Announcing the Winners of the 2024 Developing Artist Grants
September 19, 2024
It is with great pleasure that we announce the laureates of our Developing Artist Grants: awards of $12,500 given to eight of the most promising young Canadian performing artists enrolled in post-secondary educational or training institutions, to support their studies and foster new talent.
This year’s laureates are Bridget Esler, Henry From, Mason Jeffery-Off, Grace Lau, Norey Lau, Malena Lorenson, Anne Painchaud, and Skylar Somnus.
About the program
Since 2005, the Hnatyshyn Foundation’s Developing Artist Grants have supported Canadian post-secondary students studying classical music, contemporary dance, jazz performance, and acting for the theatre (in English and French). This is the 19th edition of the program which has, over the years, supported 141 exceptional young artists with over $1.43M in grants – and counting!
Selection process
Every year, we invite Canadian universities and post-secondary training institutions to nominate their very best students in the performing arts. This year, there were 64 nominees in total, from 28 Canadian schools and nine provinces. The laureates were selected by expert juries in each respective discipline from across Canada.
About the laureates
Bridget Esler
Classical Vocal Performance
Jury: Spencer Britten, Deantha Edmunds, OC, and Clarence Frazer
Vancouver-born soprano Bridget Esler recently joined the Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier Lyrique program for the 2024-25 season. Recently returned from London, England, where she completed her graduate studies, she has performed across Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States with ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra.
This season, Bridget will make her Opéra de Montréal mainstage debut as the Nightingale/Pastourelle/Owl in L’Enfant et les sortilèges. Her recent operatic roles include the Parrot in Anna Pidgorna’s Plaything (Musique 3 Femmes/Opera America), Artemisia in Ivan Barbotin’s The Rape of Artemisia, and Mary in Street Scene (Opera McGill). A keen chamber musician and recitalist, Bridget was an artist-in-residence at the Marlboro Music Festival in 2024 and a Vocal Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in 2023. She enjoys a busy schedule as a concert soloist, with recent engagements including Carmina Burana (AmChor), semi-chorus in Elijah (London Symphony Orchestra), and Mozart’s Mass in C Minor (Islington Choral Society). Bridget was named Most Outstanding Canadian Musician at the 2024 Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition.
Photo: Olivia da Costa
In addition to her classical work, Bridget is interested in contemporary music: she has sung at six world premières and champions the works of twentieth and twenty-first-century composers in her repertoire. Recent new music performance highlights include Lukas Foss’ Time Cycle at the Gewandhaus, Leipzig, and an appearance at the Opera America New Works Forum in New York City. Bridget is the recipient of support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund, the Art Song Foundation of Canada, and the British Columbia Arts Council. She is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and McGill University.
“Having spent the last three years studying and working abroad, it is especially meaningful to be recognized at this particular moment as I return to Canada to begin a new chapter of my career as a resident artist at the Opéra de Montréal – a very warm ‘welcome home’ indeed! This award will give me the freedom to commit fully to my artistic development over the next year. I am so looking forward to a season of intensive music-making, and am deeply grateful to the Hnatyshyn Foundation for making it possible!”
Henry From
Classical Piano
Jury: Eve Egoyan, Jane Coop and Luke Welch
Henry From currently studies piano performance with John O’Conor at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto, where he is the recipient of the Ihnatowycz Prize in Piano. He previously studied with Amanda Chan and Edward Top at the Vancouver Academy of Music. He was named by the CBC as one of Top 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30 in 2019. Other honours include first prizes in the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Manulife Competition, the Shean Competition, and the Orford Music Award.
Henry’s recent performance highlights include soloist appearances with the Seattle Symphony, Les Violons du Roy, and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, recitals at the Verbier Festival, the Seattle Chamber Music Society, the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, and numerous Morningside Music Bridge recitals. As a composer, he has received top prizes from the SOCAN Young Composer Awards, BMI Student Composer Competition, and the Canadian Music Centre’s Prairie Region Composer Competition. He is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre and has had his works premiered by the Vancouver and Winnipeg symphony orchestras.
Photo: Stuart Lowe
“Being selected by such a distinguished jury serves as a source of motivation for me as I pursue a career in piano performance. I feel so lucky to have this financial support over the next year, which will allow me to devote all my focus on my life’s passion – practicing and studying music. This grant will allow me to improve my playing and deliver a higher level of artistry to my audiences. Thank you very much to the Hnatyshyn Foundation for making this possible!”
Mason Jeffery-Off
The Oscar Peterson Jazz Award
Jury: Joshua Rager, Caity Gyorgy and Aline Homzy
Mason Jeffery-Off is a jazz bassist and composer from Ottawa, pursuing his studies in Jazz Performance at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University. At age 18, he was one of 16 young international jazz musicians under 25 selected for Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead performer-composer residency at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Mason first encountered jazz in grade seven shortly after taking up the bass guitar. Concert band rehearsal had just ended and, instead of packing up, he stayed behind, eagerly playing a funk bassline he had taught himself the night before. The guest conductor took out his trombone and began improvising with him. “It was exhilarating. I had no idea what to do, but he listened so closely and reacted to my playing. We made a connection,” Mason explains. By high school, Mason was playing in as many ensembles as possible: jazz big bands and combos, classical orchestras and musical pit bands. Music began to propel his life forward – not only bringing him joy, but also serving as a tool to help him grow as a human.
