Since 1958 the Canadian Music Competition (CMC) has been showcasing the very best in Canadian classical music. Divided up into age groups beginning with seven and under, students are selected from a Provincial round of competition to compete in the national competition that is being held in Quebec City this year.
On Sunday April 10, 2022 2:00pm at St. Andrew’s United Church at 255 Oak Street the Canadian Music Competition Manitoba Chapter will be holding a fundraising concert. The concert will feature some of the very talented students who are taking part in this year’s competition. The funds raised from this concert will be used to financially aid students who have been chosen to travel to the national finals.
The CMC has helped launch the careers of many, many Canadian musicians. Well known musicians, Angela Hewitt, Marc-Andre Hamelin, James Ehnes, and Janina Fiakowska all participated and won the competition. Closer to home, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Gwen Hoebig, and her husband pianist David Moroz have been prize winners in the competition, as well as iconic Winnipeg singers Tracy Dahl and Andriana Chuchman.
The cost of travelling to Quebec City has many expenses; there are hotel rooms, airfare, but also food, and the cost of bringing along an accompanist if the performer requires one. As President of the CMC Manitoba chapter Erica Schultz says, “The money from this particular concert will be equally divided amongst all the students who are chosen to go to the national finals. The hope is that we will have sufficient funds to make it just that much easier for all of them to attend.”
Attending the competition has nothing but benefits for the students who take part. For 10 year old pianist Erica Feng, the competition is so much more than just the performances. “At nationals when we travel to different places…after the competition we get to all go and explore the city and our teacher buys us ice cream.”
One of the main elements of the National finals is that students are expected to perform a movement of a concerto. For 11 year old Austin Wang, the possibility of advancing to the Nationals gives him the opportunity to perform his favorite composer. “My favorite composer is Mozart…I’m actually working on one of his concertos right now…his concerto no. 23 in A major K488…I love the energy and flow to this concerto, and if I pass the Provincials I’ll be playing this concerto in this year’s Nationals.
17 year pianist old Angela Ng has participated in the national round previously, and for her the National round has given her the opportunity to learn from performers in her own age group. “The best thing for me by far has been the experience of playing with my accompanist and then seeing other people play as well… doing that I can learn from them, and I can also make new friends.” For Angela, the ability to play with her accompanist is the ability to perform with a former CMC winner. Angela’s piano teacher is David Moroz.
The Canadian Music Competition has been a mainstay on the Canadian Music scene for close to 64 years, and has launched the careers of some of Canada’s finest musicians. Hopefully the fundraising concert on Sunday April 10, 2022 at 2:00pm will ensure that Manitoba music students will have the opportunity to showcase their talents on the national level.