Talent Trust Welcomes New Executive Director Andrea Urquhart

 

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Andrea Urquhart was selected as the new Executive Director for Nova Scotia Talent Trust. “Andrea joined our team on January 10, 2022, and we could not be more excited and grateful for her devotion to leading our organization.” - Victoria Hines, Acting Chair, Nova Scotia Talent Trust.  Andrea joins NSTT with over ten years of experience in charity and non-profit management. Her knowledge and expertise in sponsorship, fundraising and strategic planning will support NSTT’s mission to expand its capacity to offer financial support to Nova Scotia’s emerging artists.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Nova Scotia Talent Trust and looking forward to leading this amazing organization to meet and exceed its goals for growth. I feel deeply connected to the Arts, having studied piano through the Royal Conservatory of Music in my younger years and seeing my sister develop and grow her career as a professional artist in the fields of Visual Arts and Theatre. Having worked in the non-profit sector

throughout my entire career, I understand the challenges and barriers that can prevent emerging artists from pursuing their dreams. Support from an organization such as NSTT not only provides a level of financial relief but also a vote of confidence that can make all the difference in an artist’s path to success. I believe that the pandemic challenges of the past two years have emphasized the significance of Arts and Culture in all of our lives. Supporting the creativity of Nova Scotians is more important now than ever. Thank you to Jacqueline and the Board of Directors for the warm welcome, and I look forward to connecting with the NSTT community in the near future,” states Andrea Urquhart, Executive Director NSTT Please join us in giving Andrea Urquhart a warm welcome! Want to hear more about the Talent Trust? Please sign up for our newsletter. Want to support the next generation of Nova Scotian artists? Donate today! (smile)

Welcome Ninette Babineau as a Talent Trust Honorary Lifetime Director

Today, we acknowledge Ninette Babineau. 

Music has been her life and many of you know her through her work as an arts education consultant, musician, adjudicator, clinician, teacher, mentor and performer. And some of you might have even had violin lessons with her. Ninette Babineau’s career has spanned over five decades. Her résumé is a long list of accomplishments, experiences, and impressive affiliations.

What many of you might not know is that Ninette Babineau was a Talent Trust board member for many years and helped shape the Talent Trust. Since stepping down from the Talent Trust she has been one of our leading donors and supporters.

We honoured Ninette at the 2021 Special Awards Ceremony in December by adding her officially back into the Talent Trust family as an Honorary Lifetime Director. 

Thank you, Ninette!

“Through varying roles, I have enjoyed a long association with the Nova Scotia Talent Trust and have watched with delight as it has developed into a significant support organization for our young and emerging artists.  The range of fields of endeavour has continued to expand to meet the demands of the continuing and changing world of today’s artist.

We enjoy the presence of hard working and talented young people in this province who are contributing to the cultural life of their respective communities.  Many are preparing for a life in the arts under the guidance of dedicated teachers and mentors. They deserve our support.

I am pleased and honoured to have been invited to join the Talent Trust Board once again." States Ninette Babineau.

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Want to support the next generation of Nova Scotian artists? Donate today! (smile)

Invitation to the 2021 Special Awards Ceremony December 12, at 2 p.m. (AST)

 

Join us on 

Sunday, December 12, 2021

2:00 - 3:15 p.m. (AST)

on our Facebook page at 

facebook.com/nstalenttrust

For everyone that has no access to Facebook, the Awards Ceremony will also stream on our YouTube channel

Youtube.com/nstalenttrust

We will recognize our 2021 Scholarship and Special Awards recipients at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 12, 2021, online in a ceremony with video greetings by The Honourable Arthur J. LeBlanc, ONS, QC, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia and Honorary Chair of the NSTT.

We are proud to present a new award. The Nova Scotia Talent Trust and RBC Foundation are collaborating to launch the RBC Emerging BIPOC Artist Award. This new $2,500 Special Award will be presented annually to a Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color who shows exceptional commitment and professional potential as an artist. Preference will be given to emerging artists in the areas of film, visual arts and music.

Janissa Browne, RBC Branch Manager, will bring greetings and announce the award winner.

You will hear from all eighteen Special Award winners where they are studying and how they have adjusted to their new realities. The performances will make you smile and uplift your heart. 

J.P. Deveau, Chair 2011 Canada Games Board, will bring his greetings and remind us of the fantastic legacy the 2011 Canada Games have created with the two 2011 Canada Games Young Artist of Excellence Awards of $10,000 each. Join us to find out who the winning artists are.

