2023-24 Winners
Maria Gajraj, D.Mus. Performance; organ/Isabel Castillo, M.Mus. Sound Recording
Project: exhale. Ambient & experimental music for organ.
The organ is a versatile instrument, with a multitude of colours and timbres, although it is unfortunately often reduced to its liturgical role. This proposal is to embark on a transformative project that explores the intersection of minimalism and experimentalism within the realm of organ music. This project aims to produce an album that pushes the boundaries of traditional organ music, with transcriptions of minimalist piano works by women and non-binary composers; a commissioned piece, written in 2024 for the performer; as well as recorded improvisations by the performer on the medieval organetto, with electronics.
One of the most fascinating capabilities of the organ is its ability to sustain notes seemingly forever, without wavering in pitch or volume. This makes the organ a perfect instrument to create minimalist textures, with ostinatos that spin endlessly and relentlessly, and layered harmonies on multiple keyboards. Additionally, the wind flowing through the organ pipes is reminiscent of the wind rushing through trees in a forest, or the wind whipping through the skies in a summer storm. The music in this project was inspired by nature, especially water, wind, and skies; and the organ is the ideal instrument to give homage to nature, with its pipes harnessing the very essence of wind, allowing the performer to create music that echoes the fluidity and breath of the natural world.
The pieces by Hania Rani (b. 1990) and Ann Southam (1937-2010) are originally for solo piano. This project will feature reimaginings of these works for organ, augmented versions with added textures made possible through shifting registrations, or changes in organ stops. “Forest Fire” was written in 2024 for Maria Gajraj by Esther-Ruth Teel (McGill MMus’ 21), a SOCAN award- winning composer. For organ and electronics, this piece imagines the chaotic roars of the forest fire, demonstrated through chromatic pedal clusters and ostinato figures across the keyboards, culminating in crashing cluster- arpeggios on full organ; before the smoke clears, with solemn closing notes played on quiet flutes. These pieces are framed by introductory and concluding recorded improvisations, with the sounds of the medieval organetto amplified and looped using electronics, creating unique, ambient soundscapes. The album is approximately 35 minutes long.
2022-23 Winners
Jessica Korotkin, D.Mus. Performance; baroque cello/ Yoonjeong Choi, M.Mus. Sound Recording; Jie Zhou, M.Mus. Sound Recording
Project: Beyond Bach: The Seventh Cello Suite
The baroque era was a golden age of the performer-composer. If the past two centuries have come to understand performing, and composing as distinct musical competencies, eighteenth-century musicians regarded them as overlapping and intertwined. In the spirit of rediscovering the creative practices of the eighteenth-century musician, I have drawn on my skills as a baroque cellist and HIP (historically informed performance practice) specialist to compose six new cello suites modeled after those of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). This recording project will feature a performance of The Seventh Cello Suite (my Bach-Inspired Cello Suite in E-Minor) in the form of a virtual concert. The audio/visual recording will take place in Redpath Hall, the very location in which these suites were conceived of. This virtual concert will provide spectators with a unique opportunity: a means to experience a treasured historical style through the hands, pen, mind, and ears of a living performer-composer.
2021-2022 Winners
Emmanuel Lacopo, D.Mus. Performance; guitar/Amelya Hempstead, M.Mus. Sound Recording.
Project: Julius Eastman
“The growing Julius Eastman revival throughout the new music community in the past few years seems, particularly from hindsight, inevitable. It would be hard to find an artist who personifies so many issues of our day — Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ rights, homelessness, income inequality, mental health, addiction, you name it” (LA Times)
In his 2020 New Yorker article “Black Scholars Confront White Supremacy in Classical Music”, Alex Ross states that “American culture has been engaged in an examination, however nominal, of its relationship with racism. Such an examination is sorely needed in classical music, because of its extreme dependence on a problematic past”. Although the body of people who devote their lives to a career in classical music is a diverse group, the composers we perform and the professors who train us don’t reflect this demographic. We are therefore proposing to produce an album that will take part in the revival of Julius Eastman’s music. We will present four versions of Buddha (for any instrument) and Gay Guerrilla (his seminal work for 4 unspecified instruments) reimagined for guitar. In line with Emmanuel Lacopo’s current D.Mus dissertation, these recordings will also explore the guitar’s relationship with modern technology.