Photo: Xenia Jeffery-Off
“To me, the most important aspect of music is its power to connect — with other musicians and audiences. Musicians share a special bond and to nurture it we must be open to each other's ideas, making them work in tandem. My goal as an artist is to abandon my preconceptions to serve the spirit of the moment. This mutual love makes the music all the more impactful. It is, in my experience, this humanity that bridges the gap between the music and the listener and, in turn, connects us all. I am incredibly grateful to the Hnatyshyn Foundation. This grant will support me greatly as I complete my studies at McGill and subsequently as I enter the music industry as a professional. Not only that, but it serves as a reminder to me that I am going in the right direction; that my love for and my devotion to music are potent enough to be recognized by others. I am also grateful for my teachers and mentors. In my home city of Ottawa, Neil Yorke-Slader, Jason Sinkus and John Geggie. At McGill, my professors Ira Coleman, Rémi-Jean LeBlanc and Jean-Michel Pilc, who also provided crucial support in my application process.”
Grace Lau
Classical music - Orchestral instrument (strings)
Jury: Brandyn Lewis, Claude Lapalme and Juliane Gallant
Grace Lau is a violinist from Toronto. Currently, she is a third-year undergraduate studying with Paul Kantor and Marie Berard under a full scholarship. She has been invited to perform in several concert series in Toronto including Les Amis Concerts, Syrinx Concerts, Lunchtime Chamber Music, and Koerner Hall Concerts.
Grace’s journey began at the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) Suzuki Program when she was four. At age eleven, she was accepted to the Taylor Academy, the RCM’s pre-college training program where she studied with Ms. Kelly Parkins-Lindstrom and Mr. Jonathan Crow under full scholarship. She has been co-Concertmaster and Principal Second of the Glenn Gould School (GGS)’s Royal Conservatory Orchestra. She has also been a concertmaster of the Academy’s Chamber Orchestra and was a member of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra for three years. During her first year at GGS, her piano trio received second prize in the GGS Chamber Competition. In the 2020 Canadian Music Competition (virtual edition), Grace was selected as the Favourite of the 15–18-year-old Ontario category.
Photo: Nina Dawallu
In addition to her main studies in violin, Grace has thoroughly enjoyed playing viola in chamber and orchestral settings. Most recently, she was invited as a violist to perform Jewish-themed chamber works in the Ashkenaz Festival, North America's largest festival of global Jewish music, arts and culture. Grace has enjoyed participating in summer music festivals, including Heifetz Institute, Meadowmount School of Music, Encore Summer Academy, and the National Arts Centre’s Young Artist Program founded by Pinchas Zukermann. At these festivals, she developed a deeper love of chamber music and had the pleasure of learning alongside like-minded students from an international selection of professors.
“I feel very lucky to have grown up learning and playing music. It is so special how music can express human emotions and experiences so viscerally, and how this can have a deep impact on society. I am truly grateful to receive a Developing Artist Grant. To be generously supported and recognized in this way is truly an honour.”
Norey Lau
Contemporary Dance
Jury: Gerry Morita, Esie Mensah and Lukas Malkowski
Norey Lau is entering her fourth year in the Performance Dance program at Toronto Metropolitan University where she trains in ballet, jazz, street styles, modern, contemporary, West African dance and Afro-Cuban modern dance. Her post-secondary training has helped her develop versatility and the opportunity to perform works of esteemed artists such as Vicki St. Denys and Francesca Chudnoff. She started her dance training at four years old, with a focus on ballet. She continued to foster her technique and artistry through Canada’s National Ballet School, the Boston Ballet School, and the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet summer intensives. Norey is incredibly grateful for all the opportunities that dance has offered and is thrilled to be able to extend that experience to others.
Photo: Kamila Soneira-Sosa
“I would like to thank the Hnatyshyn Foundation for the opportunity and trust to have been awarded the Developing Artist Grant in Contemporary Dance. This is something I will always approach with gratitude. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation towards my family, friends, instructors and educators. Without their support and guidance, all of my opportunities and experiences in this art form would not be possible. I will take this chance to pursue a career in which dance is an inclusive and expressive outlet for all who take part in it.”
Malena Lorenson
Classical music - Orchestral instrument (winds, brass, percussions)
Jury: Martin Bui, Claude Lapalme and Juliane Gallant
Malena Lorenson began playing trombone in grade 6 band class and fell in love with the bass trombone when she switched only a year later. Originally from Red Deer, Alberta, she is currently finishing her undergraduate degree at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal, where she studies in the studio of Patrice Richer. She has also studied with Pierre Beaudry at McGill University.
