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Meet the 2026 NYO Canada orchestra. Full Roster

Get your tickets hereLearn More

Concert Dates and more detailsLearn more

Introducing Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser our Music Director for 2026 and 2027Learn more

Introducing the 2026 Michael Measures Prize WinnersLearn more

Liam Ritz is the 2026 Winner of the NYO Canada & SOCAN Foundation Composer MentoLearn more

Support usDonate Now

Latest News

NYO Canada Celebrates Two Historic Winners of the 2026 Canada Council for the Arts Michael Measures Prizes 

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NYO Canada is with Anna Yin and Felix Nunes at NYO Canada.
1 day ago

🎶✨ NYO Canada’s 65th Anniversary Tour CD is here

Captured live at @chancentreubc , conducted by Music Director @woonaomiwoo .

From Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 to Mozart, Debussy’s La Mer, Ethel Smyth’s Wreckers Overture, and @dentonprotsack ‘s World Premier Across the Vaulted Night...this is a programme that only NYO Canada could bring to life.

Swipe through to explore every track. 🎧

LINK IN BIO TO KEEP LISTENING ... See MoreSee Less

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NYO Canada
2 days ago

🎵 Thankful Thursday | Long & McQuade Musical Instruments

At NYO Canada, we believe financial barriers should never stand between a talented young musician and a transformative experience. In 2025, that belief is made possible, in part - by the sustained generosity of Long & McQuade Musical Instruments.

Here's what that support has looked like over the years:

🎺 2020 | Robert Conquer received an Award of Excellence. He went on to win the Michael Measures Prize in 2022 as the first trombonist ever to take First Prize, and is now Principal Trombone with the Canadian Opera Company.

🎻 2021 — Roberta Yee received an Award of Excellence. She holds degrees summa cum laude from the University of Southern California and has since served as Concertmaster and Principal Second Violin at the Pacific Music Festival under Valery Gergiev and Marek Janowski. She is now a violinist with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

🎻 2022 | Justin Saulnier received an Award of Excellence his very first NYO summer. He returned in 2025 to win the Michael Measures Prize.

🥁 2023 | Samuel Kerr received a scholarship as a percussionist. Since finishing his degree, he has premiered a work he composed during his NYO summer at Chamberfest, and was recently accepted as a Conducting Fellow at the Curtis Institute of Music.

🪈 2023 | Honoka Shoji received an Award of Excellence. We asked her what it meant:

💬 "The scholarship exponentially helped with travel costs and even covered some of my costs for audition travel later on. I definitely would not have been able to attend NYO without it. It's not an exaggeration when I say I owe my entire career to NYO." — Honoka Shoji, harpist & NYO Canada alumna

✨ 2025 , Solana Frebold received an Award of Excellence, continuing a legacy of investment in the next generation.

Without this support, many talented musicians simply couldn't afford to participate, even with full scholarships covering program costs. Travel, auditions, instruments: the barriers are real, and Long & McQuade helps us meet them.

🌟 Huge thanks to Long & McQuade Musical Instruments for supporting young musicians like Solana on their professional journeys.

#ThankfulThursday #NYOCanada #LongAndMcQuade #YoungMusicians #CanadianMusic #MichaelMeasuresPrize

📷 Photo 1: Honoka Shoji
📷 Photo 2: Robert Conquer - Photo credit Shayne Gray Photography
📷 Photo 3: Roberta Yee
📷 Photo 4: Justin Saulnier - Photo credit Anastasia Krachkovskaya (www.anak.photography/)
📷 Photo 5: Samuel Kerr - Photo credit June Chung (www.junechungviolin.com)
📷 Photo 6: Solana Frebold - Photo credit Dahlia Katz Photography ... See MoreSee Less

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NYO Canada is at NYO Canada.
3 days ago

The future of Canadian music is from St. John’s and Vancouver and Montréal and everywhere in between. They practised for years for this moment, and this summer, it’s coming to a stage near you.

