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Kit Soden, winner of the 2017-18 Andrew Svoboda Memorial Prize for Orchestral Composition

Published: 12 April 2018

Congratulations to current PhD candidate Kit Soden, winner of the 2017-18 Andrew Svoboda Memorial Prize for Orchestral Composition

The Andrew Svoboda Memorial Prize for Orchestral Composition was created in memory of Andrew Yin Svoboda (BMus '00, MMus '04), who died suddenly at the age of 27 in 2004. The prize seeks to recognize excellence in orchestral composition, encourage the creation of new Canadian orchestral works and provide enriched pedagogical opportunities for student composers and performers through an annual commissioning prize of $5,000 for an orchestral piece to be premiered by the McGill Symphony Orchestra. A high quality, non-commercial archival recording of the premiere will also be provided to the composer. Past winners include Moe Touizrar and Takuto Fukuda.

The jury members were impressed by the overall quality of the pieces submitted by Kit Soden to the selection committee. His scores are particularly well crafted and meet the highest professional standards. His sense of orchestration, his idiomatic writing for the diverse instruments of the orchestra and his imagination in producing refined and complex orchestral colours were deemed very compelling by the jury. The jury also noticed his personal blending of lyricism with advanced instrumental techniques. The member of the jury believe that the commissioned piece will be a stimulating pedagogical experience for the students performing in the McGill Symphony Orchestra (MGSO).

In a recent email exchange, Kit wrote, "Composing for the MGSO has been a goal of mine during my time here as a student at McGill, as I have seen Maestro Hauser and the MGSO brilliantly interpret some of the most beautiful works in the orchestral repertoire. I am very honoured to have received the Andrew Svoboda Memorial Prize for Orchestral Composition, and I look forward to composing for our very talented orchestra."

Kit’s composition will be performed in the McGill Symphony Orchestra’s 2019-2020 season.

Listen to examples of his compositions here.

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