Our proposed project places a focus on re-defining the constraints of the 21st century guitar while examining the social implications of the music we present. Moreover, Amelya Hempstead’s research and recording specialization aids in navigating the intersectionality (sound, film, and race) within this project. The album will encompass innovative approaches to electroacoustic performance practice, an intermingling of mediums that challenge the conventions of the recital model, and will serve as a further resource in the revival of “such a brilliant composer who’s come so close to disappearing from history’s grasp” (Gann). The goal is two-fold: to develop innovative approaches to electroacoustic performance on the guitar and place the work of Julius Eastman at centre stage. The proposed project combines our expertise in guitar performance, music technology, and race & gender studies to create a meaningful contribution to the classical genre that opens up avenues for creations of all mediums by all people. The goal of this pursuit is to part from the Eurocentric, colonial foundations of the conservatory model and create a space where art thrives regardless of ethnicity, gender, or sexuality - all while contributing to the revival of music that has been lost for so long.
Previous years recipients
2020-2021 Winners
Justin Almazan, viola / Samuel Hanna, Sound Recording
Project: Love Notes
Part filmed séance, part musical exposé, the “Love Notes” video album will explore the relationship between musical notes and written language. This project centers around selected primary source texts, such as letters written by composers, which link and inform three distinct musical compositions: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat Major K. 589, Leoš Janáček’s String Quartet No. 2 (“Intimate Letters”), and Caroline Shaw’s Plan & Elevation. “Love Notes” simultaneously alludes to the musical notation as well as the personal letters that comprise and inspired these musical compositions. The reconciliation of a composer’s musical score with relevant primary source texts is one invaluable way of initiating a deeper, collective discussion between musicians and the composers who frequently cannot be personally consulted with about the nuances of their musical intentions. In effect, music that has become artifactual over time can regain life and adopt greater meaning, which minimizes the emotional distance between composers, musical artists, and audiences. Further to these themes of time and distance, this project will seek to contribute to human interconnectedness during the ongoing live performance shortage by sharing music through high quality sound and video captures, which are then supplemented with probing intellectual commentaries and engaging historical contexts. The juxtaposition of these scores and texts will initiate a time-traveling, multilateral discourse regarding the ability for the love and consciousness imbued within music or written text to travel and communicate far beyond the existence of their creators. The connections are endless.
2019-2020 Winners
Martin Daigle, M.Mus. Performance/Omar Chavez Miranda, Sound Recording
Daigle and Miranda wish to promote inclusive and immersive multi-genre music that is both accessible and elaborate; therefore, reaching a wide audience of musicians and non-musicians alike.They wish to bridge the gap between contemporary percussion and jazz drum kit. To reach our artistic mission, they have decided on specific repertoire that illustrates multi-genre solo drum set playing; through-written compositional sections and elements of improvised music. The selected composers are well known for their work for percussion instruments, their eclectic styles and their variety in musical genres.
Nowadays, recording technology has improved significantly and new audio engineering trends have been set because of it. Immersive audio has become a notable example of a new artistic tool on the market. This tool brings a new level of dimension to any recording by allowing the listener to enter into an immersive sound space. The state-of-the-art technology allows such a tool to reach the public with a basic set of headphones. Using immersive audio recording will allow the listener to feel a heightened sense of space and, overall, a more organic listening experience. They also see the importance of mixing for a standard stereo feed in order to accommodate other listening methods. Because of the variety in the proposed instrumentation, the sonic possibilities are very diverse. They plan on capturing the performances with a close proximity microphone technique and a signal flow design from above to allow an immersive audio experience. The recording equipment will be similar throughout all the works; however, the mix will be treated differently according to the varying instrumentation. Since the musical material is mostly loud drum set music, the recording will take place in Tanna hall as it has less reverberation than in Pollack hall. This recording process is done in three different stages: Performance and Recording, Mixing in 3D spatialization and Mastering and distribution.
2018-2019 Winners
Elodie Bouchard, M.Mus. Performance, Ephraim Hahn, Sound Recording
This project consists in recording an album of solo vocal music from the 16th and 17th century in collaboration with Ephraim Hahn, Sound Recording Master student. During this era, European composers from this period shared one aim; to express text and emotions. They believed solo songs were the best way to reach that goal of expressivity. Those pieces were known by different names, depending on the country. In England, they were called ayres or songs, in France, air de cour, and in Italy monody. In reaction to Renaissance polyphony which has prevailed over all types of musical compositions, these solo songs suggested a renewed care for text comprehension, and communication of emotions. It is also a very important step for the voice which gains the status of soloist, setting up the foundation of vocal music as we know it today. Italian composers that will be featured on this album, directly or indirectly participated in the creation of the first operas, using the importance of words as their principal guideline. It is thanks to their determination that we have four centuries of operatic composition that redefined the role of a singer in music.
2017-2018 Winners
Sarah Rossy, M.Mus. Performance/Jennifer Nulsen, Sound Recording
Project: Jazz in the Balance: Exploring Music Making and Creation in Gender and Genre-Balanced Teams and Environments.