NYO Canada’s Canadiana 2026 Tour brings 90 of the country’s most exceptional young musicians to audiences across Ontario and Québec. Landmark repertoire. Free chamber concerts. A world premiere. And performances that will take your breath away.

Explore the full season brochure: heyzine.com/flip-book/6423044a11.html

#nyocanada #classicalmusic #orchestra #canadianmusicians #youngmusicians ... See MoreSee Less

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🎶✨ NYO Canada’s 65th Anniversary Tour CD is here 🎶✨ NYO Canada’s 65th Anniversary Tour CD is here Captured live at @chancentreubc , conducted by Music Director @woonaomiwoo . From Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 to Mozart, Debussy’s La Mer, Ethel Smyth’s Wreckers Overture, and @dentonprotsack ‘s World Premier Across the Vaulted Night...this is a programme that only NYO Canada could bring to life. Swipe through to explore every track. 🎧 LINK IN BIO TO KEEP LISTENING
🎵 Thankful Thursday | @longandmcquade Long & McQua 🎵 Thankful Thursday | @longandmcquade Long & McQuade Musical Instruments "It's not an exaggeration when I say I owe my entire career to NYO." — Honoka Shoji, harpist & NYO Canada alumna Honoka received an Award of Excellence in 2023 — support made possible by Long & McQuade. She couldn't have attended without it. Neither could Robert Conquer, Roberta Yee, Justin Saulnier, Samuel Kerr, or Solana Frebold. Financial barriers are real. Partnerships like this one make sure they don't have the final word. 🌟 #ThankfulThursday #NYOCanada #LongAndMcQuade #CanadianMusic #YoungMusicians 📷 Photo 1: Honoka Shoji 📷 Photo 2: Robert Conquer - Photo credit Shayne Gray Photography 📷 Photo 3: Roberta Yee 📷 Photo 4: Justin Saulnier - Photo credit Anastasia Krachkovskaya (https://www.anak.photography/) 📷 Photo 5: Samuel Kerr - Photo credit June Chung (www.junechungviolin.com) 📷 Photo 6: Solana Frebold - Photo credit Dahlia Katz Photography
The future of Canadian music is from St. John’s an The future of Canadian music is from St. John’s and Vancouver and Montréal and everywhere in between. They practised for years for this moment, and this summer, it’s coming to a stage near you. NYO Canada’s Canadiana 2026 Tour brings 90 of the country’s most exceptional young musicians to audiences across Ontario and Québec. Landmark repertoire. Free chamber concerts. A world premiere. And performances that will take your breath away. Explore the full season brochure at the 🔗 in our bio #nyocanada #classicalmusic #orchestra #canadianmusicians #youngmusicians
From NYO Canada to Canada’s oldest orchestra: Bass From NYO Canada to Canada’s oldest orchestra: Bassoonist Bobby Thompson just won the bassoon position with Orchestre symphonique de Québec. Bobby, currently finishing his master’s degree at Juilliard, took the audition on November 30th, 2025 at Palais Montcalm - and didn’t let external distractions interfere with his calm mindset. “I was not thinking about the end goal or potentially winning, I focused on the specific excerpts coming up and remaining calm, trusting the work I had done for months in advance would stick.” On joining OSQ: “It feels humbling and still not quite real yet. The OSQ has a deep history and an awesome legacy as being a great Canadian orchestra and I want to focus on just playing my best, being myself, and continuing an environment of kind, expressive music making.”
