNMP website by January 20.
Amount of Award: $500.00
John Weinzweig Centenary Scholarship
ALLIANCE FOR CANADIAN NEW MUSIC PROJECTS and Contemporary Showcase are pleased to announce the John Weinzweig Scholarship.
To honour John Weinzweig, “the Dean of Canadian Composers”, ACNMP is pleased to announce a scholarship for the performance of solo works by Weinzweig. The scholarship is funded by “John Weinzweig ONE HUNDRED YEARS 1913-2013”.
The performer must have participated in a Contemporary Showcase and be recommended by the centre coordinator.
Solo performances of any Weinzweig composition or a work by a first or second generation Weinzweig student will be accepted. Find pieces listed in the ACNMP syllabus (www.acnmp.ca) or www.johnweinzweig.com. Click here for a list of Weinzweig’s students.
Submissions can be done through a personal youtube video submitted to acnmp@rogers.com
There will be a junior (up to grade 8) and a senior scholarship (grades 9 and up). The two recipients will also receive a Weinzweig Biography.
The submission does not have to be a recording of the Contemporary Showcase performance.
Previous Award Winners
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
YCP – Robert Rosen Memorial Award – Mia Cowper
YCP – CSE Recognition Award Creative Music – Sointu Aalto
Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association Awards
Creative Music Award – Sointu Aalto
Joyce Oliver Alberta Composer Award – Sarah Reive
Joyce Oliver Alberta Composer Award – Noah Mok
Tirecraft Awards for Strings
Sointu Aalto
Elijah Mok
Violet Archer Award (Jr. Piano)
Jalon Griffith
Amiya Chin
Georgia Lee
CSE Recognition Awards
Winds – Ja Ja Jiang
Winds – Porter Conrad
Voice – Molly Danko
Voice – Allessandra Belle Ortynski
Jr. Piano – Fallon Nguyen
Int. Piano – Yue-Xing Vincent Zhang
Int. Piano – Elena Begovic
Int. Piano – David Stobbe
Int. Piano – Alyssa Alva
Sr. Piano – Heather McGuire
Sr. Piano – Sam Bardestani
Sr. Piano – Benedek Gaal
National Award Nominations 2019
– Molly Danko, voice
(was unable to attend and unable to provide recording before gala)
* – Sointu Aalto, cello
Mary Hildebrand Memorial
– Molly Danko, voice (see note above)
* – Sointu Aalto, cello
– Heather McGuire, piano
Mary Gardiner Junior Award
*- Alyssa Alva (Gentle Breeze/Bender)
Ann Southam Junior Award
– Porter Conrad, saxophone (Romance/Raum)
*- Benedek Gaal, piano (Star-Gazing/Louie)
2019 National Award Winner
Sointu Aalto – Louise MacPherson Memorial Award in composition – video
2018 Awards
Anniversary Commission Premiere Class
Junior – Jane Eaton
Intermediate – Oliver West
Senior – Heather McGuire
Violet Archer Awards – Jr. Piano
Yup-Xing Vincent Zhang
Alyssa Alva
Luka Begovic
Contemporary Showcase Edmonton Recognition Awards
Jr. Piano – Jacob Eaton
Int. Piano – Isabella Houston
Int. Piano – Lucas Haines
Int. Piano – Charlie Eaton
Sr. Piano – Josina Leder
Sr. Piano – Ben Veenstra
Voice – Amanda Smith
Winds – Isaac Earl
Strings – Jeanette Choy & Sun Poon
ARMTA Award for Alberta Composer
Raniel Flores
Bella Music Awards
Strings – Sointu Aalto
Strings – Allison Wan
Gramophone Creative Music Award
Sirui Li
Featured Composer – Best Interpretation
John Burge – Rebekah Fuelbrandt
Martha Hill Duncan – Cassidy Nouanethong
National Award Nominees
Mary Hildebrandt Award – Amanda Smith, Heather McGuire, Sointu Aalto
Mary Gardiner Sr. Award – Ben Veenstra
Mary Gardiner Jr. Award – Lucas Haines
Ann Southam Sr. Award – Josina Leder
Ann South Jr. Award – Isabella Houston
2017 Awards
Violet Archer Awards – Jr. Piano
Owen Layton
Jocelyn Li
Gwendolyn Nguyen
Tristen Steinke
Contemporary Showcase Edmonton Recognition Awards
Int. Piano – Owen Agular
– Benedek Gaal
Sr. Piano – Charlie Eaton
Jr. Voice – Lilianne Gervais
Sr. Voice – Molly Danko
Young Composers Program
Sointu Aalto
Lucas Haines
Jonathan Urschel
Chateau Lacombe Awards
Adv. Piano – Louisa Lu
– Andrea Pedro
Bella Music Awards
Jr. Strings – Allison Wan
Sr. Strings – Sointu Aalto
Gramophone Creative Music Award
Sointu Aalto
National Award Nominees
Mary Hildebrandt Award – Andrea Pedro
Mary Gardiner Sr. Award – Louisa Lu – (Winner – video)
Mary Gardiner Jr. Award – Hazel Leung
*National Award Winners from Edmonton*
2021 National Award Winners
2020 National Award Winners
2019 National Award Winner
2017 National Award Winner
Louisa Lu – Mary Gardiner Award of Performance Excellence – Senior Award – video