Amani, aka Anne-Marie Woods, will lead you through the program as our Emcee. She is the 2013 Winner of the BBPA Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in Entertainment, the Bob Marley Day Award and an East Coast Music Award. She is a Creative Consultant and multi-disciplinary artist known for her spoken word, arts education outreach, producing, directing, and plays. Amani is a proud Nova Scotia Talent Trust Alumna.

Andrew Terris, videographer and long-time supporter of the Talent Trust, brought all the pieces beautifully together for your enjoyment.

Music Side by Each composed and performed by Ellen Gibling. Ellen is an established harpist, sought after harp instructor, and a former scholarship recipient.

Please join us from the safety of your home to celebrate 

these talented Nova Scotian artists and their achievements.

facebook.com/nstalenttrust

or

Youtube.com/nstalenttrust

If you're early, you might have to refresh the page on 

December 12, at 2 p.m. AST, to see it when it starts.

If you have a Facebook account, please let us know in the comments under the ceremony video that you're present and tag your friends so that they can watch with you.

The 18 Special Award winners were chosen from a field of 55 scholarship recipients from across the province representing the artistic disciplines of music, literary arts, visual arts, film, dance, circus arts, and theatre.

For the last 77 years, the NSTT has continued to support emerging Nova Scotian artists as they pursue their studies towards the ultimate goal of establishing professional careers in the arts.

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Want to support the next generation of Nova Scotia artists? Donate today!

RBC Foundation creates new RBC Emerging BIPOC Artist Award

RBC Foundation and Nova Scotia Talent Trust are collaborating to launch the new RBC Emerging BIPOC Artist Award.

The new $2,500 Special Award will be presented annually to a Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color who shows exceptional commitment and professional potential as an artist. Preference will be given to emerging artists in the areas of film, visual arts and music. The 2021 award winner will be announced at the virtual Special Awards Ceremony on December 12, at 2 p.m. 

“The arts play a critical role in building vibrant communities and strong economies. But despite their incredibly hard work, many artists – and especially those from BIPOC communities – find it hard to reach broader, diverse audiences, which can sometimes hold back their careers,” said Michelle Clare, Regional Vice President, RBC Metro Halifax. “That’s why we’re thrilled to partner with the Nova Scotia Talent Trust to support emerging artists as they advance on their career journey, with the goal of helping them receive national recognition.”

RBC’s $15,000 donation is divided among three initiatives: $2,500 to the new RBC Emerging BIPOC Artist Award, $2,500 to the existing RBC Emerging Artists Award and $10,000 to the Talent Trust Scholarship Program. 

“We are thrilled about the new RBC Emerging BIPOC Artist Award – it is the first of its kind for the Talent Trust and something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. Not only will the support help the recipients lessen the monetary burden of their studies, but it also reaffirms their hard work to become established artists in their discipline. We thank RBC Foundation for their continued support and for believing in our Nova Scotia artists,” states NSTT Executive Director Jacqueline Steudler. 

The Talent Trust and RBC Foundation’s partnership dates back to 1944 when the Talent Trust was founded. RBC has supported the Talent Trust scholarship program since 2009 and established its first Emerging Artists Program with the Talent Trust in 2012.

The RBC Emerging BIPOC Artist Award and RBC Emerging Artist Award will be given to Talent Trust scholarship recipients of that given year, selected by the Scholarship Selection Committee comprised of twelve professional artists.


About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 88,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank, and one of the largest in the world based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.‎

About Nova Scotia Talent Trust
Since 1944, the Talent Trust has provided more than $2 million to over 1,000 Nova Scotians, primarily young people, who have demonstrated talent and potential to become professional artists in theatre, dance, fine craft and design, music, circus arts, media, film, literary, and visual arts. There is no other comparable organization in the country. In 2019, the Talent Trust celebrated its 75th anniversary year featuring former scholarship recipients with a travelling art exhibition, pop-up events in theatre, music, dance, film screenings and more.  

Want to hear more about the Talent Trust? Please sign up for our newsletter.

 

Want to support the next generation of Nova Scotian artists? Donate today!  (smile)

Meet K.R. Byggdin 2021 Talent Trust Ambassador

You might wonder how the scholarship recipients are coping with the changed study situation. You'll be amazed to see how they continue to train, study, practice, exercise with online courses or self-study programs that they invented for themselves. They are dedicated to their craft.

