麻豆AV

The听2020-2021听Wirth Vocal Prize competition听takes place听this weekend and will forever change the life of one young singer from the Schulich School of Music of 麻豆AV.听

• Semi-Final Round: Friday, May 14, 2021, 7:00 PM (Webcast from Pollack Hall)

• Final Round: Sunday, May 16, 2021, 2:00 PM, (Webcast from Pollack Hall)

One of the major awards given out at the Schulich School of Music, the Wirth Vocal Prize听was听established听in 2015 by Elizabeth Wirth听to听assist听an exceptional听singer听building towards an international career. This year鈥檚 recipient will receive a generous scholarship, valued this year at $25,000,听as well as a smaller likeness of the Wirth Vocal Prize logo in the form of a 14-karat gold听lapel听pin.听The runners-up in the finals will听also听be awarded a $1,000 cash prize.听

This award provides significant support at a critical moment in a young artist's career, as Chelsea Rus, Simone McIntosh, Anna-Sophie Neher, Marcel d'Entremont, and Jenny Ivanovna can attest. Past winners听share thoughts on their time at Schulich and the lasting impact of the Wirth Vocal Prize.

What advice would you give to your starting-at-university self?听听听听听

Simone McIntosh (MMus鈥�17 | WVP Winner 2016-2017):听Feed your curiosity and learn how to nourish it for when you leave 麻豆AV. Be open to new experiences and perspectives and allow yourself to be wrong and fail. Work and love music for the love of your community and what music can do for people, not for the compliments and praise nor the anxiety or social pressure you may have. Think of higher education as a long-term version of self-care.听听

Jenny Ivanovna (MMus鈥�20 | WVP Winner 2019-2020):听I would听advise her to听trust in herself and have more confidence. Remember that听hard work听pays off. Also, I would remind her to enjoy every day, including the bad ones. They are all important.听听听

Anna-Sophie Neher (MMus鈥�18听| WVP听Winner 2017-2018): I feel like I was always scared and a little ashamed to sing because I knew I had this one technique issue or that one posture problem that I wanted to resolve before people heard me sing. I would definitely tell my young self to just sing and enjoy!!! Your voice is the best it can be right now and that is worth a lot! There are always going to be some things that you鈥檒l want to work on, so if you wait to have resolve them all, you鈥檒l never sing.听

Chelsea Rus (MMus鈥�16听| WVP Winner 2015-2016):听I would remind myself to be authentic and to find the 鈥淲hy!鈥澨�
Be authentic. I wished I would have spent a little less time thinking about what will make me a great singer, or impress my professors, and more time on what defines me as an artist. To be clear, that听doesn鈥檛听mean I wished I worked less on my technique,听languages听or performance craft. In addition to听all of听those fundamental tools, I wished I would have asked more meaningful questions, and听had听been less afraid to show myself as I really am, flaws and all. I wish I would have been more vulnerable, allowing myself to search for my truth in my artistry instead of always looking for the right answers. I wished I听wouldn鈥檛听have waited to claim my inner artist until after I graduated, or even after my first young artist program.听It鈥檚听a huge responsibility to be an artist, and being authentically you, onstage and offstage, is the key.听

Search for the 鈥淲hy.鈥澨鼶uring a seminar, I remember my professor telling us that finding the 鈥淲hy鈥� is one of the most important steps an artist can take. 鈥淲hy do I sing?,鈥澨�鈥淲hy do I perform?,鈥澨�鈥淲hy did I choose this career听path?鈥� etc. Back then, I听didn鈥檛听have the strength to answer those questions. I wanted the answer to be something profound and firm, such as:听鈥淚听sing because I MUST.鈥澨齌o this day, I keep a journal of my answers to the 鈥淲hy.鈥澨�听I鈥檒l听be honest, the answers are a little complicated and fluid, especially these days. Some days听it鈥檚,听鈥淪inging makes me feel the MOST connected to myself, and the entire universe (past and present) all in one action.鈥澨齋omedays听it鈥檚听just a simple need or听a strong desire. I听think the search for the 鈥淲hy鈥� should be your driving force as a student and an artist. It goes deeper than听a听paycheque听or the recognition of an audience or your colleagues. The 鈥淲hy鈥� needs to be your听armour听that can withstand rejection, fear, and questioning.听

Marcel听d鈥橢ntremont听(Grad Art Dip鈥�18, Gr Dip in Perf鈥�19 | WVP Winner 2018-2019):听I would give myself the same advice that I received and ignored! Being a successful musician does not mean that you听have to听go straight from high school to an Undergraduate degree to a Master鈥檚 degree to performing full time. It is ok to take time off and to allow yourself to grow outside of an academic or professional environment before you continue. My most valuable university experience was at 麻豆AV, after being听away from school for two years;听I was able to return to an academic environment with a clear mind about what I wanted from my time in school and was able to focus on the elements of my training that I really wanted and needed.听