Photo: Jean-Christophe Melançon
As a solo performer, Malena recently won first place in the International Trombone Festival’s George Roberts Competition in May, 2024, and has won several provincial recognitions for solo performances in Alberta. At the Domaine Forget Summer Academy, which she attended from 2022-2024, Malena has performed in masterclasses for James Markey, Jörgen van Rijen, Martin Schippers, Jeremy Wilson and Toby Oft. In addition to solo playing, Malena is also an orchestral bass trombonist and was selected to participate in the 2024 NACO mentorship program where she got to perform alongside the musicians of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. She was also a member of the Brott Music Festival’s 2023 National Academy Orchestra conducted by Alain Trudel. Malena has performed in various ensembles around the provinces of Québec and Ontario, including the orchestras of Laval, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, and Kingston. Malena’s next steps include performing in various solo competitions as well as auditioning for future Masters programs.
“As a graduating student and active performer, this grant offers me valuable support towards financing my performance degree and a future Masters program, allowing me to dedicate more time to my musical projects and artistry. In addition, I am very proud to have been recognized for my progress thus far, and look forward to pursuing new musical challenges and continuing to explore the artistic capabilities of the bass trombone.”
Anne Painchaud
Acting (French theatre)
Jury: Michel Marc Bouchard, OC QC, Édith Patenaude, Cory Haas
Anne Painchaud is a performer from Quebec City. For her, theater is a true passion that translates into a burning desire to create, understand and communicate: “to me, the theatrical stage is a place where everything is possible. It’s a place to dissect, to reflect, to exchange ideas, to question, to shout, to rise up, to love, to hate. It’s where we live. And I want to live, that's all. I want to offer the world what it offers me, in all its splendour and ugliness.”
Anne’s entry into the arts was through music: a performer, pianist and composer, she took part in Cégep en Spectacle, where she presented her own songs and won first prize in the local final in 2018, then second prize the following year. In July 2022, she released an EP of five original songs, La solitude des coeurs fanés. Despite her burning interest in music, Anne has a special fondness for theater. That’s why she decided to audition for acting schools and didn't give up in the face of the many rejections she received. After four attempts, she finally entered the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Québec. At the Conservatoire, Anne shines for her commitment, curiosity, generosity and sensitivity. Her former director, Jean-Sébastien Ouellette, describes her as follows: “Always different, always right and inspired, she moves through her training like a comet, with humility and rigor.”
Photo: Camille Desrochers
“I would like to thank the Hnatyshyn Foundation from the bottom of my heart for this scholarship. Theater was a revelation for me, when I first got a taste of it at the dawn of my high school years. Since then, I’ve never wanted to do anything else with my life. Despite the anxieties of the profession, despite my numerous rejections from drama schools, despite a pandemic that turned the performing arts on their head, I’ve always believed in the importance of theater and in the place it has in store for me. Thank you to the Foundation for believing in me, which is so precious. I’ve never given up and I never will. A thousand thanks to you, I’m eternally grateful.”
Skylar Somnus
Acting (English theatre)
Jury: Michelle Mohammed, Colin Wolf and Saccha Dennis
Skylar Somnus is a non binary Scottish/Ukrainian settler actor from Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Treaty 6), Edmonton, Alberta. Through the art of storytelling, they hope to leave things better than they found them. They seek to bring visions to reality by actualizing characters and stories into physical space and by receiving direction and directing artists to reach common goals.
The gravity of what it means to be an artist never escapes Skylar’s attention, and indeed the first language they spoke was art. When they were born their parents gave them a gift: a hand painted mural in the basement of the house they grew up in, named “the feelings wall.” It was a place where Skylar was set down during temper tantrums and hissy fits to express emotion and thoughts before knowing how to speak. It’s no wonder Skylar feels most at home around creatives and artists, and they will continue to foster community, family, and a better tomorrow through their work.
Photo: Piper MacDonald
“Receiving this award not only strengthened my confidence as an actor but also as a contributing member of my community. Being a university student without much access to capital, this award has alleviated tons of my financial strain. It's also a pure incentive to keep my dream and passion burning! The money from the award will help pay for my education, and in turn will allow me to invest time into the Chocolate Milk Art Collective, my independent film company. My life is easier thanks to this grant, and I’m inspired with my chin up to move forward and create bigger. I want to thank my mother and both of my fathers, my grandparents passed, teachers and inspirers, the ancestors, spirit, the land, and my partner Shivorn who has provided undying support through the hardest year of my life. I would also like to take a moment to thank the team at the Hnatyshyn Foundation for uplifting and spotlighting young artists, and taking not only the money, but the time to facilitate such life-changing awards.”
Please join us in congratulating these exceptional young artists, to whom we wish continued success in their artistic endeavours!
We will announce the nomination guidelines for next year’s Developing Artist Grants in early 2025. If you know an exceptional developing artist or a performing arts instructor at a postsecondary institution, please encourage them to subscribe to our mailing list!