🥁 Meet the Percussion, Keyboard & Harp Faculty! 🥁 🥁 Meet the Percussion, Keyboard & Harp Faculty! 🥁 Rencontrez les professeurs de percussion, clavier et harpe! 🥁 — PERCUSSION — 🎓 Aiyun Huang | Jun 21–28 juin 🎓 Ryan Scott | Jun 28 juin–Jul 5 juillet 🎓 John Rudolph | Jul 5 juin –12 juillet — KEYBOARD | CLAVIER — 🎓 Geoffrey Conquer | Jun 21 juin –Jul 12 juillet — HARP | HARPE — 🎓 Lori Gemmell | Jun 21 juin –Jul 1 juillet 🎓 Isabelle Fortier | Jul 1–12 juillet 🎶 Link in bio to meet the full faculty. 🎶 Consultez le lien en bio pour voir tous les profs. #NYOCanada #NYO2026 #keyboard #Percussion #harp
🎵 #Jeudidelagratitude🎵 Depuis 2015, BMO finance ci 🎵 #Jeudidelagratitude🎵 Depuis 2015, BMO finance cinq Prix d’excellence de NYO Canada chaque année, 5 000 $ chacun, remis à nos musiciens les plus avancés, prêts à occuper des postes dans des orchestres professionnels. C’est 50 jeunes musiciens dont les carrières ont été façonnées par cet investissement. Comme le dit Roxanne Sicard, lauréate à quatre reprises : « C’est pendant ma première année à NYO que je suis tombée en amour avec le jeu orchestral… À partir de ce moment-là, c’était très clair pour moi que je deviendrais une musicienne d’orchestre! » Roxanne a bâti exactement cette carrière, et joue encore aujourd’hui dans deux ensembles de musique de chambre composés d’anciens étudiants de NYO. Pour Roxanne et tant d’autres, le Prix d’excellence est plus qu’une bourse. C’est le signe que votre talent est reconnu et qu’il vaut la peine d’être soutenu. Merci, BMO, pour une décennie de confiance envers la prochaine génération de musiciens canadiens. 💙 @bmocanada | #ThankfulThursday #NYOCanada #Prixdexcellence #MusiqueCanadienne
After nearly eight years with NYO Canada, our Dire After nearly eight years with NYO Canada, our Director of Operations and Artistic Planning Chris Lamont is stepping into an exciting new role as Executive Director of the Stratford Music Festival, and we could not be more proud. Since 2018, Chris has been the force behind so much of what makes NYO Canada work. If you’ve ever auditioned, toured, or spent a summer making music with us, there’s a good chance Chris was somewhere making sure everything ran, and that you felt looked after while it did. He’s answered the midnight calls, solved the on-tour crises, and brought a warmth and steadiness to this organization that is genuinely hard to put into words. In our (admittedly biased) opinion, Chris has become one of the finest arts administrators in Canada. Stratford is lucky. The good news: this isn’t a full goodbye. Chris will continue with NYO Canada part-time as our Auditions Manager, so we haven’t seen the last of him. To our alumni, current musicians, and faculty, please join us in congratulating Chris and his family on this new chapter. It is so very well deserved. Thank you, Chris. For everything. 🎶
🎺 Meet the Brass Faculty! 🎺 Rencontrez les profess 🎺 Meet the Brass Faculty! 🎺 Rencontrez les professeurs de cuivres! 🎺 — FRENCH HORN | COR — 🎓 Florence Rosseau | Jun 21–28 juin 🎓 Gabe Radford | Jun 28 juin – Jul 5 juillet 🎓 Catherine Turner | Jul 5–12 juillet — TRUMPET | TROMPETTE — 🎓 Steve Woomert | Jun 21 juin – 28 juin 🎓 James Ross | Jun 28 juin – Jul 5 juillet 🎓 Karen Donnelly | Jul 5 – 12 juillet — TROMBONE — 🎓 Peter Sullivan | Jun 21 – 28 juin 🎓 Vanessa Fralick | Jun 28 juin – Jul 5 juillet — BASS TROMBONE | TROMBONE BASSE — 🎓 Pierre Beaudry | Jul 5–12 juillet — TUBA — 🎓 Chris Lee | Jul 5–12 juillet 🎶 Link in bio to meet the full faculty. 🎶 Consultez le lien en bio pour voir tous les profs. #NYOCanada #BrassFaculty #NYO2026 #OrchestralLife #Cuivres
