Florence Man and Bernard Sze Establish Historic Endowment for The Royal Conservatory’s Taylor Academ
Florence Man and Bernard Sze Establish Historic Endowment for The Royal Conservatory’s Taylor Academy
Published on February 5, 2025
The Gift Will Support The Taylor Academy’s Annual Concerto Competition
Florence and Bernard with Taylor Academy students
Florence Man and Bernard Sze, devoted supporters of The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), have ensured the annual Concerto Competition at The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists will thrive for generations to come. Their recent $500,000 donation includes the largest ever endowed gift exclusively for The Taylor Academy, establishing a permanent fund to support the newly renamed Florence Man & Bernard Sze Concerto Competition.
“The Florence Man & Bernard Sze Concerto Competition provides Canada’s brightest young musicians with a unique opportunity to learn and grow amid the rigours of friendly competition,” says Alexander Brose, Michael and Sonja Koerner President & CEO. “We are most grateful to Florence and Bernard for this extraordinary gift that safeguards this important element of The Taylor Academy’s comprehensive music training.”
The inaugural Florence Man & Bernard Sze Concerto Competition takes place on Sunday February 9, in Mazzoleni Concert Hall at The Royal Conservatory’s TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning.
“Florence and Bernard have created a remarkable legacy of support for the next generation,” says Barry Shiffman, Director of The Taylor Academy. “They understand the challenges faced by young musicians and are passionate about standing alongside and supporting them. I am deeply moved and grateful for their kindness and generosity.”
"As donors to The Royal Conservatory's Glenn Gould School for several years, we enjoyed so many rewarding interactions with our scholarship recipients and all the other students who study there,” the couple said. “These experiences prompted us to expand our impact to The Taylor Academy to support the development of the RCM's youngest and brightest talents. We are so proud to leave a lasting legacy of support for these incredible young musicians and are delighted that generations to come will continue to thrive at the RCM."
The annual competition, a highlight of The Taylor Academy’s performance calendar, sees students perform for a jury of respected musicians and pedagogues. This year’s adjudicators include internationally renowned violinist Jerzy Kapłanek (Penderecki String Quartet) and Lydia Wong, Head of the Piano Department at the University of Toronto.
Winners in the Junior and Senior divisions are awarded the opportunity to perform their concerto in a special concert with an RCM faculty-led chamber orchestra. The Junior concert takes place on Thursday, March 20 at 7:30 PM in Mazzoleni Concert Hall while the Senior concert is on Sunday, April 27 at 7:30 PM in Koerner Hall. Free tickets are available at rcmusic.com/concerts.
Previous winners of the competition include: