We are offering a week long summer intensive in this course. Classes begin July 2nd and end July 6th 2012.

Times are as follows:

Level 1: 9:30 – 10:30am

Level 2: 10:45 – 11:45am

Adult: 12:00 – 1:00pm

Call 943-6090 to register!

PIANO

Junior: The Dr. Lorne Watson Memorial Piano Scholarship

• Winner – Alexander Major

• Runner Up – Adaelia Wiebe

Intermediate: The Alice Nakauchi Memorial Scholarship

• Winner – Adam Kriegl

• Runner Up –  David Chung

Senior: The Senior Piano Scholarship

• Winner – Yilin Tian

• Runner Up – Temulun Bagen

GUITAR

Junior: The Junior Guitar Scholarship

• Winner – Dylan Thomas

• Runner Up – Kieran Cucina

Intermediate/Senior: The Intermediate/Senior Guitar Scholarship

• Winner – Steven Hess

• Runner Up – Thomas Manual

STRINGS

Junior: The Donna Grescoe Scholarship

• Winner – Brittany Boyko

• Runner Up – Elenora Amato

Intermediate/Senior: The Intermediate/Senior Violin Scholarship

• Winner – Abigail Pudwill

• Runner Up – Alexa Watson

VOICE

Junior: The Junior Voice Scholarship

• Winner – Grace Willmer

• Runner Up – Brittney Fredrickson

Intermediate: The Intermediate Voice Scholarship

• Winner – Jessica Eblie: The Intermediate Voice Scholarship

• Runner Up – Ian Ingram

Senior: The Dr. Robert Thorlakson Scholarship

• Winner – Layla Levesque

• Runner Up – Josh Mak-Wiebe

WINDS/BRASS

Junior: The Junior Wind/Brass Scholarship

• Winner – Fei Wang

• Runner Up – Thomas Steur

Intermediate/Senior: The Intermediate/Senior Wind/Brass Scholarship

• Winner – Kieya Kamau

OTHER

The CanWest Jazz Scholarship

• Winner – Claude Bellefeuille

The Cecil Semchyshyn Memorial Scholarship

• Winner – Kieran Cucina

Always wanted to take voice lessons but were afraid to try? This class will teach you the basics of vocal production, techniques and diction, all while tackling a variety of musical styles. Best of all, it’s taught in a laid back group atmosphere. This MCMA favourite will take your singing to the next level.

MCMA Fall Brochure

We are excited to announce a few of our fall group programs! We have pre-school programs, youth programs and adult programs, there is something for everyone! Each program is age-and-stage specific — a gateway to more and better music through comfortable, yet engaging challenges suited at every level of musical learning.

The Conservatory has a wonderful array of programs designed for children and adults at every age and stage of their musical journey:

• Beginners blossom in the company of others as they find their comfort zone.
• Families can sing and play together.
• A senior can belt out tunes with the gusto of a rock star.
• We even have non-playing courses for those who simply want to deepen their appreciation of music.

The instruction is impeccable and you’ll find friends who love music just as much as you do.

At the Conservatory, people just like you are expressing their musical selves. Follow your musical heart — pick a program — and join them.

The massed voices of a chorus make a sound like nothing else, and the absorbing course surveys the full history of this glorious medium. Choral Classics presents a wide range of music from all over the world using recordings of mixed, male, female, and children’s choruses. It covers the development of choral music from Gregorian Chant to beautiful recent works by composers such as Arvo Pärt and includes complete DVD performances of a Bach cantata, Haydn’s oratorio The Creation, Verdi’s Requiem (featuring Luciano Pavarotti), and Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.

Daytime Course: Tuesdays 10:30 – 12:30pm (April 9 – May 14, 2013)

Evening Course: Mondays 6:30 – 8:30pm (April 8 – May 13, 2013)

Location: Millenium Library, 251 Donald Street

Celebrate the timeless artistry of more musicians who brillian virtuosity and profound humanity made them legends in their fields! Through audio recordings, concert and documentary filds, Don Anderson examines the music-making and the personalities of violinist Jascha Heifetz, cellist/conductor Mstislav Rostropovich (two sessions), the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and conductor/composer/pianist/author/teacher Leonard Bernstein (two sessions).

Daytime Course: Tuesdays 10:30 – 12:30pm (November 5 – December 10, 2012)

Evening Course: Mondays 6:30 – 8:30pm (November 4 – December 11, 2012)

Location: Millenium Library, 251 Donald Street

Our Outreach programs include: Inner City Strings at William Whyte and Strathcona Schools; Inner City Guitar at Eagle Circle and Wi Wabigooni schools; and the Personal Care Home Performance Program offered at over twenty personal care facilities throughout the city.

Skender Sefa has been an instructor for the MCMA Outreach Program for over ten years.  He teaches at two inner-city schools with alternative programming and was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions about his experiences.  “Each week I visit both Wi Wabigooni and Eagle Circle School to teach outreach music classes.  Wi Wabigooni Elementary School is an off campus program of Victoria Albert School.  Eagle Circle School is a junior high off campus program of Hugh John MacDonald.  At both schools, I teach the students to play guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and we do some singing as well.”

The students have really taken to Skender and his method of teaching.  From Beethoven to Bieber, Skender says his students, “absolutely love to have music classes. Each week when I walk in the door, I consistently hear ‘take me in the first group, please, please, please’”.

The feedback he has gotten from teachers is extremely encouraging as well, “The teachers tell me that the students practice music every chance they can get.  They practice in the morning before school starts, then during breaks, and at lunch time as well.”  It sounds like these students have really incorporated music into their daily lives … a dream for any music instructor!

