NEWS RELEASE
ALGOMA CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
**************************
The 2019 Sault Ste. Marie Music Festival concluded with the Shield and Rising Stars Competitions. This year the winner of the Shield Competition was cellist, Corinne Turgeon and the winner of the Rising Star Competition was violinist, Malia Kirk. They were students of string instructors Maggie Twining, cello and Guy Traficante, violin.
This season, the Sault Ste. Marie Music Festival celebrated its 82nd year. Every year, hundreds of music students perform for guest adjudicators from across Canada and receive helpful suggestions. Numerous awards and scholarships are also given and the finest performers from six divisions (piano, strings, voice, guitar, winds and speech arts) are recommended to compete at The Rising Star Competition (students 14 and under) and at the Shield Competition (21 and under). A group of outstanding students are also recommended to participate at the provincial competition. The festival is one of the many community music programs coordinated by the Algoma Conservatory of Music.
Rising Star Competition performers:
- Oliver Brown - guitar
- Malia Kirk - violin
- Amy MacMichael - speech arts
- Owen Middelton - guitar
- Graham Kirk - guitar
- Cassandra McCauley - voice
- Brian Li - violin
- Nora Willet - piano
- Damian Drouin - piano
Shield Competition performers:
- Lucas Anderson - guitar
- Evan Williams - voice
- Bonnie Li - violin
- Cathryn Franklin - flute
- Corinne Turgeon - cello
- Mario Kwon - piano
2019 Awards and Recommendations
PIANO - Dr. Erika Crinó, adjudicator
JUNIOR LEVEL
1. Victoria Palahnuk
2. Kai Schmiedendorf
3. Grace DiPietro, Kadin Micomonaco (tie)
Performance of Distinction Awards (in alphabetical order)
Alexandra Bishop, Jakson Carroll, Molly Filice, Evelyn Franic, Andrew Li, Sophia Li, Noah Palahnuk, Chloe Shier
Best Duet/Trio Award: Elinor Bateman and Molly Filice
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL (Piano continued)
1. Nora Willet
2. Damian Drouin
3. Kaitlyn Robinson
Performance of Distinction Awards (in alphabetical order)
Sydney Hopkins, Joshua Lamming, Allison Lees, Kevin Li, Deanna St. Germain
Best Duet/Trio Award: Jenna Divincenzo, Sydney Hopkins, Allison Lees
SENIOR LEVEL
1. Mario Kwon
2. Matthew Schumacher
3. Cadence Anderson
Performance of Distinction Award
Stephen North
PROVINCIAL RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Level 6 Kaitlyn Robinson, Deanna St. Germain
- Level 7 Kevin Li
- Level 8 Cadence Anderson, Mitchell Petingola
- Level 9 Bradley Bertrand, Matthew Schumacher
- Level 10 Mario Kwon, Stephen North
STRING DIVISION - Irene Tandberg, adjudicator
JUNIOR LEVEL
1. Anne Ledford
2. Victoria Palahnuk
3. Zoe Greenwood
Performance of Distinction Awards (in alphabetical order)
Clare Ledford, Maya Macmichael, Maggie Marshall
Best Duet/Trio Award: Zoe Greenwood and Jessie-Lyn Kirkey
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
1. Corinne Turgeon
2. Brian Li
3. Jeffrey Chen
Performance of Distinction Award - Kaden Viotto
SENIOR LEVEL
1. Bonnie Li, Corinne Turgeon (tie)
2. Malia Kirk
3. Aric Quan
Best Ensemble Award: String Quartet - Maggie Liu, Jeffrey Chen, Aric Quan, Théo Smith
PROVINCIAL RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Level 9 - cello - Corinne Turgeon
- Level 10 - violin - Malia Kirk, Brian Li
- Level Diploma - violin - Bonnie Li
SPEECH ARTS - Bethany Hörst, adjudicator
JUNIOR LEVEL
Maya Macmichael
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
Amy Macmichael
GUITAR DIVISION - Irene Tandberg, adjudicator
JUNIOR LEVEL
1. Noah Palahnuk
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
1. Graham Kirk
2. Oliver Brown, Owen Middleton (tied)
Small Ensemble:
Guitar Trio - Oliver Brown, Graham Kirk and Owen Middleton
SENIOR LEVEL
1. Lucas Anderson
2. Garrett Nott
PROVINCIAL RECOMMENDATIONS:
Level 8 - Lucas Anderson
VOICE - Bethany Hörst, adjudicator
JUNIOR LEVEL
1. Alexis Pawelek
2. Viyana Sagart
3. Isabella Nardi
Performance of Distinction Award - Callihan Hayward
Musical Theatre - Alexis Pawelek
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
1. Cassandra McCauley
2. Melody Shafiee
3. Hannah Heimonen, Lisa Macmichael (tie)
Musical Theatre - Cassandra McCauley
SENIOR LEVEL
1. Evan Williams
2. Aeva Goodship
Musical Theatre - Andrew Beggs
PROVINCIAL RECOMMENDATIONS (voice continued)
- Level 8 - Cassandra McCauley
- Level Diploma - Evan Williams
- Musical Theatre - Elementary - Ethan Heimonen, Gianna Spironello, alternate - Charlotte Marshall
- Musical Theatre - Junior - Hannah Heimonen, Cassandra McCauley
- Musical Theatre - Intermediate - Andrew Beggs, Si Nui Yun, alternate - Aeva Goodship
- Musical Theatre - Senior - Mitchell Doherty
WOODWINDS - Rob Galbraith, adjudicator
JUNIOR LEVEL
1. Amy MacMichael
2. Addison Brown
3. Kaylee Hoffe
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
1. Charlotte Marshall
2. Rowan Cartmill
Best Duet Award: Amy MacMichael and Charlotte Marshall
SENIOR LEVEL
1. Cathryn Franklin
2. Kayla Gibson
PROVINCIAL RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Level 10 - Flute - Cathryn Franklin
**************************