30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30, 2019 edition

It's a beloved summer tradition at CBC Music: our classical "30 under 30" list, celebrating the accomplishments of Canada's hottest young classical musicians.

Last year,Canadians cleaned upat some of the world's biggestinternational classical music competitions. This year's inductees into CBC Music's classical "30 under 30" community are continuing that winning trend.

Without exception, allof them told usthat they wouldn't be where they are today without the unconditional support of their parents. So, this year we dedicate our classical "30 under 30" list to these unsung heroeswho invest time and money to help their children be their best selves and reach their goals. Take a bow, moms and dads!

And now,meet this year's 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30, from oldest to youngest.

Is there a young classical musician who has grabbed your attention? Let us know via Twitter @CBCclassical.

Jillian Bonner, mezzo-soprano

Age: 29
From: Saint John

In 2005, at the historic Imperial Theatre in Saint John, Jillian Bonner sang in the chorus of Puccini's Tosca and her fate was sealed.Fourteen years and a lot of hard work later,she's basking in the afterglow of singing her first Charlotte in Massenet's Werther at the Lunenburg Academy of Music lastMay. "I have to actively convince myself to practise other music, instead of just constantly working on Werther!"

But other work does beckon: Bonner is heading to Toronto this fall to begin a Rebanks Family Fellowship at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and she'll make her debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in January 2020 as a soloist in Mozart's Requiem, the latter resulting from a collaboration between the TSO and Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium Young Artists initiative. If Bonner gets homesick for the lush greenery and ocean breezes of her native New Brunswick, she'll distract herself with this is weird a mix of horror and Disney movies.And when she's not belting out show tunes from Sondheim musicals ("he writes such beautiful, poignant lyrics"),she's busy advocating for social justice, "especially pertaining to feminism and the LGBTQIA+ community."

We raise a pint of Moosehead(Bonner'sfavourite) in herhonour.

Naomi Woo, conductor

Age: 29
From:North Vancouver

Hey, Winnipeg: get ready to welcome Naomi Woo to your fair city. She's moving there in September to become assistant conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, conductor of the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra, and artistic director of Winnipeg Sistema. "Ilook forward to getting to know many sides of this vibrant city," she says."I'm especially thrilled to be able to work with the musicians in the WSO it is such a warm community, and an absolutely stellar orchestra."

Woo will be arriving from Cambridge, England, where she recently submitted her PhD thesison 20th- and 21st-century piano tudes, includinga full chapter on Nicole Lize's Hitchcock tudes. "I really love the way she works with sound, and also how blurred the boundaries are between the live and electronic components of the music." Despite her busy schedule in Winnipeg, Woo will return to England in September to perform piano with Tangram, a collectivededicated to the new music of the Chinese diaspora, at the Rye Arts Festival. She loves Blossom Dearie ("her voice is just amazing"), greatly admiresMarin Alsop, and says nothing beats "working at the piano while a deer casually strolls up to the window to peer through" at the Banff Centre for the Arts.

Stephen Ivany, trombonist

Age: 29
From: Shoal Harbour, N.L.

"Other than sharks, bugs, heightsand open water,I think my biggest fear is not being heard," says Stephen Ivany, adding, "you can read into my choice of trombone all you want." Evidentlyyou can take the boy out of Newfoundland (all the way to Greenville, N.C., in fact, where Ivany is assistant professor of trombone and euphonium at East Carolina University) but you can't take thatNewfoundland sense of humour out of the boy.

Jokes aside, Ivany has had a busy year: he played second trombone inShostakovich's Symphony No. 10with the North Carolina Symphony underKarina Canellakisin January, did a recital tour of theCarolinas, Georgia, Alabama and Florida, and saw two of his graduating students get accepted into master's programs.Despite his many accomplishments, Ivany says he's constantly "in pursuit of total mastery" of hisinstrument and still regularly consults Scott Hartman, his formertrombone teacher at Yale, for guidance. This fall, fuelled by a steady diet of pink Starburst,he'll tourEcuador and Colombia with the Carnyx Trio, and in 2020, he'll release Monuments, an album featuring six new chamber works.

Bryn Blackwood, pianist

Age: 28
From: Toronto

The first thing to know about Bryn Blackwood is that, on his mother's side of the family, he's related to famed composer (and Alberti bass abuser) Muzio Clementi. If that name gives you piano-lesson PTSD, don't blame Blackwood: he has made up for itby winning first prizeat both the 2019 Eckhardt-Gramatt National Music Competition and the doctor of musical arts recital competition at U of T, where he studies with Marietta Orlov as a recipient ofthe Alice and Armen Matheson Graduate Scholarship.

While Blackwoodsays Jacob Collier's albumDjessereinvigorated his love of harmony, these days he's most likely to be diving deeply into the modernist works of Russian composer Nikolai Roslavets. "His music has such an expressively dark harmonic sense." An amateur baker,Blackwood unwinds either in the kitchen ("one day I will perfect macarons!")orthe campgrounds of Ontario. (Fun fact: he was a zipline/canopy tour guide for a number of years.) This fall, you can catch him playing music by Jean Coulthard, JacquesHtu and Brian Currenton his cross-Canada Eckhardt-GramattCompetition winner's concert tour.

We invited Blackwood to Glenn Gould Studio inToronto and he cast a spell with thisScriabin Prelude:

Bryn Blackwood | Alexander Scriabin: Prelude in B Flat Major, Op. 11, No. 21

5 years ago

Duration 1:57

Bryn Blackwood performs Alexander Scriabin's Prelude in B Flat Major, Op. 11, No. 21

Ariane Brisson, flutist

Age: 28
From: Montreal

In June, Ariane Brissonbecame the new artistic director of Pentadre, the renowned wind quintet of which she's been a member since 2016. Earlier this year, they went to London, England, to performSchubert's Die Winterreise(arranged for voice, windsandaccordion)with ChristophPrgardienand Joseph Petri at Wigmore Hall. "Without a doubt, the musical highlight of my year," Brisson enthuses. (Watch here and be amazed.)

In the upcoming season, while continuingher doctoral studiesat l'Universit de Montral thanks to a generous SSHRC grant, she and her Pentadre colleagues will present an all-Jacques Htu concert on Nov. 8("simply magnificent music!"), and in May 2020 she'll join some friends from Les Violons du Roy to play the complete flute quartets by Mozart.An ongoing obsession for Brisson is the music of Ravel ("I've always been sensitive to his musical language") and she's busy transcribing his pieces for her instrument. And yet, she insists she is not a flute geek!

This summer, you're likelyto find her hanging out literally, in the hammock she takes everywhere near a lake, and knittingwith a gin andtonic/mojito/Pilsner within reach.

Sarah Bissonnette, mezzo-soprano

Age: 27
From: Boucherville, Que.

It's been a terrific year for Sarah Bissonnette. She won first prize and the audience prize at Vancouver Opera's inaugural VOX competition "It was a pleasure to sing on the stage of Queen Elizabeth Theatreand to feel so welcomed for my first day in B.C." and completed her tenureship at Calgary Opera's Emerging Artists program, which saw her perform in the "quite effervescent" world premiere of Veronika Krausas and Andr Alexis'sGhost Operaat the Banff Centre for the Arts. Earlier in the year, she was on the East Coast to work on the title role in Rossini'sL'Italiana in Algeriat the Lunenberg Academy of Music.

Now, you might be inclined to put your feet up after all that, but not Bissonnette. She's making the most of her summer, studying art song and opera at Edith Wiens'Internationale Meistersinger Akademiein Germany. She loves being onstage andhopes to improve her hair and makeup skills ("I have never learned how to contour," she admits.) Occasionally Bissonnette despairs at the wage gap and double standards in the music business. "There is still so much work to do, especially in opera, to give equal opportunity to female voices," she says, adding,"New works should really pass the Bechdel test."

Sharanjeet Singh Mand, sitarist

Age: 26
From: Surrey, B.C.

A latecomer to his instrument, Sharanjeet Singh Mandwas 16 when he began playing the sitar and in the 10 years since then has become one of its leading proponents, especially skilled atfast taans(patterns of notes)and soulfulgayaki ang (imitation of the human voice.) So skilled, in fact, that he recently left his job to devote himself full-time to "takingIndianclassical music to a platform where it actually deserves to be."Last fall, hegot to perform alongsidehis guru,Pandit Harvinder Sharma, who was touring Canada, and Singh Mandrecently joined the faculty at Place des Arts music school in Coquitlam, B.C.

His music-making is inspired by nature."I look at a seedling breaking through hard ground and surviving through sun and rain until it becomes a bowering tree," he reflects. "I lose myself for hours watching drops of water slowly merging into each other on a window or watching the graceful movements of a caterpillar." Not surprisingly, Singh Mand is also a poet, writing in multiple languages.

"Music conquers all," he asserts, and his playingcertainly conquered us when he came to our Vancouver studio last winter:

Sharanjeet Singh Mand | Yaman | CBC Music

5 years ago

Duration 4:17

Sharanjeet Singh Mand stopped by CBC Music's Studio 1 in Vancouver for a special performance of Yaman on the sitar.

Heemin Choi, violinist

Age: 26
From: Halifax

"I love going back to Korea. The food is endless and so good and cheap," says Heemin Choi, whose journey began in Seoul 26 years ago.After a brief detour tothe Solomon Islands,his family eventually settled in Halifax, theirlong-term home."I find inspiration in both my mom and dad every day," he says."They risked a stable life to move to Canada so that my sister and I could grow up in a more favourable environment."

In Halifax, Choi studied with Philippe Djokic at Dalhousie University before heading to Houston, Texas, to complete his master's degree with Paul Kantor at Rice University. Choiparticipated in the Verbier Festival Academylast summer, and got to play Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 under the direction of Simon Rattle. "My favourite orchestral musical experience," he recalls. "The energy onstage was so surreal you could feel the air buzzing!"

Last fall, Choiwas awarded the three-year use of the1768 Miller Januarius Gaglianoviolin from the Canada Council for the Arts' musical instrument bank. He'll play itwithKinetic Ensemble, a conductorless group in Houston, in the upcoming concert season. Until then, he'll load up on Lays ketchup chips ("only available in Canada!") and brag to anyone who'll listen aboutthe Raptors' win.

Abshir Miller, guitarist

Age: 26
From: Iron Bridge, Ont.

Abshir Miller started out as an alto saxophone player, but he soon succumbed to the allure of the guitar, partly due to the Canadian Guitar Quartet's 2003 releaseLes Scnes de quartiers, which he says changed his life. Miller did his bachelor of music in guitar performance at the Universityof Toronto and completed a performance diploma at Sudbury's Cambrian College before heading to California last fall to begin his master's degree with David Tanenbaum at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.There, he became the guitar department's teaching assistant and is a member of the "hire" team, playing various gigs throughout the Bay Area.

Like so many performing artists, Millersayshis biggest fear is giving "a horrible performance," which he appears to haveavoided so far.("I would like to be a little more optimistic," he admits.) In August 2018, henabbed the $1,500 first prize in the guitar division of theNational Music Festival in Sackville, N.B.Miller loves Beethoven"for the quality and emotional depth of his music," has taken coffee-worshipto a whole other level, and looks forward to the 2019 Sauble Beach Guitar Festival later this month, where he'll participatein master classes, play inthe guitar orchestra and catchup with old friends.

Nicole Linaksita, pianist

Age: 26
From: Vancouver

In high school, Nicole Linaksita was nicknamed "Squirrel" by friends watching her play expert-levelGuitar Hero. They were noticing that caffeinated focus and persistence she would also apply toacademics (she holds an undergraduate degree in computer science) and, of course, piano.

Linaksitawon first prize ($10,000) at the Canadian Music Competition's 2019 Stepping Stone final as well as the Canimex Group Prize ($1,000) for best performance of a Canadian work, having already taken part in the 2012 and 2016 editions of that competition. She also placed third at this year's Eckhardt-Gramatt Competition, and while acclaim is important, she also values music's therapeutic qualities. "Some of my favourite performances were in high-care seniors' homes," she says."Itmade my day when an otherwise unresponsive resident started to sing alongto a tunethey remembered from years past."

In her spare time, Linaksita enjoys drawing, animatingand arranging video game music endeavours we hope she'll have time to continue this fall, when she heads tothe University of Texas at Austin to begin her master's in piano performance.

Meagan Milatz, pianist

Age: 26
From: Weyburn, Sask.

In May, Meagan Milatz's childhood dream of playing with the Regina Symphony Orchestra was fulfilled when she was thesoloist in David McIntyre's Piano Concerto No. 1, conducted by Gordon Gerrard, at the RSO's110th anniversary concert. "There were so many family members and friends in the crowd, it left me speechless and a bit choked up," she recalls. Fans everywhere will have a chance to hear her as of September, when she and violinist Amy Hillis(together they're known as meagan&amy) begin Roadtrip!, a pan-Canadian 50-concert tour. When that wraps, she'll play music byBeethoven, Ravel and Poulenc with cellist Matt Haimovitzat the Isabel Bader Centre inKingston, Ont.

