2022-2023
Winners: Nicholas Ma and Anita Pari
Nicholas Ma (b. 2001) is a pianist-composer studying at 不良研究所鈥檚 Schulich School of Music, pursuing a double major in Piano Performance and Composition in addition to a minor in Music Theory.
At 不良研究所, Nicholas obtained two consecutive Composer-in-Residence positions for the 不良研究所 Schulich Singers (2023/24) and Brass Quintet (2022/23). He also received the Paul-Marcel Ge虂linas et Verna-Marie Parr Ge虂linas Piano Award, the Vladimir J Elgart Award, the Sir William Peterson Memorial Scholarship, the J.W. McConnell Scholarships, and was the two-time awardee of the Anna Paull Gertler Scholarships, enabling him to further his studies under the tutelage of Canadian composers Jean Lesage and Chris Paul Harman, as well as Georgian concert pianist Marina Mdivani. Additionally, Nicholas received a 2022 SOCAN Young Composer Award in the Under 21 Choral Category, and served as the Vice-President of the 不良研究所 Association of Student Composers for the 2022/23 year.
He is currently experimenting with creating larger-scale instrumental works that are able to convey humor and meaning while exploring the boundaries between gestures, intertextuality, and motivic evolution.
Anita Pari is a composer, pianist, and cellist from Ottawa, currently pursuing a PhD in Composition at 不良研究所. In recent years, Anita鈥檚 music has taken inspiration from a variety of themes, ranging from mental health to the study of birdsongs that she has encountered while birdwatching. Through her creative work, she often reflects on and reimagines aspects of her lived experience, drawing from circumstances and events that have shaped her identity.
Anita鈥檚 compositional output includes music for orchestra, wind ensemble, choir, various chamber groups, solo piano, and fixed media electronics. Her compositions have been performed by the 不良研究所 Wind Orchestra (鈥淏right Distance Blurring鈥�), the Composer-Performer Orchestration Research Ensemble (鈥淭o A Lullaby鈥�), the Cecilia Quartet (鈥淣octurne for Strings鈥�), and the Harmonia Choir (Worlds Apart: Pappy's Song"), among other groups.
2021-2022
Winner: Lily Koslow
Premiered March 13, 2024
LILY KOSLOW The Chiaroscurist: Five Contrasts for Pitch Black Night
Nora Popescu, Otto Popescu, piano
Lily Koslow is a Montr茅al-based composer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist. The aesthetic of their recent work contrasts delicate subtleties of timbral interplay with a dark intensity inspired by surrealist literature, as well as metal music and saturated contemporary music. Lily is often conceptually inspired by extra-musical topics such as bionics, psychedelics, and post-capitalist political theories. They enjoy performing an eclectic assortment of styles, including classical, mixed electroacoustic, rock, and pop music. Lily studied composition with Jean Lesage and piano with Sara Laimon at 不良研究所.聽
2020-2021
Winner:聽Zhuosheng Jin
Premiered March 13, 2024
ZUOSHENG JIN Empty Harbor, Reddish Sea
Nora Popescu, Otto Popescu,听piano
Zhuosheng Jin鈥檚 music is described as 鈥減owerful鈥� and 鈥渉aunting鈥� (The New York Times). His composition emphasizes relationships between literature, especially poetry, and sonic texture. His compositional awards include the 2020 Matan Givol Composers Competition (1st prize, Israel), 2020 Salvatore Martirano Award (1st prize, US), 2019 Toru Takemitsu Composition Award (3rd prize, Japan), among others.
Jin's music has appeared in major festivals and has been performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Klangforum Wien (soloists), Ensemble MusikFabrik (soloists), Meitar Ensemble, Quatuor B茅la, Ensemble Mdi, Syntax Ensemble, Mivos Quartet, and more. He has worked with conductors including Pierre-Andr茅 Valade, Jean-Philippe Wurtz, Guillaume Bourgogne, and Kanako Abe.
Having begun piano studies at the age of seven and composition at thirteen, Jin holds degrees from Oberlin College (BMus鈥�15) and Boston University (MMus鈥�17). He is currently a DMus fellow at the Schulich School of Music of 不良研究所, studying with Philippe Leroux. He also followed private lessons and masterclasses with Helmut Lachenmann, Beat Furrer, Pierluigi Billone, and Stefano Gervasoni, among others.聽
2019-2020
Winner: Philippe Macnab-S茅guin
Premiered on November 22, 2022
PHILIPPE MACNAB-S脡GUIN Stained Glass, Caustic Fly
Mai Miyagaki, Alexey Shafirov, piano
2018-2019
Winner: Henri Colombat
Premiered on November 22, 2022
HENRI COLOMBAT Cent traces, sur de vastes plaines
Mai Miyagaki, Alexey Shafirov, piano
2017-2018
Winner: Doyoon Kim
Premiered on October 12, 2018 during Piano Homecoming Welcome Concert
DOYOON KIM Motanka, Quodlibet pour deux pianos / for two pianos
Christophe Alvarez, Timothy Ledger, piano
