May 10, 2006 -

Ottawa, Canada -- The National Arts Centre (NAC) has announced the winners of the 2006 NAC Orchestra Bursary Competition following the finals held on Tuesday, May 9, in the NAC Studio. Eight finalists had been chosen from the 32 contestants heard in preliminary auditions held on Saturday and Sunday, May 6 and 7. The grand prize-winner of the 2006 NACO Bursary ($7,000) is bassoonist Gareth Thomas (19), who also won the NACO Special Prize for the best performance of prescribed orchestral excerpts. The winner of the Harold Crabtree Foundation Award of $5,000 is violinist Yolanda Bruno (16). The NAC Orchestra Association Award ($3,000) went to violinist Mark Johnston (19), while trumpet player Lynn Peterson (21) won the Vic Pomer Award ($2,000) and the Piccolo Prix ($1,000) went to violinist Justin Lamy (16).

Honourable mentions of $150 went to oboist Megan Giffin (22), cellist Christian Elliott (21) and double bassist Theodore Chan (19).

The Bursary Committee was chaired by Vernon G. Turner, Canada’s former Ambassador to the USSR and to Israel, and an active volunteer at the National Arts Centre. The Bursary Committee consisted of NAC Orchestra musicians Walter Prystawski (concertmaster), Winston Webber (upper strings), Timothy McCoy (lower strings), Kimball Sykes (winds), and Félix Acevedo (brass and percussion), with Tamara Kater as the NAC Music representative, and Ross Francis as the non-voting NACOA representative. The Bursary Jury consisted of Turner (non-voting member), Prystawski, Webber, McCoy, Acevedo, with Vincent Parizeau (winds) replacing Kimball Sykes, plus special guests Jean-Guy Brault, former NACO flutist; Gary Hayes (former programme host and producer for CBC Radio Ottawa) and Jean-Philippe Tremblay, (Music Director, Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne).

The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) Bursary Competition was first held in 1981. The NACO Bursary was created by the musicians of the NAC Orchestra as a gesture of appreciation to the audiences who had been so supportive to the Orchestra during its first decade. It is meant to provide recognition and financial support to help further the development of young Canadian orchestral musicians who have connections to the National Capital Region (NCR). In subsequent years thanks to the generosity of additional organizations and individuals, other prizes have been added for a total in 2006 of $18,500. These prizes, in addition to the NACO Bursary, are the Harold Crabtree Foundation Award, created in 2003 by this Foundation which strongly believes in the importance of helping young people; the NAC Orchestra Association Award created in 1993 to celebrate the Orchestra’s 25th anniversary season; the Vic Pomer Award commemorating one of the founding violinists of NACO and a dedicated teacher who died in 2001 at age 70; the Piccolo Prix provided “to encourage and support our young artists” by NAC volunteer and Donors Circle member Cav. Pasqualina Pat Adamo, and the NACO Special Prize.

All prizes are intended for music students aged 16 to 24 whose family residence is in the National Capital Region, or who have been following a recognized course of music study in the NCR in preparation for careers as professional orchestral musicians. Each year, a jury identifies deserving recipients through audition and selection.

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Information:
Jane Morris, Communications Officer,
National Arts Centre Orchestra
(613) 947-7000, 335
jmorris@nac-cna.ca