Milatzstudied fortepianoand piano, respectively, with Tom Beghin and Ilya Poletaev at McGill University, graduating with a master's degree in 2017, and she's still happily based in Montreal, where cycling and whiling away the day at March Jean-Talon are her favourite activities. She says she secretly wishes to play the horn could thisbebecause she recently performed withStefan Dohr, principal horn of the Berlin Philharmonic, at Domaine Forget? Future goals for Milatz include learning tothrow a Frisbeeproperly and getting a Bernese mountain dog.

Jaelem Bhate, conductor and composer

Age: 25
From: Richmond, B.C.

For Jaelem Bhate, Leonard Bernstein has beena role model. "Beyond his genius as a conductor, composerand person, his life story reminds me that it's OKto be different and to forge your own path," he says. After starting out in the sciences, Bhate's path now bisectsclassical music and jazz.Herecently completed his master's degree in orchestral conducting at UBC, having doneanundergraduate degree there in percussion, andhis debut jazz album, On the Edge, which features his own big band compositions, has been described as "well-designed, smartly performed [and]admirably recorded." (Check out theserecent videos of Bhate's arrangements of Bizet's Carmen for jazz orchestra.)

In May, at its annual Jean Coulthard reading sessions, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performed Bhate'scomposition Natcitlaneh.In July, he was a conducting fellow at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, N.C., working with Gerard Schwarz. In November, Bhate will conduct the VSOin their Wall to Wall percussion show. A new project is Symphony 21, through which Bhateaims to reinvigorate orchestral music "not by reinventing the wheel, but by removing that wheel from the wagon and attaching it to an electric hybrid vehicle."Other things to know about Bhate: the Toronto Symphony's recording of Holst's The Planets was "almost solely responsible" for hooking him on orchestral music, he is a fan of standup comedy and all sports ("I've even watched darts in a pinch") and he's "fairly obsessed with dogs."

Meagan Turner, violist

Age: 25
From: Toronto

Receiving her master's degree from Juilliardthis spring was "tremendously exciting" for Meagan Turner. "It was a thrill and an honour to walk across a stage so rich in musical history!" And she'll remain in New York for the foreseeable future, having been accepted into Carnegie Hall's Ensemble Connect for 2019-20. While she loves living in New York("there's always something new to check out"), she visited Sydney, Australia, last year and seems to have left her heart there. "I'll never get over the view ofthe harbour and the opera house,and the food is to die for," she says, adding, "I checked meeting a koala off my bucket list!"

In July, Turner returnedto the Steans Music Institute at the Ravinia Festival, where sheplayed Mendelssohn's Octet, Schoenberg's Verklrte Nacht, and Berg's Lyric Suite."The Berg is one of my favourite works, despite its tremendous difficulty, so I wasthrilled to finally have the chance to learn it." While not immersed in all things viola, Turner likes to cook("I've been experimenting with Thai cuisine lately and recently learned to make a green curry from scratch") and rarely goes a month without listening to Glenn Gould's recording of the Goldberg Variations. Surprising fact about her? She used to bea huge WWEfan and her ringtone was her favourite wrestler's walk-on music.

Thomas Le Duc-Moreau, conductor

Age: 25
From: Montreal

Meet Thomas Le Duc-Moreau, the incoming (and youngest ever) assistant conductor of the Orchestre symphonique de Montral. His first year on the job will coincide with Kent Nagano's final season with the orchestra. "It will be very special," says Le Duc-Moreau, who has recently completed his tenure as assistant conductor of the Orchestre Symphonique de Qubec, and is the founding and artistic director of his own orchestra, Ensemble Volte, which offers an "audacious alternative to the traditional concert formula"and is generating a lot of buzz.

He studied cello and conducting at the Conservatoire de Montral and credits his mentor, Jacques Lacombe, for his success. "He inspired me a lot about the role of the conductor and all its different aspects." A recent obsession for Le Duc-Moreau is baroque music, especially the works of Jean-Philippe Rameau, which explains why he secretly wishes to play the harpsichord. (He's less secretive about his weakness for red wine.) Franois Truffaut's La nuit amricaineleft a lasting impression on Le Duc-Moreau. "It's about the making of a movie, and it touched me how the directoris always connected toevery little detail. It reminded me a lot about my role as a conductor."

Antoine St-Onge, bassoonist

Age: 24
From: Morin Heights, Que.

"If it's winter and there's some good snow up in the mountains, I need to ride it," states Antoine St-Onge, a passionate backcountrysnowboarderand cyclist who has just completed his first season as principal bassoonist of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Could there be a better job for someone withhis abilities and interests?

