Six young performing artists will receive grants of $10,000 each this year from The Hnatyshyn Foundation to pursue their studies for the 2016-17 academic year. This brings to $910,000 the amount invested in post-secondary scholarships over the past 12 years by the Foundation.
Rosalie Daoust
Rosalie Daoust of Québec is the winner of the grant for Acting - French Theatre. Rosalie is entering her final year in drama at the Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Québec.
Étienne Gagnon-Delorme
Étienne Gagnon-Delorme of Montreal receives the grant for Contemporary Dance. The 19-year-old will complete his final year of undergraduate studies at l’École supérieure de Ballet du Québec starting this fall.
Simona Genga
Simona Genga of Vaughn, Ontario is the recipient of the grant for Classical Vocal Performance. Simona begins a Masters Degree of Opera at the University of Toronto in the fall.
Matt Lagan
Matt Lagan of Toronto is the winner of the Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance. The promising young saxophonist will continue his studies in the Bachelor of Music program at Humber College this year.
Sebastien Malette
Sebastien Malette of London, Ontario receives the award for Classical Music - Orchestral Instrument. The young bassoonist will complete his Bachelor of Music Honours Performance at Western University.
Kerry Waller
Kerry Waller of Montreal is the laureate in the category Classical Music - Piano. Kerry will continue his studies at the Université de Montréal this year.
This year, there were no successful candidates in the category Acting - English Theatre.
In addition to the $10,000 grant, recipients in classical music and jazz may be invited to perform in a concert at Bourgie Hall in the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. The opportunity is made possible thanks to an agreement between The Hnatyshyn Foundation and the Fondation Arte Musica, which features performances by selected grant recipients as part of its Youth and Pros program beginning in 2015. The first artist chosen to appear at Bourgie Hall was bassoonist Marlène Ngalissamy, 2013 laureate in the category Classical Music - Orchestral Instrument. Clarinetist Antonin Cuerrier and classical pianist Meagan Milatz received their grants in 2014 and performed in January of 2016.