RCM Community Shines at the 2023 Canada Council Musical Instrument Bank Competition

The Canada Council for the Arts announced the winners of its 2023 Musical Instrument Bank Competition which loans exquisitely crafted stringed instruments by exceptional luthiers such as Stradivarius, Gagliano, and Pressenda for a period of three years. Of the 21 winners, 18 are alumni, students or teachers of The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School, Taylor Academy or RCM Certificate Program. 

The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder with a mandate to foster and promote the study, enjoyment, and production of works in the arts, and the Musical Instrument Bank has supported many notable Canadian classical musicians (including James Ehnes and Nikki Chooi) to help them reach new heights in their careers. 

This year’s competition for a chance to borrow instruments made between the late 17th century and early 20th century included rigorous auditions and interviews, and concluded with the winners choosing their instrument in order of priority as determined by a peer assessment committee.  The three musicians who selected the coveted Stradivari violins are Alice Lee, Daniel Dastoor, and Emma Meinrenken – all alumni of either The Glenn Gould School or The Taylor Academy. 

Here is the complete list of RCM winners: 

• Alice Lee, alumna, The Taylor Academy – 1689 Baumgartner Stradivarius violin 
• Andrea Stewart, alumna, RCM Certficate Program – 1824 McConnell Nicolaus Gagliano II cello 
• Astrid Nakamura, alumna, The Taylor Academy –  ca. 1830-1850 Eckhardt-Gramatte Joachim Georges Chanot I violin 
• Cameron Crozman, alumnus, RCM Certificate Program – ca. 1750 Gennaro Gagliano cello 
• Christopher Hwang, teacher, RCM Certificate Program – 1929 Carlo Giuseppe Oddone cello 
• Christopher Whitley, alumnus, The Taylor Academy – 1900 Stefano Scarampella violin 
• Daniel Dastoor, alumnus, The Glenn Gould School – 1700 Taft Stradivarius violin 
• Daniel Hass, alumnus, The Taylor Academy – 1730 Newland Joannes Franciscus Celoniatus cello 
• David Baik, alumnus, RCM Certificate Program – 1871 Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin 
• Emma Meinrenken, alumna, The Taylor Academy – 1717 Windsor-Weinstein Stradivarius violin 
• Eva Aronian, alumna, RCM Certificate Program – 1715 Dominicus Montagnana violin 
• Gregory Lewis, alumnus, RCM Certificate Program – 1768 Miller Januarius Gagliano violin 
• Julia Mirzoev, Rebanks Fellow, The Glenn Gould School – 1747 Palmason Januarius Gagliano violin 
• Kumiko Sakamoto, alumna, RCM Certificate Program – 1820 Joannes Franciscus Pressenda violin 
• Lucy Wang, alumna, RCM Certificate Program – ca. 1700 Bell Giovanni Tononi violin 
• Tiffany Yeung, student, The Glenn Gould School – 1869 Jean Baptiste Vuillaume violin (with Vuillaume model bow) 
• Vivien Kukiel, alumna, The Taylor Academy – 1851 Jean Baptiste Vuillaume violin 
• Yu Kai Sun, alumna, The Glenn Gould School – 1757 Carlo Tononi Bolognese Violin