One of the artists who are training from their home's safety is creative fiction writer K.R. Byggdin. K.R. is our 2021 Talent Trust Ambassador. At this time, they are enrolled as a full-time student at Dalhousie University. K.R. wrote the following about their studying experience during a pandemic and the impact that your support makes.

Here is what K.R. Byggdin told us about the last year and what the Talent Trust scholarship made possible: 

"Studying the arts in the midst of a global pandemic is a unique and, at times, stressful experience. 

My Nova Scotia Talent Trust scholarship helped ease my financial worries to focus on honing my creative writing

practice entirely. 

The artist’s life can be a lonely one in these socially distanced times, and I appreciate the many ways NSTT supports and spotlights their scholarship recipients. 

These efforts are crucial in reminding artists that we are connected to communities that welcome and celebrate our contributions. 

It’s encouraging to know there are many people out there who want to see emerging artists such as myself succeed.

 

As a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, I believe it’s so important that every Nova Scotian feels represented and reflected in our province’s arts scene. The NSTT’s scholarship program is one meaningful way we can ensure that artists from a diversity of backgrounds have the chance to share their amazing work with the world for decades to come. 

Thank you again for investing in this vibrant artistic future. I’m grateful for the support of donors like you.

Sincerely,

K.R. Byggdin

they/them"

You can follow K.R. Byggdin create on their Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/krbyggdin or read more about their upcoming writing projects on their website at https://krbyggdin.com/writing/

Please consider to donate to the Talent Trust in 2021. 

All donations are 100% applied to scholarships and named awards.

We will issue tax-deductible donation receipts for all amounts.

You can donate by cheque, e-transferor online with your credit card at nstalenttrust.ca

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Andre Haines: 30 years of contribution to the arts in NS

Photo credit: Chris Green

Congratulations to visual artist and former Talent Trust scholarship recipient Andre Haines for being recognized by the Nova Scotia House of Assembly for over '30 years of contributing to the arts sector in Nova Scotia and helping to teach the next generation of artists and musicians'. What a wonderful achievement! 

About Andre:

In 1985, after attending Mount Allison U, and Acadia U as a student of music (oboe), theatre and fine arts, I received a NSTT scholarship to follow my artistic passions further. I had become more interested in performing in musicals and needed money to go to AMDA in NYC to study with the best in the business. My musical theatre teacher was the first female conductor on Broadway. I spent many years performing, directing and composing for stage, film and television. I taught at Acadia U for 4 years, and the MCPA as well as running my own vocal studio.As time progressed I developed more passion for visual arts and that grew into a parallel career. Now I am a full time painter and continue my artistic journey. NSTT gave me the opportunity to work with brilliant people and set me on a course for a life time working prolifically in the arts.

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Want to support the next generation of Nova Scotian artists? Donate today! (smile)

Cheers to 77 years! Happy Birthday Talent Trust

Sunday, May 2nd was the Talent Trust's 77th birthday!!!

Thank you for celebrating with us a legacy that keeps giving. 

Internationally recognized in her day and now revered as part of Canadian heritage, Portia White’s legacy is infused with many meanings. For the Nova Scotia Talent Trust, which celebrates 77 years of supporting aspiring artists of all disciplines on May 2, Portia White represents its catalyst. 

In 1944, members of the Halifax Ladies Club, along with voice teacher Dr. Ernesto Vinci, successfully advocated the city of Halifax and the province of Nova Scotia for unparalleled financial support towards her studies in New York. Portia White ascended to become one of the best singers of the 20th century. The Talent Trust, with the help of the Dalhousie Music in Medicine HEALS Program, supports her legacy through the Portia White Award for a Nova Scotia voice student.

The province recognized the difference their support made in Portia White’s career and founded the Nova Scotia Talent Trust on May 2, 1944, to help other deserving and talented Nova Scotians succeed. 

We celebrate our 77th anniversary after supporting over 1,000 Nova Scotian artists during their study years in theatre, music, film, literary arts, circus arts, dance and visual arts.

The scholarship recipients’ dedication to their craft and talent has been amplified during these challenging times. We are proud of their tenacity to continue their studies in a safe environment and excel in their achievements. 

Thank you for believing in the creativity of our Nova Scotian artists for the last 77 years.