Before moving to Calgary, St-Ongewas a member of the Ensemble Contemporain de Montral and subbed with the Orchestre symphonique de Montral, Les Violons du Roy and other Quebec ensembles. While he says Mozart's timelessnessand Mahler's modernist approach to symphonic form will never cease to amaze him, he's also drawn to Acid Pauli and Aphex Twin's "amazing organization of a musical environment."

Worklife balance? He's got thatfigured out:"Preparation for upcoming performances is a big thing on days off, in my case reed-making, score-studying and instrument practice," on top ofoutdoor activities and "spendingtime with human and furry friends." St-Onge is looking forward not only to playing lots of Beethoven with the CPO in 2019-20, but also to marrying his fiance. "She is amazing."

Hannah Craig, cellist

Age: 24
From: Scarborough, Ont.

In May, Hannah Craig auditioned for her very first orchestral position and got the job!She joins the Victoria Symphony in September, in time for their "Beethoven 250" cycle. "I'm really excited to get all of those under my belt," she says. Last November, as a winner of the Glenn Gould School's concerto competition, she made her orchestral debut playingElgar's Cello Concerto with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra under Bramwell Tovey. "Craig displayed an authoritative command of her technique, a sumptuously full sound and expressively lyrical phrasing," wrote one reviewer.

The daughterof musicians, Craig singles out her mother(her first cello teacher)as especially influential. "Sheis extremely honest with me, not just with regards to life, but especially to cello." Speaking of honest, Craig tells us she's fascinated by the theorbo, is very much into Ravel's music these days, and would like to take a road trip with get this Gertrude Stein,Alice B. Toklas, Jeff Goldblum, Bjrk and a medium-sized dog. Shotgun!

She and pianist Daisy Leung recently dropped by our Toronto studio to play some Faur:

Hannah Craig, cello; Daisy Leung, piano | Gabriel Faur: Romance, Op. 69

5 years ago

Duration 3:53

Hannah Craig and Daisy Leung perform Gabriel Faur: Romance, Op. 69

Matthew Cairns, tenor

Age: 24
From: St. Catharines, Ont.

Even though Matthew Cairns won first prize ($5,000) and the CBC Music Young Artist Development Prize at the Canadian Opera Company's 2018 Centre Stage Competition, the highlight of hisyear was likely the TorontoRaptors' victory in the NBA finals."I am a massive Raptors Fan," he says."I try to get to as many games as I can."

Despite that distraction, Cairns recently completedhis master's degree in opera performance at U of T, studying with Darryl Edwards.Hesays he admires Luciano Pavarotti "because he was able to inspire a generation of people with his passion for his craft," and as an incoming member of the COC's Ensemble Studio, Cairns willbe able to exercise his own passion for opera.He'sslatedtosing three roles in theirupcoming season: the Prince of Persia in Turandot, the Gamekeeper in Rusalka and the Messenger in Ada. "I can't believe I getto work and share the stage with so many fantastic artists," he says.To store up energy for that, he's spending as much time as possible this summer on the dock at his cottage("It is a beautiful and serene place with an amazing sunset") and enjoying the occasional cigar and glass of scotch ("Sorry, Mom").

Samuel Blanchette-Gagnon, pianist

Age: 23
From:Quebec City

"I am trying to learn to be more patient," says Samuel Blanchette-Gagnon. "It's a quality of utmost importance for a musician, because music needs time to grow." While that may be true, he has been wasting no time racking up accolades. Blanchette-Gagnon won the 2019 Prix d'Europe (watch his performance of Liszt's Aprs une lecture de Dante from the gala here), walking away with $26,500 in prize money. This comes one year after he nabbed second prize at the Stepping Stone final of the 2018 Canimex Canadian Music Competition.

Blanchette-Gagnon singles out Michel Franck, his coach for the past two years, as especially influential: "He transmits a wonderful way to conceive of, and make, music: a fantastic combination of savoir-faire, intelligence and intuition to create a unique moment that is not just a reproduction of what was done during rehearsal." He'll put that wisdom into practice this fall recording an album (Debussy, Szymanowski, Franck) with violinist Marie Bgin, and playing Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Orchestre Symphonique des Jeunes de Montral in March 2020. When not "putting his life, thoughts, experiences and feelings into music,"Blanchette-Gagnon loses himself in math, physics and literature and seizes every opportunity to get out into nature.

