Congratulations to all students who participated in the English Song Competition this year! Our adjudicators, Sarah Fryer and Timothy Vernon, thoroughly enjoyed the engaging and musical performances and appreciated all the work that each student put into their preparation.
The results from our adjudicators are as follows:Junior Division:
1st Place – Denisa Vandekerkhove from the studio of Georgina Craig 2nd Place (tie)– April Hill from the studio of Irina Kim 2nd Place (tie) – Quinn Tooby from the studio of Irina Kim 3rd Place – Morgan Vandermolen from the studio of Georgina Craig Honourable Mention – Eleonora Yeranyan from the studio of Jennifer TurnerIntermediate Division:
1st Place – Marlo Karakas from the studio of Jennifer Turner 2nd Place – Maisha Klette from the studio of Jennifer Turner Honourable Mention – Kai Aris from the studio of Jennifer TurnerSenior A Division:
1st Place – Katrina McLaughlin from the studio of Jennifer Turner 2nd Place (tie) – Yanina Kosivanova from the studio of Kiiri Michelsen 2nd Place (tie) – Alexis Meservia from the studio of Maureen Branch 3rd Place – Leon Fei from the studio of Kyron Basu Honourable Mention – Christina Hilgartner from the studio of Kiiri MichelsenSenior B Division
1st Place – Eric Olsen from the studio of Kyron Basu 2nd Place – Neil Marcovitz from the studio of Nathan McDonaldWhat is the English Song Competition? 
The Classical Voice department provides this opportunity for students of all ages and abilities to perform two contrasting English Art Songs.
Student participants perform in Alix Goolden Performance Hall and receive feedback from adjudicators.
First and Second Prizes as well as Honourable Mentions are available to be awarded for each competition, and for the Annual Margaret Abbott Memorial English Art Song Competition up to $3,000 in scholarship funding is available to be awarded to participants in the Junior, Intermediate, and Senior A divisions.
About the Margaret Abbott Memorial Scholarship
The Victoria Conservatory of Music Scholarship for the performance of English Language Art Song was established after Margaret Abbott’s death in 2003 to honour her memory and to perpetuate her high artistic standards. Soprano Margaret Abbott’s performances of concert oratorio and operatic repertoire from all the musical eras were acclaimed throughout Canada. She sang with the Victoria Symphony and the Victoria Choral Society. Her performances on CBC included solo roles in the CBC premieres of Britten’s operas Albert Herring and Peter Grimes. Her family was closely connected to the Victoria Conservatory of Music for many years. Her children, Norman, Vivienne and Jocelyn, were among the Conservatory’s first students.