🎵 #ThankfulThursday 🎵 The Award of Excellence isn 🎵 #ThankfulThursday 🎵 The Award of Excellence isn't just a scholarship, it's a launchpad. We're so proud of the musicians whose journeys remind us why this program exists and grateful for the support of the Sir Ernest MacMillan Memorial Foundation. Daniel Ketter (2024 recipient 🎶) — From NYO Canada's Aurora and Horizons tours to the stage of the Albany Symphony, Daniel now holds the Principal Clarinet chair and was recently named a Clarinet Fellow at Tanglewood. He's pursuing his Master's at the Eastman School of Music. Declan Scott (2023 recipient 🎺) — A trumpeter from the Toronto area who performed at the G20 Summit in Indonesia, Declan is now Principal Trumpet with the Canadian Opera Company. From our stage to one of Canada's premier opera houses. Sarah Yang (2022 recipient 🎻) — Named one of CBC's "30 Hot Classical Musicians Under 30," Sarah has held concertmaster positions from NYO Canada to the Casalmaggiore International Festival, and is now an academist with the Deutsche Kammerakademie in Neuss am Rhein, Germany, studying Konzertexamen at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg. Eugene Ye (2021 recipient 🎻) — Eugene brought his cello to the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra as Principal Cellist while studying Applied Math at Harvard, and has since launched a career in investment banking. Noah Larocque (2025 recipient 📯) — Our most recent recipient is already making waves. Noah holds the principal horn chair at the Université de Montréal orchestra, has won the prestigious Luc-Vinet Excellence Scholarship, and is freelancing with ensembles including the Orchestre Métropolitain and the Orchestre des Grands Ballets Canadiens, all while completing his undergraduate degree. Six Musicians $5,000 each. A lifetime of impact. 💙 Photo 1 of Noah warming up before a performance in Winnipeg Photo 2 of Daniel Ketter after a performance in Koerner Hall in 2023 Photo 3 of Declan Scott during NYO in 2023 Photo 4 of Sarah Yang at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts in Kingston #NYOCanada #AwardOfExcellence #ClassicalMusic #YoungMusicians #CanadianMusic
🎵 Meet the Wind Faculty! 🎵 Rencontrez les professe 🎵 Meet the Wind Faculty! 🎵 Rencontrez les professeurs de vents! — FLUTE | FLÛTE — 🎓 Kelly Zimba | Jun 21 juin – 28 juin 🎓 Jacinthe Forand | Jun 28 juin – Jul 5 juillet 🎓 Joanna G’froerer | Jul 5 – 12 juillet — OBOE | HAUTBOIS — 🎓 Anna Petersen | Jun 21 juin – 28 juin 🎓 Sarah Jeffrey | Jun 28 juin – Jul 5 juillet 🎓 Charles Hamann | Jul 5 – 12 juillet — CLARINET | CLARINETTE — 🎓 James Campbell | Jun 21–28 juin 🎓 Alain Desgagné | Jun 28 juin – Jul 12 juillet — BASSOON | BASSON — 🎓 Kathleen McLean | Jun 21 – 28 juin 🎓 Marlène Ngalissamy | Jun 28 juin – Jul 12 juillet 🎶 Link in bio to meet the full faculty. 🎶 Consultez le lien en bio pour voir tous les profs. #NYOCanada #WindFaculty #NYO2026 #OrchestralLife #Vents
“I think the thing that surprised me the most abou “I think the thing that surprised me the most about being at Juilliard for nearly 6 years now is the impact my fellow colleagues at school have on my wellbeing and playing.” NYO alum Bobby Thompson on the unexpected education that happens outside the practice room. “To be in a supportive but ambitious and motivating environment is crucial and I was surprised how much that helped me grow as a player. I am often inspired and look up to other players at school, both as kind individuals and expressive artists.” Bobby also credits a transformative lesson with then-NYO flute faculty Lorna McGhee: “She taught me about musicality and phrasing and made me approach standard bassoon excerpts with a whole different perspective and I’ve carried that openness with me always.” “I think it requires an openness of mind and humility to learn from your peers, they often have different answers to musical or technical challenges and it’s always a good thing to have a different perspective on how a piece or passage is played.” #NYOCanada #NYOAlumni #MusicEducation #Collaboration