Xiaoyu Liu, pianist

Age: 22
From: Montreal

Xiaoyu Liu was one of two Canadian pianists selected from a field of 954 applicants for the 16th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in June. (Watch his round 1 recital here.) Back in 2012, he won the grand prize at the OSM Competition(he was 15) and in 2015, the Prix d'Europe, so he's no stranger to the thrill of competition. Maybe that's why he can picture himself as a race-car driver in a parallel universe.

Liu graduated with great distinction from the Conservatoire de Montral, where he studied with Richard Raymond, and he's currently enrolled at the Universit de Montral, working with Dang Thai Son. He likes to sleep late, is a good mimic, and enjoys getting to the ocean when he can ("because you can't see the end"). Liurecently enjoyed spending New Year's with his grandparents in Beijing, China, and attendinghis five-year high-school reunion. For now, he's indulging his fascination with Scriabin.

Albert Chen, pianist

Age: 20
From: Winnipeg

"We live in a world that emphasizes consumption whereas music is all about creating," says Albert Chen, a young pianist with an old soul who looks to legends such as Vladimir Horowitz, Arthur Rubinstein and Claudio Arrau for inspiration. It seems to be working: last October, he did a recital tour of Manitoba and Saskatchewan as a CFMTA young artist; in February, he made his concerto debut playing Beethoven's "Emperor" with the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra; and in June he played the third movement of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra all of this while still working on his bachelor of music.

He loves Shostakovich, hates insects and says Miles Davis's Kind of Blue changed his life. And if he can recover from the disappointing final season of Game of Thrones (he's a big fan), then Chen's future plans include playing in the scholarship-winners' recital of the Women's Musical Club of Winnipeg's upcoming concert season, graduating from the University of Manitoba, and taking the MCAT exam for entry into medical school. We think he'll excel wherever life takes him.

Alison Kim, violinist

Age: 20
From: Vancouver

"I eat way too many sweets for my own good," admits Alison Kim between bites of an egg tart (her favourite snack). On the other hand, they give her the energy she needs to do wonderful things such as playing inthe Nico Quartet(one of the New England Conservatory's honours ensembles for 2018-2019), winning the 2019 Michael Measures Second Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts ($15,000) and touring with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada this summer as a soloist in Brahms' Double Concerto.

It may surprise you to learn that, until Grade 11, Kim had plans to go to law school. And at the age of eight, shewas accepted to become a trainee at a major Korean entertainment agency. "If I'd had the courage and determination to move to Korea then, maybe I would've become a K-pop star instead!" But the violin won out, due in large part to her Vancouver violin teacher,Taras Gabora ("hemotivates me to pour my all into my music") and supportive parents ("the pillars of my music education"). She's looking forward to playing in a four-city Canadian tour of the NYOC and the Euoprean Union Youth Orchestra in November.

Angela Ryu, violinist

Age: 19
From: Calgary

"I am in love with Brahms," gushes Angela Ryu, who recently learned his Violin Sonata No. 3. "The intensity and grandeur of his music, combined with his soulful, breathtaking melodies are just so satisfying to play!" Her good taste is further confirmed by her admiration for James Ehnes's recording of the violin concertos by Barber, Korngold and Walton:"Growing up, that was the CD my mother would always play wherever we'd go!"

In May, Ryu won first prize ($8,000) and the Paul J. Bourret Award ($1,000) for best performance of the test piece at the Shean Strings Competition, securing aperformance with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra next season. It was a fitting conclusion to Ryu's first year studying at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where she enjoyedhosting herown recital for friends and peers. Like most young musicians, she sometimes has doubts("the musician's path can be pretty unpredictable and I think that scares me the most," she admits), but this summer, Ryuis putting all fearsaside and is "super excited" to be taking part in the Aspen Music Festivalbefore returning for year 2 at Rice.You got this, Angela!

YuYang Xie, pianist

Age: 19
From: Gatineau, Que.

In November 2018, whileYuYang Xie was working out at the gym, the unthinkable happened: "I suffereda comminuted fracture in my right thumb. On my way to the hospital, I forced myself to accept the worst-case scenario that I would not be able to play piano again (at least professionally)."But three months later, he was back at it("it felt like a new life for me at that moment") and by July, miraculously, he was ready to compete in the Canimex Canadian Music Competition in Calgary, where he won first prize in his agecategory in addition to the overall grand prize in the 19-to-30-year-old category. He got to play Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Calgary Phil as a result. To celebrate his remarkable comeback, he travelledto Jasper andBanff with his parents ("they are my family and also my best friends") and kayaked on Lake Louise "the best day off I have had so far!"

