Shauntay Grant wins Established Artist Recognition Award

Congratulations to past Talent Trust recipient Shauntay Grant for receiving the ESTABLISHED ARTIST RECOGNITION AWARD through the Nova Scotia Creative Arts Awards.

More about Shauntay (from her website):

Shauntay Grant is a writer and performance artist from Kjipuktuk (Halifax, Nova Scotia). She served as the third poet laureate for Halifax Regional Municipality from 2009 to 2011. Her stage play The Bridge premiered in 2019 at Neptune Theatre and won a 2020 Robert Merritt Award for Outstanding New Play. An award-winning author of children's literature, Shauntay's picture book Africville with illustrator Eva Campbell won the 2019 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, and was a finalist for the 2018 Governor General's Literary Awards, the 2019 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards, and the 2019 Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterworks Arts Award. (click here to read more)

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Soprano, Nicole Ross in The Blind Women (by James Rolfe)

Opera McGill is collaborating with Tapestry Opera to present a live stream of modern Mini Operas by living Canadian composers on November 27th/28th at 7pm EST. Talent Trust recipient, Nicole Ross, is performing in The Blind Woman by James Rolfe. 

About Nicole:
21 year old Soprano, Nicole Ross has been praised for her “simple, unaffected acting and gorgeous vocal tone.” Originally from Nova Scotia, Nicole is a 4th year student at Schulich School of Music, where she studies under the tutelage of Joanne Kolomyjec. She has been recognized for performances at the Classical Singer Competition, where she placed third in the University Intermediate Category, and at the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals National Music Festival where she placed second in the Voice category. 

Nicole’s opera credits include Suzanne in Opera McGill’s Horizons Project Production of Schubert’s La Croisade des Dames, and Grace Davis in Opera McGill’s production of Kurt Weill’s Street Scene. She is looking forward to playing Flora in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw with Opera McGill and taking part in an Emerging Artist Residency at the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance this spring. 

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Special Presentation: Lala Lee and David Liam Roberts performance

As part of the Cecilia Concerts (Halifax's Chamber Music Series) Talent Trust recipient Lala Lee will be performing with David Liam Roberts on Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 7p.m. and 9p.m.

There is a waitlist for the 7p.m. show, the 9p.m. show still has availability and tickets can be purchased here.

About the performance (from Cecilia Concerts website):

David Liam Roberts, cello; LaLa Lee, piano

For the third evening of our 32nd season, we welcome pianist LaLa Lee and cellist David Liam Roberts to our stage in the Lilian Piercey Concert Hall for a riveting program of works that includes Luigi Bocceherini’s challenging Cello Sonata in A major, G. 4, Robert Schumann’s simple but boldly expressive Five Pieces in Folk Style, and Frédéric Chopin's dazzling Introduction and Polonaise brillante in C major, Op. 3. The pair will also perform Christos Hatzis’ coaxing and dramatic Atonement, which impressively fuses tango, jazz elements, and a Jewish theme, as well as Swiss-born composer Ernest Bloch’s From Jewish Life: Prayer, a work that captures the complex, ardent Jewish spirit and soul. Known for his extraordinary technique and sincerely communicative performances, Métis cellist David Liam Roberts is quickly establishing himself as one of the most exciting Canadian cellists of his generation. A local audience favorite, pianist LaLa Lee has delighted audiences worldwide as well with solo, chamber, and orchestral performances. Both artists have been featured on CBC Music’s list of Canada’s “30 Hot Classical Musicians under 30”.

Lala is a two-time winner of the Tietje Zonneveld Award, which recognizes excellence in piano. And the 2019 winner of the The Lieutenant Governor’s Award.

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Devin Huang: November 18th Music Room Chamber Players Series

As part of the Music Room Chamber Players Series Talent Trust Recipient, Devin Huang will be performing on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 5:30pm and 7:30pm at The Peggy Corkum Music Room, Halifax. While the live performance is sold out, the performance will be livestreamed.

About Devin:

Pianist Devin Huang was just named one of the CBC’s “30 hot classical musicians under 30” for 2020.  

Other achievements of Devin's include, but are not limited to, the Presidents' Cup Award from the Nova Scotia Kiwanis Festival, the Maureen Hopkins Memorial Rose Bowl, Halifax Ladies Musical Club Award, the 2019 Peggy Corkum/Musique Royale Legacy Award and the first winner of the Gordan Murray Rising Star Award.

Devin consistently places first in the Canadian Music Competition finals.

Devin studies with Lynn Stodola, who teaches young gifted pianists after retiring from a distinguished career with the Fountain School of Performing Arts at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

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Landscapes Today Art Exhibit

Opening November 7, 2020 The Grace Jollymore Joyce Centre group show, Landscape Today, will feature former Talent Trust recipient Don Pentz and other well known artists.

About the show:

Seven contemporary landscape artists, seven very different styles.

Throughout November The Ice House Gallery is thrilled to present the work of Don Pentz, Ron Kuwahara, Mariette Roodenburg, Susan Tooke, Shelley Mansel, Kristina Sobstad and Dennis Austin Reid.

Also showing, wood turnings by Peter Kinsella

About Don Pentz (from his website):

Don studied at Mt. Allison University (BFA _ '66), the Univ. of Regina (MFA _ '79) and the Banff School of Fine Arts. His work has been exhibited throughout Canada and in the United States, England, Japan, France, and Cuba. In 1976 he was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy (RCA) and to the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (CSPWC) in 2002. In 2007 he was inducted into the Visual Arts Nova Scotia Honour Roll. He is a member of the Canadian Artists' Representation (CAR) and is a founding member of VANS and of the Peer Gallery in Lunenburg, N.S. As well as being a painter of abstract images, Pentz also enjoys doing small watercolour sketches on location.

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