🎻 Get to Know Our Strings Faculty! 🎻 We can’t wait 🎻 Get to Know Our Strings Faculty! 🎻 We can’t wait to welcome you to NYO this summer! 🎻 Rencontrez notre équipe de professeurs de cordes! 🎻Nos professeurs ont hâte de vous accueillir au sein de NYO cet été! — VIOLIN | VIOLON — 🎻 Andrew Wan | Jun 21–26 🎻 Jonathan Crow | Jun 21–26 🎻 Erika Raum | Jun 21–Jul 5 🎻 Mark Fewer | Jun 21–Jul 5 🎻 David Bernat | Jun 28–Jul 5 🎻 Jasmine Lin | Jun 28–Jul 5 🎻 Marie Bérard | Jun 28–Jul 5 🎻 Aaron Schwebel | Jul 5–12 — VIOLA | ALTO — 🎻 Sharon Wei | Jun 21–26 🎻 Matthew Cohen | Jun 28–Jul 5 🎻 Neal Gripp | Jun 28–Jul 12 — CELLO | VIOLONCELLE — 🎻 Cameron Crozman | Jun 21–26 🎻 David Hetherington | Jun 21–Jul 12 🎻 Deborah Pae | Jun 28–Jul 5 — DOUBLE BASS | CONTREBASSE — 🎻 Jeffrey Beecher | Jun 21–Jul 5 🎻 Ali Yazdanfar | Jul 5–12 🎶 Link in bio to meet the full faculty. 🎶 Consultez le lien en bio pour voir tous les profs. #NYOCanada #StringsFaculty #Strings #NYO2026 #OrchestralLife
🎶 We have 26 amazing monthly donors as of March 31 🎶 We have 26 amazing monthly donors as of March 31st! 🎉 That's 26 champions who believe in giving talented young musicians the chance to shine, no matter their financial background. Welcome to the heart of NYO Canada! ❤️ Your monthly gifts mean: → More stability for our summer plans → More confidence in saying "yes" to talent → More life-changing opportunities for musicians Together, you're contributing around $1,200/month - an incredible $16,000/year investing in young Canadian artists. "Without the honorarium, I couldn't have justified doing NYO. It made participation possible." - Félix Nunes, NYO 2025 alum. To our newest monthly donors: Thank you for believing in musicians like Félix. 🙌 Not a donor yet? Join this inspiring community today! Link in bio. #ThankfulThursday #MakeItMonthly #NYOCanada #SupportTheArts
🌟 Congratulations to Sabina Sandvoss, @sabinasandv 🌟 Congratulations to Sabina Sandvoss, @sabinasandvosscello cellist from Alberta, winner of the 2026 @CanadaCouncil Michael Measures First Prize ($25,000), and the incredible Davin Mar, @davinwmar violist from British Columbia, recipient of the Second Prize ($15,000)! 🇨🇦🎶🎉 Félicitations à Sabina Sandvoss, violoncelliste de l’Alberta, lauréate du premier Prix Michael-Measures 2026 du @Conseildesarts (25 000 $), ainsi qu’à l’incroyable Davin Mar, altiste de la Colombie-Britannique, récipiendaire du deuxième prix (15 000 $) ! 🇨🇦🎶🎉 This year, history is being made...twice! Sabina becomes the first female cellist to win First Prize, and Davin becomes the first violist ever to receive the Michael Measures Prize! 🏆 Et cette année, l’histoire s’écrit doublement ! Sabina devient la première femme violoncelliste à remporter le premier prix, et Davin devient le premier altiste à recevoir un Prix Michael-Measures ! Catch Sabina and Davin live with NYO Canada this summer on our 2026 Canadiana Tour, where Sabina will perform Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 as soloist in Toronto, Parry Sound, Kingston, and Ottawa! 🎶 Venez voir Sabina et Davin en concert avec NYO Canada cet été lors de notre Tournée Canadiana 2026 ! Venez écouter Sabina et Davin en concert avec NYO Canada cet été lors de notre Tournée Canadiana 2026 ! 📍 Tour stops / Arrêts de la tournée: Toronto, Stratford, Parry Sound, Kingston, Ottawa & Saint-Irénée! 📅 Full details + tickets / Détails et billets en bio 🔗 🎉 Drop your congratulations for Sabina and Davin in the comments! | Laissez vos messages de félicitations ci-dessous ! #CanadaCouncil #NYOCanada #ClassicalMusic #Cello #Viola
Meet the 2026 NYO Canada orchestra. 🎻 90 young mus Meet the 2026 NYO Canada orchestra. 🎻 90 young musicians. Hundreds of auditions. One extraordinary summer together. This July, under the baton of incoming Music Director Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, Canada’s finest emerging orchestral talent takes the stage for the Canadiana Tour, six cities, six chances to witness something special. 📍 Toronto · Stratford · Parry Sound · Kingston · Ottawa · Saint-Irénée “My goal is to program concerts that are both musically excellent and genuinely welcoming — where every Canadian can see themselves reflected, feel they belong, and truly fall in love with the Orchestra.” — Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, Music Director Tickets coming soon. 🔗 Link in bio. Voici l’orchestre 2026 de NYO Canada 🎻 90 jeunes musiciens. Des centaines d’auditions. Un été extraordinaire à vivre ensemble. Ce juillet, sous la baguette du nouveau directeur musical Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, les meilleurs jeunes talents orchestraux du Canada monteront sur scène pour la Tournée Canadiana , six villes, six occasions de vivre quelque chose d’exceptionnel. 📍 Toronto · Stratford · Parry Sound · Kingston · Ottawa · Saint-Irénée « Mon objectif est de programmer des concerts qui soient à la fois musicalement excellents et véritablement accueillants — où chaque Canadien peut se reconnaître, se sentir chez lui et tomber véritablement amoureux de l’Orchestre. » — Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, directeur musical Billets bientôt disponibles. 🔗 Lien en bio. #Canadiana2026 #NYOCanada #canadianmusic #YoungMusicians #JeunesMusiciens
“I think you have to prioritize placing your educa “I think you have to prioritize placing your education and ultimately your career in the right hands. A real mentor helps you realize your goals.” NYO Canada alum Bobby Thompson on choosing Juilliard - not for the name recognition, but for the teachers. Bobby studied with Kim Laskowski and Judith LeClair, both from the New York Philharmonic: “They were not only iconic players and had amazing orchestral careers but were kind and thoughtful teachers who bring their own experience and pedagogical perspectives to tackle the challenges of playing the bassoon.” “I learnt different things from both teachers but both of them navigated lessons with kindness, encouragement, considering new fundamental concepts, and always reminded me that we work on technique to serve a musical purpose.” Bobby’s advice for conservatory auditions? “Play for faculty you wish to study with beforehand. Get an idea of how they teach and how they address improving your playing.” Now finishing his master’s degree, Bobby will join Orchestre symphonique de Québec in late spring. #NYOCanada #NYOAlumni #Juilliard #Mentorship #MusicEducation
This is the vibe at NYO Canada. And it’s the vibe This is the vibe at NYO Canada. And it’s the vibe we want for our musicians, too. To current and future orchestra members: Whether this is your first summer or you’re an alum, the NYO Canada staff is here for you. Interpersonal problems? Communication issues? Struggling with something? Homesick? Overwhelmed? Need someone to talk to? We’re here. From our CEO to our summer staff, a big part of our job is being a safe, supportive part of your community before, during, and after your summer with NYO Canada. You’re not just a roster number. You’re a young person navigating an intensive program away from home, and we take that seriously. If you need support, reach out. We’ll figure it out together. #BehindTheScenes #NYOCanada #SupportiveCommunity #MusicianWellness #WeGotYou