A student of Alan Chow at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., Xie is currently working on Schubert's Wanderer-Fantasie and despite its"countless scales, arpeggiosand even 'lightning octaves',"he says he will "conquer it" in time for arecital in March 2020. On account of a "slight obsession" with math and cards, Xiecan see himself as a professional poker player. "In fact, I am currently enrolled in a dual degree program of piano performance at Eastman and economics at the University of Rochester, while taking behavioural science courses as my electives," he explains."Perhaps that dream is not dead yet!"

Matthew Christakos, cellist

Age: 19
From: Ottawa

On one hand, Matthew Christakosis a typical 19-year-old who enjoysbinge-video-gaming andcompares himself to a sloth. ("I like to take my time to do things," he says.) On the other hand, he's the model of discipline and hard work, having just graduated from theRoyal Conservatory of Music's Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy, and previously taken part inthe Morningside Music Bridge program in Boston, Mass. He's also highly specific about his preferred lunch order: "Smoked salmon on a Montreal bagel with cream cheese, tomato, onions, capers, dill and a squirt of lemon juice."

Christakosacknowledges his parents' support ("they've been there every step of the way") and singles out his longtime cello teacher, David Heatherington, for helping him find his artistic voice and "keeping things in perspective, whatever the situation." In June, he won second prize ($5,000) at the CMC's Stepping Stone final, and asthis year's recipient of the Canada Council's Michael Measures First Prize ($25,000), hehas spent the summer touring with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada as soloist in Brahms' Double Concerto. And when that winds down, he'll pack his bags and head to Philadelphia's Curtis Institute, where he's set to begin his bachelor of music, studying underPeter Wiley and Carter Brey.

David Liam Roberts, cellist

Age: 19
From: Winnipeg

Best thing about being a musician? "Being able to make a human connection with, and speak to, people through my performances without even saying a word," says David Liam Roberts, and that eloquence is taking him far.He was the youngest-ever finalist (and wonsecond prize) atthe 2018 Women's Musical Club of Winnipeg's McLellan Competition; he won first prize (strings) and the grand award ($5,000) at the 2018 National Music Festival, securing a solo appearance in spring 2020 with the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra; and he has completed his first year at the Royal Conservatory's Glenn Gould School, where hegot to play Mendelssohn's D Minor Trio with his newly formed chamber group.

Roberts also oversees the Ottawa, Toronto and Winnipeg chapters of the Back to Bach Project, visiting elementary schools and "highlighting the importance of having vision and determination in achieving goals as well as sharing great classical music with them." He's inspired by James Ehnes and Yo-Yo Ma and says Pablo Casal's 1937 recording of Dvorak's Cello Concerto set him on his current path. Fun fact: Robertswon the silver medal in triathlon at the 2012 Manitoba Summer Games. Catch him if you can!

Eric Guo, pianist

Age: 17
From: Toronto

"I feel that 24 hours in a day is not enough for me," says Eric Guo, and it's no wonder. He's too busy being amazing! In March, Guo won third prize ($4,870) at the Hastings International Piano Competition in the U.K. he was the youngest contestant and the only Canadian where he played Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the final round. Last August, he won first prize ($9,161) in the junior division of the 11th International Chopin Competition for Young Pianists, held in China.And in July, he placed third at the International e-Piano Junior Competition in Minneapolis, Minn.

"Besides practising piano, sleeping is my favourite thing," he says, then gets philosophical: "I believe peace and music are the most important things for mankind." Who can argue with that?A student of Li Wang at the Royal Conservatory of Music's Taylor Academy, Guoloves Vladimir Ashkenazy's recording of the Ballades and Scherziby Chopin, thecomposer he's currentlyobsessed with"because all of his music isnoble, poetic, dramaticand nostalgic." It may also be because Guo is busy preparing for the Canadian Chopin Piano Competition coming up later this month, where he'll compete in the senior division. He's also got the 2020 International FryderykChopin Piano Competition in his long-range plans. We like his chances!

Ariel Wang, flutist and pianist

Age: 16
From: West Vancouver

Growing up, Ariel Wang loved Harry Potter("even now, I'm still learning lessons from the characters in that story") which may explain her wizardry on not one but twoinstruments. Don't believe us? She toured Portugal in March asprincipal flutist ofthe Phillips Academy Chamber Orchestra (she's in Grade 11 there while studying music at the nearby New England Conservatory) and earlier this summersheattended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute's flute workshop.Shethen headed to the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, N.C., on a merit scholarship in piano, where she was one of five winners of the concerto competition. She got to play the first movement of Rach 2 with orchestra on July 25 as a result. (Was she channelling her piano hero, Evgeny Kissin? "[He]has reserves of power that I really hope to replicate," Wang says.)

