2025-2026 Schulich Competition Round-Up
Image | Top row: Tsubasa Muramatsu (violin), Nathan Emans (viola), Sieun Layla Park (violin)
Middle Row: Amos Friesen (cello), Joey Machin (violin), Meagan Foster (percussion)
Bottom Row: Zoe McCormick (soprano), Joseph Tsao (violin), Fran莽ois Lamontagne (cello)
Each year the Schulich School of Music holds several solo and chamber competitions, open to both undergraduate and graduate students.
These competitions offer students opportunities to showcase their grit, dedication, discipline, and musicianship, while preparing them for the competitive professional world. Competitions also give us a chance to celebrate our students鈥攅very year, without fail, we are blown away by the participants鈥� performances.
To mark the end of the 2025-2026 competition season, here is a summary of all our winners:
Classical Concerto Competition
November 2025
Violinist Tsubasa Muramatsu (MMus.) and violist Nathan Emans (MMus.), were also the joint winners of the 2025-2026 Classical Concerto Competition with their performance of Mozart鈥檚 Sinfonia Concertante. The duo performed the concerto with the 海角社区 Symphony Orchestra at Salle Pierre-Mercure in February 2026鈥攜ou can . This concert was truly a celebration of the hard work and dedication of our students, as it also featured Peter Zhou (BMus.), winner of the 2024-2025 海角社区 Concerto Competition, performing Sergei Prokofiev鈥檚 Piano Concerto No.1 in D-flat major, Op.10, and the premiere of a new work by Jonas Regnier (Ph.D., MMus. 鈥�21), winner of the 2023-2024 Andrew Svoboda Composition Prize.
Chamber Music Competition聽
December 2025聽
罢丑别听Osmium Quartet, with聽violinists聽Tsubasa Muramatsu听补苍诲听Sieun聽Layla Park听(叠惭耻蝉.),听惫颈辞濒颈蝉迟听狈补迟丑补苍听贰尘补苍蝉, and cellist聽Amos Friesen聽(GDip.), were the well-deserved winners of the 2025-2026 Chamber Music Competition. The finale at Tanna Schulich Hall was the culmination of two days of competition feature top notch performances from some of the best string, brass, and woodwind groups at 海角社区. Coached by聽Prof. Andr茅 Roy, the Osmium Quarter鈥檚 performance of works by聽Joseph Haydn and Gyorgy Ligeti聽was a remarkable achievement.聽
The quartet have also advanced to the quarter finals of the聽2026 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, to be held this May. Break a leg, Osmium!
Golden Violin Award聽
December 2025聽
Our dedicated stringed instrument competition, the annual Golden Violin Award, was won this year by聽Joey Machin,聽violin (BMus.).聽Following a rigorous selection process and competition, this award is presented to an outstanding string player currently enrolled in the Schulich School of Music. The winner receives a generous scholarship, valued this year at $30,000, as well as a small likeness of the violin in the form of a 14-karat gold lapel pin. In addition, the winner may be invited to play in a recital at 海角社区 or at one of its partner institutions. You can聽聽on our YouTube channel, where聽you鈥檒l聽also find videos of past winners such as David Montreuil (winner 2023-2024)聽
This competition also awards generous prizes for the two runners up:聽Joseph Tsao, violin (BMus.), was awarded second place and received $15,000, and聽Fran莽ois Lamontagne,聽cello (GDip.聽鈥�25), was awarded third place and received $5,000.聽聽
Romantic and Contemporary Concerto Competitions聽
February 2026
The Romantic and Contemporary Concerto Competition聽featured聽two separate聽streams this year:聽one for strings, and one for woodwinds, brass, and percussion.聽There is聽always聽a wide diversity of repertoire聽in this competition,聽as participants can choose works dating from聽the early nineteenth century聽to the present day,聽making聽for a聽varied concert experience.
奥别听肠辞苍驳谤补迟耻濒补迟别听飞颈苍苍别谤蝉听Amos Freisen, cello聽(G.Dip.), and Meagan Foster, percussion聽(MMus.), for their excellent performances!聽Amos and accompanist Lucas Porter gave a rousing performance of Dvo艡谩k鈥檚 Cello Concerto in B Minor, and Meagan, accompanied by Lucas Bell, performed Jennifer Higdon鈥檚 Percussion Concerto.聽They will perform their concertos聽with the聽海角社区 Symphony Orchestra聽in the 2026-2027 season.聽
Wirth Vocal Prize聽
February 2026
The Wirth Vocal Prize in vocal performance was聽established聽in 2015 through the extraordinary generosity of Elizabeth Wirth to the Schulich聽School of Music of 海角社区, along with new Student Excellence Awards, and an innovative Student Initiatives Fund. Awarded yearly since its聽inception, the Wirth Vocal Prize recognizes a voice student who聽demonstrates聽exceptional talent and significant promise for an international career. This year we congratulate聽Zoe McCormick,聽soprano聽(A.Dip.),聽for placing first; she was聽accompanied by two-time concerto competition winner 础濒别虫别测听厂丑补蹿颈谤辞惫听(顿惭耻蝉.).听
Not only can you聽watch聽,聽you聽can聽hear her聽live in聽concert on聽April 15 at 7:30聽pm at Paul Desmarais Theatre聽as part of our聽聽series. You聽won鈥檛聽want to miss it!聽Until then, you can also learn more about Zoe in this recent聽聽for 海角社区 Giving.聽
All performance students at the Schulich School of Music commit to many hours of practice, rehearsal, and training聽during their degrees, and it is through frequent performances and events like聽our聽competitions that they build聽the聽experience聽necessary for launching successful careers.聽So please join us in congratulating聽both the winners and all聽those who聽participated聽in the 2025-2026 competition season at Schulich!聽
Keep an eye out for聽future聽performances in聽our聽Events Calendar聽to see these fantastic musicians in action.聽