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Want to support the next generation of Nova Scotian artists? Donate today! (smile)

Nicole Ross: Early memories and reflections of studying during challenging times

Many thanks to scholarship recipient Nicole
Ross for taking the time to share reflections on her memories, challenges and studying during a pandemic.

Instagram: @nicolealiceross
Website: nicolerosssoprano.com

What does receiving a Talent Trust scholarship mean to you?
It has been a huge honour to receive support from the Nova Scotia Talent Trust. This has been a tremendous help in supporting costs related to my final year of studies at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University.

What are your earliest memories of your art?
My earliest musical memory is from when I was about 5 years old and had just started taking piano lessons. I confess that at this age I was not too keen on practicing, so my first memory is of the elaborate ways I would “lose” my piano books when it was practice time. This makes me chuckle now because practice time has since become very special to me!

What has been your greatest challenge in relation to your art? Why?
For me the biggest challenge in music making has always been perfectionism. It can be very tricky for me to find the line between excellence and perfectionism, while also making room for creativity and expressivity.

Are there any unexpected positives that have come out of pandemic related to your art?
In a very big way, the pandemic has made me aware of all of the musical experiences I was taking for granted. Music, especially for singers, is so deeply rooted in collaboration. The first rehearsal I attended after many months of isolation was such a surreal experience. Even with many safety precautions in place, it was so moving to make music with others, and to hear their artistry happening, live, in the room. I wish I could bottle that feeling up and bring it into future rehearsals for inspiration.

How have you managed practicing your art during the pandemic?
It hasn’t been perfect, but I am amazed by the ways we’ve managed to safely rehearse and perform in these COVID times. At school I’ve been able to rehearse with my colleagues virtually or in small groups and then get together to film or live stream performances. I have been very fortunate to work on digital Opera Projects with Opera McGill in collaboration with Tapestry Opera. I’m also looking forward to performing the role of Flora in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw which will be live streamed by Opera McGill at the end of this month. In some ways, rehearsing virtually can be very advantageous because it allows us to collaborate with colleagues from far and wide. I recently had the opportunity to partake in Lucky Penny Opera’s 48-hour opera project, where I worked with Nova Scotian Composer and Pianist Edward Enman (Talent Trust scholarship recipient too) to create a short opera in 48 hours. We were able to create, record and film this piece fully remotely and not even in the same province, which would never have been possible before.

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Want to support the next generation of Nova Scotian artists? Donate today! (smile)

2021 Talent Trust Scholarship Application Deadlines Announced

We’re pleased to announce we are ready to receive new scholarship applications for 2021.

The deadline for scholarship applications for Spring/Summer studies is fast approaching!

The scholarship application process will again happen online.

We advise applicants to read the submission guidelines carefully and to submit applications early since there are a number of changes for film, music, visual arts, dance, circus arts, literary arts, and theatre this year.

Scholarship application deadlines are:

• Spring/Summer study: 5:00 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time (AST)
  March 1, 2021 (for studies between May 1 and August 31, 2021)

• Fall/Winter study: 5:00 p.m. Atlantic Daylight Saving Time (ADT)
  May 1, 2021 (for studies between September 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022)

For more information, visit nstalenttrust.ca or call the Talent Trust at (902) 492-6801.

Please help us spread the word: If you know a Nova Scotian student that is studying in the arts, let them know about this opportunity and our March 1 and May 1 deadlines.

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Want to support the next generation of Nova Scotian artists? Donate today! (smile)

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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Want to support the next generation of Nova Scotia artists? Donate today!

Nova Scotia Talent Trust Announces Sheila K. Piercey (Legacy) Award

Last year the arts community lost Sheila K. Piercey, an accomplished soprano, teacher, mentor, beloved aunt, and loyal friend to many. 

Piercey’s passion for singing, and commitment to aspiring artists, was evident during every stage of her life, from her time with the Canadian Opera Company to her instructor years at Dalhousie University and the years after as a supporter of the arts in Nova Scotia and Canada.

Sheila Piercey was so kind to leave a bequest in the amount of $20,000 to the Talent Trust. In consultation with Sheila’s family we decided to honour her legacy by creating a new special award for a voice student. 
 
The Sheila K. Piercey (Legacy) Award will be administered by the Nova Scotia Talent Trust and awarded for the first time at the annual Special Awards Ceremony in December 2020. The award winner will be chosen from among the pool of gifted voice recipients who have already received a Talent Trust scholarship for the current application year. 