Meet Sue Irvine: NYO Canada’s longest-standing mon Meet Sue Irvine: NYO Canada’s longest-standing monthly donor 💙 Sue’s connection to NYO spans generations. Her late husband, Greg, first attended as a musician in 1976, eventually going on to work with us and join the board. Their son Adrian followed in his footsteps, attending his first session in 2011. “I continue to be a monthly donor because I know that NYOC needs our support all year in order to provide the life-changing summer sessions for the orchestra members.” - Sue Irvine Sue gives $125/month, enough to cover one musician’s full honorarium, because she believes every young musician deserves access to an experience like the one that shaped her family. Monthly donors like Sue are the backbone of our organization. Your consistent support allows us to plan confidently, commit to 92 full scholarships every summer, and keep NYO completely tuition-free. Every musician receives: → $25,000 scholarship (training + tour + room & board) → $1,500 honorarium (travel, meals, instrument care) This is possible because of monthly donors. Thank you, Sue, for 23 years of sustained support. And to everyone reading: will you join our community of monthly donors? Start your monthly gift: Link in bio 📷  Photo of Greg and Adrian from Adrian’s first session in 2011 📷  Photo of Sue and Adrian from Adrian’s 2014 session #ThankfulThursday #NYOCanada #MonthlyDonor #DonorSpotlight #SustainedGiving
What if your next instrument had a 300-year histor What if your next instrument had a 300-year history? 12 NYO Canada alumni have been named laureates of the @canada.council - Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank,- one of the most prestigious instrument programs in the world. Names like Bryan Cheng. Cameron Crozman. Tiffany Yeung. Astrid Nakamura. Leland Ko. And seven more who started exactly where you are now. The 2026 MIB competition is officially open, and this year's field includes two extraordinary additions: a Gasparo da Salò viola ca. 1590 (the oldest viola ever included in the competition) and the 1759 Jeanne Lamon Santo Serafin baroque violin. Applications close April 1, 2026. Link in bio. Are you applying? Tag a string player who should be. 🎻 📸 Tiffany Yeung performing concerto solo in Toronto at Koerner Hall- 2023 📸 Cameron Crozman at NYO Canada in rehearsal - 2012 📸 LR Celia Morin, Alexia Hlynialuk, Astrid Nakamura, Austin Wu, and Anaïs Saucier-Lafond - part of the 2018 violin section #MusicalInstrumentBank #CanadaCouncil #ClassicalMusic #StringPlayers #CanadianMusicians
Three pieces of advice from NYO alum Rachel Szabo Three pieces of advice from NYO alum Rachel Szabo for young flutists: “Stop obsessing over perceived prestige, awards, accolades, and conservatory names. Some of my greatest ‘failures’ opened doors to my biggest opportunities. Rejection is just redirection. Trust your own unique journey — there is no wrong path.” Rachel’s own path has taken her from NYO Canada (where she won the Payne-Lyon Prize and Award of Excellence) to a master’s degree in Copenhagen completed essentially for free thanks to EU citizenship, to advanced studies in Paris, to winning her hometown Kingston Symphony position, to performing with the Canadian Opera Company. “Adjusting to a new culture and way of life can be challenging at first, but I see it as an opportunity for growth. From navigating daily life in a second language to studying in a new musical environment, every experience has strengthened my resilience, adaptability, and independence.” #NYOCanada #NYOAlumni #MusicAdvice #CareerPath
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NYO Canada

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