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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