In June, she won first prize (piano) in the senior category of the American Fine Arts Festival's Golden Era of Romantic Music International Competition. As part of that prize, she'll play Schumann's Fantasiestckein November at Carnegie Hall. Perhaps Beyonccan take some of the credit: "Homecoming was so powerful to me," reflects Wang,"and watching her confident, passionate performance (five times in the first weekend it came out) was incredibly inspirational to my own musical performance." Oh, and one of Wang's poems was recently published in her school's literary magazine, no big deal.

Sarah Oulousian, pianist

Age: 15
From: Brossard, Que.

If Sarah Oulousian's name is familiar, maybe it's because her older sister, Emily, appeared on our 2016list. Or, it could be from this TV interview she did in January prior to her performance in Beethoven and the Bully with the National Academy Orchestra. It was just the first of many accomplishments for Oulousian in 2019: In May, she won the grand prize ($1,000) at the Steinway Junior Piano Competition in Ottawa. In June, she won the grand prize ($1,000) at theConcours de musique Choeur de la Montagne, and in July are you detecting a pattern here? she was the youngest competitor at theCFMTA's National Piano Competition in Winnipeg, whereshe walked away with the second prize ($3,000) and two other awards ($2,500).

Oulousiansays she looks to prominent women such as Julie Payette("not only an astronaut but also a pianist and singer") and Michelle Obama ("articulate, educated and inspiring") for encouragement, and like Ariel Wang, above, she's awestruck byEvgeny Kissin("His performances are filled with character and energy. His hair, too!"). When not practising, she's involved in sports (football, fencing, cross-country running) and is a self-described book worm. She'll play a duo recital with her sister in Pro Musica's Mlodnes series in February 2020, and then, in April,she'll be the soloist in Bach's Keyboard Concerto in D Minor with the string orchestra at the Conservatoire de Montral, where she studies with Richard Raymond.

Henry From, pianist, violinist and composer

Age: 15
From: Bellingham, Wash.

A dual AmericanCanadian citizen, Henry From lives on the other side of the border, but attends the Vancouver Academy of Music("Some weeks it seems that I actually spend more time in Vancouver thanBellingham!"), where he studies piano with Amanda Chan, composition with Edward Top andviolin with Sandra Paytonand plays violin in the school's orchestra. While he tries to adhere to Chopin's dictum, "simplicity is the highest goal," From in fact juggles two instruments, sings in a choir and has composed more than 50 pieces not exactly a simple life!

Last November, he won first prize ($10,000) in the junior division of the OSMManulife Competition, playing Ravel's Piano Concerto in G in the final round, and he'safour-time participant at the New England Conservatory's Morningside Music Bridge,where he formed Trio Savyon with a violinist from Calgary and a cellist from Israel. Earlier this year, theyplayed one of From'scompositions in Warsaw, Poland.

"Many of my compositions are inspired bythe Group of Seven," he says. "These paintings are so imaginative in their colours, which makes it easy for me to compose music to represent them." This summer, he's looking forward to visiting his grandpa in Winnipeg and playing Brahms, Ravel, Chopin, Prokofiev and his own musicin Creston, B.C. (Aug. 18) and Tofino, B.C. (Aug. 25).He's also looking for an opportunity to play Khachaturian's Piano Concerto any takers?

Xenia Huang, violinist

Age: 11
From: Surrey, B.C.

It's been a solid 12 months for Xenia Huang, who attended Charis Camp in Chilliwack, B.C., for the first time, got to see pandas while travelling inChina, and most importantlyfor our purposes won first prize in the junior division of the VSO School of Music's Future of Excellence Competition. She admits she gets "very nervous" backstage, but onstage"I just play my very best and try to forget about the people." The people won't soon forget about her, though:Huang will be sharing the stage with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra next seasonas a result of hercompetition win.

She finds finger flexibility and vibrato to be the most challenging things about playing violin, which she'll continue working on with her teacher, Carla Birston, at the VSO School of Music. Huang loves Vivaldi, holidays in the Caribbean,and collecting cool rocks.She drawsinspiration fromAelin Ashryver Galathynius, the central character inthe YA fantasy seriesThrone of Glass,"because she perseveres in hard times and she does many good things for her country." Despite her prodigious talent, Huang is anormal pre-teen who enjoys skiing and, when the craving strikes, is tempted by "the whole entire junk food aisle." The future is bright.