Thank you Kenneth Elloway and the Elloway Family

We're grateful to Kenneth Elloway's family for creating and sustaining this fantastic and generous special award since 2007. 

The Kenneth Elloway Award, named for musician, composer and conductor, Kenneth A. Elloway, will be awarded, if merited, to a recipient who shows exceptional commitment and potential in classical orchestral conducting or composition; choral music conducting or composition; classical vocal or instrumental performance. The $1,000 award is funded by the Elloway family.

About Kenneth:

Kenneth Albert Elloway was born in the town of Weymouth, Dorset, on England’s south coast, in 1916.  He married Eva in 1939 at the start of World War II. They would have two children, Mary and Kenneth, and one granddaughter, Tina.

At the age of 16 or 17, he joined the British Army as a band boy. After a number of years, the Army sent him to its own school of music at Kneller Hall - the Royal College of Music. There his classes consisted of music theory, conducting, composing and arranging, etc. After graduation, he was entitled to put the letters A.R.C.M. (Associate of the Royal College of Music) after his rank and name. Eventually, he was posted as second in command to the elite Royal Artillery Band, stationed in Woolwich, just outside of London.

In 1955, Mr. Elloway resigned from the British army one day and enlisted in the Canadian Army the next to become bandmaster of the Royal Canadian Artillery band - joining them in March  while they were stationed temporarily in Germany. In October, 1955, the band returned to Halifax. Kenneth and Eva Elloway and their two children sailed with them, immigrating to Canada through Pier 21.

From then on, Mr. Elloway was always involved in the local music scene:  playing double bass with the Halifax Symphony; conducting the CBC Orchestra on radio; acting as associate conductor of the Halifax Symphony; adjudicating at various competitions. During all this time, he remained true to his Salvation Army roots and was also bandmaster of the Halifax Citadel Corps Band for many years.

He was Director of the Maritime Conservatory of Music for 10 years; director of the Dartmouth Choral Society for a number of years until 1980; and he was the founding conductor, in 1975, of the Chebucto Orchestra.

After his retirement from the Army in the mid-1960s, he taught music in the  City of Dartmouth school system. He was assistant Director of Music, and became Director a year or two before he died in September, 1980.

"The Elloway family has been proud to support my father’s award. I intend to continue supporting it as long as possible. The NSTT is a wonderful organization. It is heartwarming to see so many young people from all the arts given encouragement and support", states his daughter Mary (Elloway) Olsen 

Past Kenneth Elloway Award recipients:

• Ross MacIntosh (brass instrument) 2021
• Taylor MacGillivray (composition) 2020
• Jessica MacIssac (composition) 2019
• Jessica MacIssac (composition) 2018
• Thomas Burton (conducting) 2017
• Eszther Horwath (conducting) 2016
• Adam Clarke (composition) 2015
• Julia Millett 2014
• Jenna Richards (piano) 2013
• Evan Mounce 2012
• Shawn Potter 2011
• Marielle Groven (composition) 2010
• Cy Giacomin 2009
• Angela Miller 2008
• Margaret Fay 2007
  

Thank you!

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Taylor MacGillivray: Music brings us together

Many thanks to Talent Trust recipient Taylor MacGillivray for taking the time to share about what her art means to her, her mentors, and more!

You can learn more about Taylor on website and her Youtube channel.

What does receiving a Talent Trust scholarship mean to you? 

Receiving a Talent Trust Scholarship means so much to myself and my art. I’m extremely grateful to have the support of this organization, as I, otherwise, wouldn’t be able to pursue my studies to the extent that I have. I’m extremely grateful to the founders, the board members and the jury members who volunteer their time to support Nova Scotian arts and artists!

What quote best describes your commitment to your art? Why?

If I could quote an entire TED talk, I would; but, for the sake of brevity: Benjamin Zander’s The Transformative Power of Classical Music is everything I aspire to with my music. In this talk he says: “I have a definition of success. For me, it's very simple. It's not about wealth and fame and power. It's about how many shining eyes I have around me.”

The joy of music is that we can come together to create something beautiful, that we can share in an experience, and that we can build community. This transcends the realm of classical music. It could be a community orchestra, a school musical, a garage band, a kitchen party, or even a campfire sing-a-long -- all things we miss dearly, but that we will eventually be able to come back to. Music brings us together. It inspires connection. It brings us delight. 

My commitment to music is one based in fostering connection. I write pieces which aim to bring the composer, the performer(s) and the audience together, collaboratively, to explore what we can create.

Who are your mentors and how have they influenced your art/career?

I am fortunate to say that I’ve had many wonderful mentors during my musical journey. The first is my high school band teacher, Nathan Beeler. The school band program was foundational to my understanding of music-- and to some degree, life. Without his support and encouragement I would not have pursued music beyond the band program. With the joy that music brings to my life, I’m extremely grateful that he encouraged me to follow my passions!

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my composition professors. Jerome Blais, my first composition teacher, encouraged experimentation: an essential element of the compositional process. With the exploration, he also taught simplification, the ability to communicate your ideas clearly; to both the performer and the audience.

Another one of my mentors is Peter Togni, another amazing composition teacher. Peter taught me about the human side of composition. About being an artist in today’s day-in-age, and about writing music with beauty and compassion.

Teaching and mentorship is a fundamental part of the arts. I’m incredibly thankful that these people are willing to dedicate their time to helping foster young artists and talent. 

What has been your biggest accomplishment to date?

Currently, my biggest accomplishment is having my composition Radix, performed by Symphony Nova Scotia. This was a piece I wrote for my friend and percussionist, Noah Garnier for a concerto competition. This piece is the longest and largest I’ve undertaken, and was, therefore, quite daunting to write. I was honoured when the Symphony offered to perform it at some of their community outreach concerts last January! 

What program/s are you doing this summer and how have they helped grow your practice?

Last summer, I participated in two programs: The first was the Tuckamore Young Composer Program.This program runs in conjunction with the Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival. Due to the pandemic, it was adapted and held in a virtual format. This program was quite rewarding as we got to meet weekly with the director, Andrew Staniland, as well as the other composers, and discuss all things related to composition. It’s always helpful to discuss your craft with others, as you can learn so much from their experiences and help trouble-shoot your own process, particularly in a domain as isolated as composition, and particularly during a pandemic!

At the end of the program, my piece was premiered virtually by pianist Patrick Cashin. The piece is titled A Trilogy of Curses, Interesting Times, and a recording of the performance can be found on my Youtube page. 

The second program I attended was the Lunenburg Academy of Musical Performance’s (LAMP) Composition Academy. This program was held in-person (with strict safety protocols in place), and was two weeks of masterclasses with composers, masterclasses with performers, composition, rehearsals and at the end, a concert! I learned so much from this program. It has really informed the way I approach the creation of a composition and the way that composition will be interpreted by performers and the audience. 

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