“We are honoured to be able to continue Sheila Piercey’s legacy through this generous award towards voice studies. We thank Sheila Piercey for thinking of the Talent Trust and her family for their support and help in establishing the special award”, states Jacqueline Steudler, Executive Director NSTT.

The Sheila K. Piercey (Legacy) Award will be given to a Talent Trust scholarship music recipient who shows exceptional commitment and potential in the field of voice. The award is $2,000. Further donations towards the award can be made through the Talent Trust at nstalenttrust.ca

About Sheila K. Piercey (From her obituary: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/halifax-ns/sheila-piercey-8721089)

Sheila grew up in a lovely home built by her father on Dutch Village Road. She was an active, spirited, and vivacious child. She admitted on numerous occasions that she gave her parents a headache or two! These qualities and strength of will served her well for her entire life both on and off the stage.

She began singing at a very young age under the tutelage of her mother, but had varied interests and activities on her journey to Canadian opera icon. In her formative years, Sheila attended Halifax Ladies College, and toured with a ballet company and skating show. She attended Dalhousie University from 1951-1954 where she played on many sports teams, was a cheerleader and performed in multiple productions with the Dalhousie Glee and Dramatic Society and King’s College Dramatic and Choral Society.

This is when Sheila decided that her true calling was on the stage. After much success as a vocalist in Halifax studying with Leonard Mayoh, Sheila moved to Toronto in 1956 when she was offered a scholarship to study at the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto opera program.

With Ernesto Vinci as her mentor she blossomed into a professional soprano on the National stage joining the Canadian Opera Company in 1958. This relationship spanned 22 mainstage roles and 16 COC tours over 13 years. Sheila was considered a member of a group of COC pioneers whose touring made opera more accessible to audiences. Sheila often told entertaining stories of touring to such places as Alaska and the NWT and of life on a tour bus. Her interest in photography made her the unofficial photographer and historian of all her COC tours. In addition to performances with the COC Sheila sang regularly on the CBC and at the Banff Centre, Stratford Festival, Rainbow Stage and Charlottetown Festival Sheila retired from the COC and moved home to Nova Scotia in 1971. From 1977 to 1982, she taught voice at Dalhousie University and this is when her transition from singer to philanthropist began. A passion for helping young singers unlock their artistic potential was ignited and she became an avid supporter of the Performing Arts in Nova Scotia and Canada for the rest of her life.

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Want to support the next generation of Nova Scotian artists? Donate today!  (smile)

Evenings @ Government House with Ellen Gibling & India Gailey

Former Talent Trust Scholarship recipients, cellist India Gailey and harpist Ellen Gibling, are performing at Evenings @ Government House on 

Tuesday, October 6 from 7 - 8:30pm.

Note: It is important to read registration information and health and safety regulations as they pertain to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can find this information and more about the performance here.

There will also be a Facebook live stream at 

https://www.facebook.com/LtGovNS

India Gailey is a cellist, composer, and improviser. She draws from many eras and genres, often working with living composers, the standard/obscure contrast, and musicians outside of the Western classical tradition. She recently earned her Master of Music degree under the tutelage of Matt Haimovitz at McGill’s Schulich School of Music. Other recent doings include performing across Canada, The United States, and Germany; working with Philip Glass at Scotia Festival; holding a fellowship at Garth Newel Music Center in Virginia, and releasing her first solo album, Lucid. She is a member of the acclaimed environmental ensemble New Hermitage, whose fifth recording, Unearth, will be released this fall. India is the recipient of several awards, including five Nova Scotia Talent Trust Scholarships and the Yuh Lih and Marion Kuo Award for Instrumental Excellence (2017). (www.indiayeshe.com)

Ellen Gibling is a harpist based in K'jipuktuk/Halifax, Nova Scotia. With the support of the Nova Scotia Talent Trust, she studied classical harp performance at McGill University, going on to train with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and the World Youth Orchestra of Jeunesses Musicales. Recently, she spent a year abroad pursuing a masters degree in Irish Traditional Music Performance at the University of Limerick in Ireland. Ellen has enjoyed an active performing and teaching career on Canada's east coast over the past decade, working with local organizations and artists, including Mocean Dance, Symphony Nova Scotia, Jenn Grant, the Halifax Camerata Singers, and the Halifax Summer Opera Festival. She is a member of the traditional music ensembles Ragged Robin, Harpaflöjt, and Síle, as well as the improvisation quartet New Hermitage. Ellen teaches at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, and has also taught at Acadia University, the University of Limerick, and the Canadian International Summer Harp Institute. (www.ellengibling.ca)

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Want to support the next generation of Nova Scotian artists? Donate today!  (smile)

Jane Archibald and Abigail Sinclair: Live from LAMP

Talent Trust recipient and emerging artist, Abigail Sinclair has spent the last few weeks studying with soprano Jane Archibald, who is also a former Talent Trust recipient, at the Lunenbury Academy of Music Performances (LAMP).