- This project consists of a suite of original contemporary jazz to be recorded by and produced in collaboration with Jennifer Nulsen. The recording will feature a gender-balanced team of past and current McGill students from both the classical and jazz performance departments. Through careful selection of ensemble members, this sound recording will address the problematic gender imbalance in the jazz setting and will create an opportunity for collaboration between musicians in the classical and jazz areas.
2015-2016 Winners
Juan Sebastián Delgado, D.Mus. Performance/Jack Kelly, Sound Recording
Project: Sacher as Remembered by composer Alberto Ginastera in Puneña No. 2.
The work was one of 12 compositions written to celebrate Paul Sacher’s 70th birthday – all of the compositions featured or were based on the “spelling” of Sacher’s name – what is now known as the Sacher hexachord. The Hommage project was initiated by the famous cellist Rostropovitch. The prize winners' interest in the project unfolds on the 100th anniversary of Ginastera. The jury appreciated the vision, the calibre and artistry of the performance as demonstrated both in the demo and CV, and the way in which thoughts about the recording process itself were incorporated into the project description.
2014-2015 Winners
First Prize: Adrian Foster, D.Mus. Performance
Project: Resurrecting Mauricio Kagel’s Phantastie für Orgel mit Obbligati: Montreal Version.
This project is innovative and creative, recreating Kagel’s sound world through the geographical landmarks of Montreal and the ‘historic’ colours of the Redpath organ. The judges appreciated the imagination connecting the different elements that make this project: the re-creation of the taped sounds, the discovery of the organ scoring through the registrations and timbres of the Redpath organ – itself a significant cultural landmark in Montreal’s organ scene – and the challenge involved. His performance skills were recognized as up to the challenge, and he had assembled an excellent sound recording partner to facilitate the process.
Second Prize: Katelyn King, M.Mus. Performance
Project: Visualizing the Theatrical through the Musical.
The project seeks to apply musical thinking to the theatrical stage elements of performance through the creation of quality sound and video recordings of rarely performed solos and small chamber works taken from David Roesner’s book on Musical Theatre. The committee was inspired by the idea that, while the works contain many visual elements, she will be developing a musical approach to these elements so that the theatrical does not, to borrow your own words, “overwhelm the musical” that was the original conception and motivating force in each instance. The committee, consequently, appreciated the fact that the works all focus on delicate sounds in which minute shadings of timbre are essential. Her collaboration with award-winning composer, Zihua Tan (D.Mus.) in the composition of a new work was also valued. Before beginning the work, the committee recommends outlining a more detailed strategy for the visual approach.
Prix de Québec: Steven Cowan, D.Mus. Performance, Guitar/Denis Martin, Ph.D., Sound Recording
Project: 21st Century Guitar Music of Canada
The judges appreciated the “imagination” that connected the different works by Québec composers in this project (Morel, Bergeron, Staniland, Cowan), as well as the exceptional performance skills demonstrated in the sample and the overall project presentation. The audio sample was described as “breath-taking,” “demanding one to want more,” – a very emphatic statement when one considers the “newness” of the repertoire. Steven has also been recommended to apply for a SODEC, Canada Council Recording Grant which reserves 33% of its funding for Quebec artists and projects.
2013-2014 Winners
First Prize: Gili Loftus, D.Mus. Performance
Project: Thinking through Clara Schumann’s Hands and Ears
Gili Loftus’s project seeks to, as Prof. Tom Beghin puts it, “get into the mind of Clara Schumann.” Working with another doctoral student Jon Hong, and using the Virtual Acoustics Technology created by Prof. Wieslaw Woszczyk for our Multi-media Room, she will be recording some of the free extemporizations that Clara notated for her daughter to explore how she used them to connect various works in her recitals in the different acoustic spaces in which she performed. The committee appreciated the richness of the project, noting its historical, performance-practice, gender and socio-cultural research potential as well as the fine artistry and musicianship that Gili will bring to the project. Known for dazzling her audience on the forte-piano, harpsichord, and piano all in one concert, she won both Second Prize and the Audience Prize at the prestigious International Fortepiano Competition in Bruges this past summer.
Second Prize: Christian Smith, M.Mus. Performance
Project: Bach in the Context of New Music
As keyboard percussionist, Christian Smith will use this recording project to invite his future listeners to discover connections between new and old never before imagined. At the centre of the recording will be Brian Ferneyhough’s Bone Alphabet. Christian’s performance of this virtuosic work has been described as "being world-class." He will be working with recording engineer Jordan Strum and adding a video element through the expertise of Prof. George Massenburg. The committee applauded not only his talent, but also the uniqueness of the programming and its artistic vision.
2012-2013 Winners
- Erik Hove (Jazz Performance)
- Denis Martin (Sound Engineer)
2011-2012 Winners
- Elinor Frey (Cello)
- Mana Shiraishi (Violin)
