2022 Winner - Fr茅d茅ric Michaud
2021 Winner - Gohar Manvelyan
2020 Winner - Kelly Lin
Kelly Lin is a Canadian conductor and concert pianist who enjoys an active career performing internationally throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Among her recent piano engagements include recitals with the Oasis Musicale Concert Series in Montreal and the Steinway City Hall in Guangzhou, China. She was also a participant of the Miami Music Festival. She holds a bachelor and master鈥檚 degree in piano performance from 缅北强奸鈥檚 Schulich School of Music where her teachers were Marina Mdivani and Sara Laimon. As a conductor, Kelly has worked closely under the mentorship of Guillaume Bourgogne and Alexis Hauser and has studied conducting in the United States and Hungary, conducting the Missouri Symphony Orchestra and the Szolnok Symphony Orchestra in concert and rehearsals. This coming fall, Kelly will pursue her graduate studies in conducting at the Schulich School of Music. She is also the recipient of Graduate Excellence Fellowship and Verna-Marie Parr G茅linas and Paul-Marcel G茅linas Scholarship.
2019 Winner 鈥� Francis Choini猫re
Francis Choini猫re of Montreal is the second recipient of The Hnatyshyn Foundation and Christa and Franz-Paul Decker Fellowship in Conducting. