Tenor Marcel d'Entremont Wins Prestigious Wirth Vocal Prize

Marcel d'Entremont wins 2018-19
Wirth Vocal Prize

Congratulations to tenor Marcel d'Entremont, who has won McGill University’s 2018-2019 Wirth Vocal Prize.

The Prize recognizes a voice student who demonstrates exceptional talent and significant promise for an international career.

Marcel performed on November 25 with the other three finalists as part of the final round of competition. 

His musical collaborator was pianist and Talent Trust music scholarship recipient Dakota Scott-Digout, who also studies at McGill.

Marcel is a Talent Trust voice scholarship recipient who won the Talent Trust Portia White award in 2013.

Originally from Merigomish, Nova Scotia, Marcel is in Montréal to complete a Graduate Diploma in Performance.

In addition to his Talent Trust scholarship and Portia White Award, Marcel won the Hal Leonard International Vocal Competition and placed first in the Atlantic Young Artist Competition. 

In 2014 he represented Nova Scotia at the National Music Festival of Canada, where he placed first in the vocal division and won the grand award for overall best performer. 

Marcel has performed across Canada, singing the roles of Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Opera McGill, Il Podesta in La Finta Giardiniera with Opera Nova Scotia, and Rodolfo in La Boheme with Opera Saskatoon. 

He toured with Jeunesses Musicales du Canada as the title role in Gounod’s Romeo and Juliette as well as Alfredo in La Traviata.

Established in 2015 and awarded annually, the Wirth Vocal Prize brings the winner a $25,000 cash prize and a 14-karat Wirth Prize lapel pin. 

As part of the Wirth Prize win, Marcel is also scheduled to perform at La Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur on April 25, 2019.

Julia Barkhouse Plays Alice in Coastal Dance Theatre's Alice in Winterland

Julia Barkhouse in rehearsal for Alice in Winterland. 

Julia Barkhouse plays Alice in Coastal Dance Theatre's Alice in Winterland this weekend at Alderney Landing Theatre.

Julia is one of our newest emerging artists. She received a Talent Trust dance scholarship this year. She'll perform in both Saturday performances of Alice.

Alice in Winterland is created by Coastal Dance Artistic Director Micaela Archer-Shee, who is also a Talent Trust scholarship recipient and an alumna of Halifax Dance and École supérieure de ballet du Québec. 

The ballet follows Alice down the rabbit hole. It's the classic Alice we all know and love, with a wintry twist.

Showtimes
Friday, November 30 - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 1 - 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 2 - 2:00 p.m.

Tickets
In person: Alderney Landing box office
Online: TicketPro

November 27 is GivingTuesday, A Global Day of Giving. Here's How to Take Part

If you're uninspired by Black Friday or uninterested in Cyber Monday, today is a welcome change of pace. 

Or if you love those days and want to give back after shopping, today is an added bonus.

Today is a day to celebrate generosity.

GivingTuesday is a global day of giving. It's a day when you can make a significant impact with your passion for the arts.

There are a number of ways you can be part of GivingTuesday:

• Consider making a gift today at CanadaHelps.org (direct link to our donation page).
• Help us get the word out on social media, using @nstalenttrust and the hashtags #GivingTuesday and #NSGives.
• Be a social media ambassador and share our Facebook page posts with your network today.
• Take photos and tell your network why you love the Talent Trust and post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with #NSGives and #GivingTuesday.
• Or simply do something kind for someone.
• Is there a local artist whose work you admire? An artist you follow on social media, who might not be famous? Tell them how much you like their work.

Here's an infographic from Nova Scotia Gives to show some of the impact of GivingTuesday 2017. 

Thank you for joining us on GivingTuesday!

Holiday Favourite The Nutcracker Returns with Talent Trust Dance Scholarship Recipients in the Cast

Scene from The Nutcracker. This year's holiday favourite runs December 7-16 at the Rebecca Cohn in Halifax.

Holiday favourite The Nutcracker returns to the stage in Halifax December 7-16, with a number of Talent Trust dance scholarship recipients in the cast: Anais Grant Church, Ellery Jackson, Vivian Macnab, Alexis Milligan, Maggie Oates-Johnson, and Mollie Oates-Johnson.

Leica Hardy, who has taught many Talent Trust scholarship recipients through the Leica Hardy School of Dance, celebrates her 28th year as the director/choreographer.

Symphony Nova Scotia, in partnership with Halifax Dance and Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, presents the magical tale, which features larger-than-life puppets, spirited dancing, and the beloved music of Tchaikovsky.

Details
Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
December 7-16, 2018

Tickets
$15 and up (student/child)
$30 and up (adult)

Showtimes vary, with evening and afternoon performances. For more information and tickets, visit the Symphony Nova Scotia website.

Eszter Horvath Sings in Helios Vocal Ensemble Concert An Illuminated Christmas

Soprano Eszter Horvath

Eszter Horvath and her Helios Vocal Ensemble colleagues Elisabeth Stones, Andrew Pickett, Garth MacPhee, and John Mark Dawson present “An Illuminated Christmas” at Saint George’s Round Church on December 2.

Eszter received a Talent Trust scholarship in 2016 to assist with her studies in conducting. 

She holds a Bachelor of Music from Dalhousie University and is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Toronto. She's a soprano who is equally skilled in orchestral and choral conducting. 

Eszter is the past president of the Early Music Society of Nova Scotia (EMSNS), and was the interim music director at the Cathedral Church of All Saints in 2015–15, and at St. George’s Round Church in 2010–11. 

She was associate conductor of the Nova Scotia Youth Choir in 2013 and 2014, and directs the the EMSNS Madrigal Group, which she founded in 2012. She was music director for Cosi fan tutte at the Halifax Summer Opera Festival in 2016. 

“An Illuminated Christmas” is Helios Vocal Ensemble’s fourth annual Christmas concert.

The evening will feature Renaissance polyphony by Sweelinck, Gabrieli, Mouton, des Prez, Byrd, and others, as well as ancient and modern carols.

Concert details:
December 2, 
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

St. George’s Round Church
2222 Brunswick St., Halifax

Admission is by donation.

Visit the Facebook event page for further information.

Sara Coffin in Public Showing of Next Wave presented by Mocean Dance, December 1-2

Sara Coffin is in Next Wave. Mocean Dance photo by Michelle Doucette.

Sara Coffin, Susanne Chui, Jessica Lowe, Julie Robert, Liliona Quarmyne, Anastasia Wiebe, and Lydia Zimmer will be joined by special guests for a public showing of Next Wave.

Presented by Mocean Dance, Next Wave is a new creative incubator program for contemporary dance artists. 

Sara Coffin. Photo: Joshua Sugiyama.

Sara Coffin received a Talent Trust scholarship to support her studies in dance. 

She’s been Co-Artistic Director of Mocean Dance since 2011, and recently received a 2018 Arts Nova Scotia Established Artist Recognition Award, which recognizes professional mid-career artists.

Mocean Dance is a Halifax-based contemporary dance company that creates new work rooted in collaborative process, stretches physical & emotional boundaries and finds authenticity.

In Next Wave, seven of Halifax’s next wave of dance artists will share their creative practices and explore new ideas and working methods in emergent and generative ways toward the creation of new works. 

Next Wave provides a framework for collaboration, experimentation, dialogue, peer learning and support. These two events open the process for public view.

Event details:
Decebmer 1 - 8:00 p.m.
December 2 - 3:00 p.m.

DANSpace
1531 Grafton Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2B9

Tickets available at the door:
$20/$15 students, seniors, artists 
Kids under 12 by donation

For event updates, watch the Next Wave Facebook event page.

You Can Make GivingTuesday a Day for Emerging Nova Scotian Artists

After the hype of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, GivingTuesday is a time to celebrate and encourage activities that support charities and non profits.

Whether it’s making a donation, volunteering time, helping a neighbour or spreading the word, GivingTuesday is a movement for everyone who wants to give something back.

Donate at CanadaHelps

November 27 is GivingTuesday — a day you can make a big impact by helping talented Nova Scotia artists pursue their art education.

With your help, we’ll raise funds for the Talent Trust scholarship fund to make an even bigger difference in the lives of emerging artists of all disciplines.

Here are a few simple ways you can take part:

• Make a gift to the Talent Trust scholarship fund on #GivingTuesdayCa at CanadaHelps.org (direct link to our donation page).
• Help us get the word out on social media: mention @nstalenttrust and use the hashtags #GivingTuesdayCa and #NSGives.
• Take a photo or video and tell your followers why you love the Talent Trust. Post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with #NSGives and #GivingTuesdayCa.
• Do something kind for another person.

We believe in the creativity of Nova Scotians. Thank you for joining us on GivingTuesday.

CLICK TO DONATE NOW. THANK YOU!