From LAMP:
Enjoy a beautiful 20-minute program featuring singers Rhian Merritt, Abigail Sinclair and Emmanuel Solomon and pianist Ian Tomaz performing works by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Gabriel Fauré, John Duke, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Paolo Tosti. To begin, just click here.

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Want to support the next generation of Nova Scotian artists? Donate today!  (smile)

Nancy Dahn on Inspiring Arts Students

Thanks to former Talent Trust recipient Nancy Dahn (of Duo Concertante) for sharing her words of wisdom with emerging artists on how to further their practice! Video might not be visible on all devices.
___

For over twenty years, violinist Nancy Dahn, University Research Professor and fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, has built an international career in the acclaimed Canadian chamber ensemble Duo Concertante with pianist Timothy Steeves. After their first concert in 1997, the Halifax Chronicle-Herald called them “two packages of musical dynamite that would credit any stage on the planet.” Since then, their over 600 performances at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Roy Thompson Hall, and Shanghai City Theatre have become recognized internationally as passionate, subtle, and brilliant, and praised for “artistry, poetry, and impeccable technique” (La Scena Musicale) in “deeply integrated performances that flow naturally as if the music were being created on the spot” (Gramophone). 

Her twelve acclaimed Duo recordings include the complete Beethoven sonatas which received critical praise in German, Austrian, British and Canadian media and is featured almost weekly on CBC, and the 2017 ECMA winner J.S. Bach Sonatas for Violin and Keyboard. Of the Beethoven recording, Gramophone writes that Dahn and Steeves “do Atlantic Canada proud in this splendid new set” and refers to a “miracle of... knowledge and poetry.” Their recording of Murray Schafer’s Duo for Violin and Piano, which he composed for them, won the 2011 Juno Award for Classical Composition of the Year. 

Passionate advocates for new music, Dahn has created a lasting legacy through a relentless commissioning program, inspiring a total of 66 new works and original arrangements for violin and piano from Canada’s leading composers. The Duo’s CDs Wild Honey, Wild Bird and Incarnation consist entirely of commissioned Canadian works. CBC picked Incarnation as one of the top ten classical recordings of 2017; it also won the 2018 ECMA for Classical Recording of the Year. The Duo’s Christmas album Perfect Light won the ECMA for Classical Recording of the Year in 2019.

Her commitment to working with young musicians gave rise to the annual Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival, which the Duo founded in 2000. In addition to presenting world-renowned guest artists alongside emerging and well-known local talents, the festival offers an inspiring and intensive educational experience for over 20 young chamber musicians and composers. Through this chamber music festival, the Duo has introduced the highest musical standards to the province, developed free enrichment, outreach, and school touring programs and recruited excellent students to Memorial’s graduate programs. 

Throughout her years of artistic endeavours and achievements, Nancy Dahn has maintained a select studio of over 15 violinists at Memorial University. Hired in 1995 with only one string student enrolled at the university, Dahn now draws students from across North America; some have pursued graduate studies at such institutions as The Juilliard School and Manhattan School. She regularly gives masterclasses across Canada, the US and abroad. 

Duo Concertante’s artistic excellence and contributions throughout their 20-year career extend beyond superb musicianship in live performances and recordings to an intense commitment to reaching audiences, passionate advocacy for new music and a deep dedication to mentorship. She also curates and develops extra musical projects which focus on issues surrounding environment, social justice and history. In these regards, primarily through her work in the acclaimed ensemble Duo Concertante, Nancy has demonstrated an exceptional level of achievement as a researcher/performer, teacher and community leader.

For more information on Nancy Dahn and Duo Concertante visit:

www.duoconcertante.com

https://www.facebook.com/theduoconcertante/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm5_4aruYjlhDJwYhbkQRlg

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