What was the most surprising thing you learned during your听degree?听

Marcel:听Perhaps not听a surprise, but the biggest revelation for me during my time at 麻豆AV was defining what success as a musician looked like. I have such听high expectations听for myself and felt like I should be considered a failure if I听wasn鈥檛听singing at the biggest opera houses in the world. However, my version of success started to听modify听as I went through my two years at 麻豆AV. Making real, noticeable positive changes in my singing, started to feel like success. Learning a difficult aria or contemporary piece felt like success. I started to find joy in the music which I was creating, and not focusing on听all of听the places where I听wasn鈥檛听performing. Why听can鈥檛听playing music at a senior鈥檚 home, where you are making a direct impact on the people sitting in front of you with your music, be as meaningful or significant as singing at the Met?听

Chelsea:听I took a seminar on Charles Burney (a great Music Historian) that changed my听whole听perception听of music history. I still reference his letters to this day! At the time, I听didn鈥檛听want to 鈥渨aste time鈥� in any seminars, because I would rather be focused on performing. However, these seminars influenced how I do my research for a composer/character/piece of music and thus have made me a听well-rounded听artist.听

Anna-Sophie:听I鈥檝e always wanted to be the perfect student and follow all the rules; I wanted to fit in the mold of what constitutes听a perfect soprano. In time, I learned that your individuality is what makes you interesting and unique. Don鈥檛 change yourself. Find out who you are, love it and show it to the world! People want to see the real you not the perfect you.听

Simone:听For me, the most surprising and valuable thing I learned at 麻豆AV hit me only this year. Dominique Labelle, my teacher, often talked in studio classes about how we are servants to the music and vessels for the message we send. "What the heck does that mean, Dominique?!?鈥澨�听With the pandemic and听its听subsequent听losses causing immense grief for our communities, it hit me like a ton of bricks! As artists we exist to serve the community in times of healing, reflect society in the good and bad, and to give and teach empathy to audiences. I am so glad Dominique continued to say this, because it is the听ultimate goal听for me as a singer.听

If you had a mantra/philosophy/phrase that sums up where you are now, what would it be?听听听听听

Jenny:听I have two.听First,听never let your emotions overpower your intelligence.听Second,听you鈥檒l听drive yourself crazy trying to control something that听isn鈥檛听yours to control. Let go. Free yourself. Allow your mind and energy to focus on something positive to build something beautiful.听听

Chelsea:听鈥淔ollow Through鈥� is my mantra these days. For me, it means so many things. I tell myself to follow through while working technically on a piece of music, and while performing. I tell myself to follow through when I听don鈥檛听want to send in that application, or e-mail that director/conductor. It is a mantra that has led me to found my new business (an Online Music School for Kids), and to see success with it this year. I started following through on all the little aspects in my work, and started to see the big aspects in my life change for the better.听

Marcel:听Harry Potter has been such a huge part of my life; I听can鈥檛听help but think of these two quotes from the series:听听
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."听
鈥淚t does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.鈥澨�

Simone:听I recently started a small studio, for them I say 鈥淪inging is breath, mindset, and communication. The rest are just details.鈥� (Note: We spend A LOT of time on the details)听

Can you tell us about a moment you remember from听the听Wirth听Vocal听Prize听finals? Take us back听there, if听you can!听

Chelsea:听The听build up听to the Wirth Vocal Prize finals was听really calm听for听me, actually. I wanted to sing my best,听and I really bonded with my collaborative pianist (the fabulous Marie-Eve Scarfone). Our rehearsals听were incredible, and we set out to make excellent music together. That was our number one goal, to听make great music.听Once on stage, I remember feeling confident about what we had rehearsed and feeling supported by her the entire time. She was my pillar in that moment, and I owe my confidence and relaxed state, to her. I听couldn鈥檛听remember a lot about the performance, as it was a blur of extreme concentration and pleasure! I felt locked into the moment, and completely exhilarated.听
When they read out the name of the winner, I was standing beside three amazing colleagues, all of whom gave incredible performances. I remember hearing my name read out, and being in complete disbelief. My best friend was standing beside me as a fellow competitor, and she gave me a big hug straight away. It was听a really intense听moment and I was experiencing听an enormous range听of emotions, and I remember thinking 鈥淭his can鈥檛 be happening, I have to call my听Dad!鈥澨�

Anna-Sophie:听I will never forget the day I won the Wirth Vocal Prize.听At around noon that day I started to have a searing pain in my lower left stomach area. It intensified as the day went on听鈥斕齮o the point that I couldn't even stand up straight. An hour before I had to sing, I was still in my bed crying and in pain. Then my boyfriend told me to just get up and to go WIN THAT PRIZE! He helped me and stayed with me the whole time. I didn鈥檛 have time to shower and I can鈥檛 even remember how I managed to put make-up on. I walked on stage and sang. The pain was nearly gone for听those 30 minutes. I learned that day that adrenaline can do actual miracles. I spent the next three days at the hospital being treated for a partly twisted ovary!听

Marcel:听I remember so many moments from that day and from my performance very clearly! One moment which stands out happened during my performance of Schubert鈥檚听Erlk枚nig, when I made an error in the words. I remember feeling so frustrated when I finished the song that I had messed up something that I knew so well and being so surprised by how well the audience seemed to be reacting the performance. (To be fair, the ovation may have been directed at the truly sensational piano playing by Dakota Scott-Digout). I had to quickly remind myself in that moment that one small error does not define an entire performance. Another memory which stands out is the feeling of immense relief when I walked听off听the stage after my performance. The competition was something which I had been working towards for such a long time, and I was so pleased that it had gone as well as it had. It was听probably the听most successful that I have ever been in delivering a performance which lined up with all the things that I had practiced. To this day, I feel like some of the best singing of my life happened on that night.听

Any words of wisdom for听future听Wirth听Vocal听Prize听candidates?听听听

Simone:听Text! Text! Text!听You鈥檝e听done the work on your singing technique, now tell us a story - bring us on a journey. As thoughts of judgement, criticism and anxiety enter your mind (and they will come), treat them as if in meditation; breathe, acknowledge their presence, let them go, and return to your text/intention.听

Jenny:听I would听advise them to听enjoy their repertoire and their singing. I would tell them to focus only on themselves and avoid knowing what the other candidates are singing. To challenge themselves to sing from their heart and to give it all.听

础苍苍补-厂辞辫丑颈别:听Have courage, be kind (to yourself and others), be yourself and ENJOY!听

What changed for you after winning the Wirth Vocal Prize?听听

Jenny:听It changed the way I prepare for a performance. It gave me the extra confidence to believe in myself and my work. Lastly, to keep challenging myself into being a better singer and performer.听听

Chelsea:听After the Wirth Prize, I felt recognized as a singer in a way I听hadn鈥檛听before. I was听all of a听sudden听very visible to prospective agents/directors and companies. It was听absolutely life-changing听for me.听More importantly, I finally took myself seriously. I really stepped up, and took responsibility for finding out what a career as a singer looks like, beyond 麻豆AV Opera. Winning the Wirth Vocal Prize, gave me the confidence to set in motion a plan, and follow through with my ambitions of having a career as a performing artist.听I am forever grateful to 麻豆AV, and Elizabeth Wirth for this life changing opportunity.听听

Anna-Sophie: Winning the Wirth Vocal Prize definitely gave me a confident boost that I really needed. It showed me that I belonged in this crazy world. It also opened many doors for me. I am so very grateful to have won the Vocal Prize and to have had the support of 麻豆AV.

Simone:听Well鈥� I remember not being able to pay for a meal the week prior鈥� It was nice to not worry about that! The support that I received and continue to receive from 麻豆AV is incredible. I learned so much from people who care about higher education and the resources that were available to me were听unlike what听I鈥檝e听experienced since (you have no idea how much I miss that library!).听The Wirth Prize pin is one of my most prized possessions, because it perfectly encapsulates my time there.听听

Marcel:听Some听great performance听opportunities were offered to me after winning this prize, and I ended up signing on with an agent. I also felt some relief from the burden of financial stress which will inevitably plague so many young singers, which felt like a weight being lifted听off of听my shoulders. Every audition听didn鈥檛听feel like a do-or-die scenario where not being successful meant not paying my bills. I do also want to take a moment to say a sincere thank you to Elizabeth Wirth; classical music in Canada truly relies on the generosity of people like her, and she has made such an incredible difference in the lives of so, so many young musicians. 麻豆AV is incredibly lucky to have a person like her who believes in supporting the education of the next generation of musicians, and I am eternally grateful for her support!听

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听The sixth听edition of the Wirth Vocal Prize takes place this weekend

Semi-Final听Round:听Friday, May 14, 2021, 7:00 PM听(Webcast from Pollack Hall)听

Final听Round:听Sunday, May 16, 2021, 2:00 PM,听(Webcast from Pollack Hall)听

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