Skender’s students are not just limiting their music making to the classrooms and hallways of their schools; they have a very active performing schedule as well.  They have performed for several United Way events and just recently have performed at the Centennial Concert Hall in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Rising Stars series on the Piano Nobile.

Skender has found great reward in teaching the students of Wi Wabigooni and Eagle Circle.  “To see them progress and build confidence and have fun is a great thing to witness.  I am so proud of them and I enjoy making music with them every week.”

It takes a lot of help to make this program happen.  The MCMA receives grants from the Arts Branch, MB4Youth, several private foundations and private and corporate donors.  Long & McQuade generously supports the Conservatory by loaning instruments to the program free of charge.  Donations to the Outreach Program are always welcome; if you would like to sponsor a student please contact us at 943-6090 or download our Outreach Sponsor Form.

Violinist Christine Choi is a medical doctor with a passion for chamber music.  Blair and Michael met her at a chamber music gathering a year ago and have been enthusiastic about collaborating with her in a concert ever since.  Violist Elise Lavallée is currently the assistant principal violist at the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.  Michael has played for her students before and is excited to incorporate her sensitive playing into the program on June 1.  The audience is definitely in for a treat with this group of accomplished chamber musicians.

Michael Oike enjoys chamber music immensely, “It is wonderful music and the most fun to collaborate with other great musicians and friends”.  Despite his passion for classical music, Michael did not always have piano in his sights “It wasn’t the goal … being an actuary was, but I decided to give the music thing a try first and never looked back!”  We are lucky that this wonderful pianist and teacher chose music as his path.  His studio is currently full in both Winnipeg and Steinbach plus he has an extremely active adjudicating and performing schedule.  Michael is also the faculty representative on the MCMA Board and Programming Committee.  He is dedicated to the festival movement and its continuing support for music students –  he has served as President of the Winnipeg Music Festival and Piano Syllabus Chair of the AMAF Provincial Syllabus Committee. Michael’s reasons for teaching are simple, “I like to work with kids; they are lots of fun and they also keep me young!”  Sounds like a good strategy to me!

Blair Burns had wanted to become a professional musician shortly after starting lessons at the age of 12.  “It was the perfect thing for me at the time and was both rewarding and challenging.”  This Saskatchewan born cellist began his post-secondary studies at the University of Manitoba then completed his Masters of Music at McGill University.  He had a performing career in Germany as well, playing with the LOH-Orchester Sondershausen and Stadtisches Orchester Bremerhaven. Blair has so much experience to draw from, which he passes on to his students with excitement: “I love music and I see learning the cello as an enjoyable way to develop as a human being. It involves your entire being. You must use your mind to solve technical and musical puzzles. You must overcome psychological barriers about discipline, believing in yourself, and public performance. You must use your heart and soul to express what a piece of music means to you. I’ve been down many of these roads and enjoy helping others down their own path of discovery.”

We are overjoyed that faculty members Michael Oike and Blair Burns are collaborating in An Evening of Ensemble, on June 1 at 8 pm.  Michael promises that “It’s going to be a fun, fantastic Friday evening!” Tickets are $10 for MCMA students and $15 for general admission.  Call 943-6090 to order yours today!

Board of Director’s Community Player Scholarship

Recognizing a commitment to community and music

This scholarship is open to all MCMA students that are enrolled in our individual instruction or outreach programs.

Selection process:  This award does not have an audition process. Instead, students will be evaluated on the basis of reference letters submitted with their application.

One successful applicant will receive an award of $500, in the form of a tuition waiver or a musical instrument credit (at a local music store). The winner will be announced in late May and asked to accept their award at the scholarship concert June 3^rd, 2012.

Application and letters must be submitted to Hillary Gair, Community Services Coordinator by:

Saturday May 26^th/2012

Evaluation Criteria:

The successful candidate will show a clear commitment to music education, and consider this a priority in their life. This may be demonstrated in a number ways, such as:

1. Volunteer work in the music industry
2. Dedication to multiple instruments or disciplines (theory, history, harmony)
3. Regular attendance at music events
4. Self-directed initiative in lessons (extra practice/compositions/arrangements)
5. Collaboration with peers

Composition of reference letters:

A total of four letters will need to be submitted to be eligible for this award. Letters should emphasize the candidate’s involvement with the above criteria.  The composition of the reference letters are as follows:

1. One letter from a MCMA Faculty Member who instructs the applicant
2. Two letters from community members (e.g. Member of a church parish, band director, volunteer coordinator at a personal care home, student of MCMA applicant, peer reference).  References must have or had an ongoing relationship with the applicant and state this in the letter.
3. One letter from the applicant, stating their musical involvement, goals they hope to achieve through music education, and the impact this award will have on their study.

Download:    Community Player Award Guidelines Community Player Award Application

The concerts will take place on May 13 at 2pm (Mother’s Day!) and May 16 at 7:30pm. Michelle Mourre has put on a series of concerts in her beautiful home by the University of Manitoba at 100 Agassiz Drive. Come listen to some beautiful music in this intimate venue.

Tickets are $20 and can be reserved by calling Dawn at (231-1850 or 955-7464) or emailing dawn_bruch@hotmail.com. Seats are limited, so please save your spot right away. All are welcome!

Dawn and Michelle will perform some lovely repertoire by Barber, Schumann and Ravel, followed by a reception. It will be a fabulous way to celebrate family, friends and loved ones.

On my Heart Poster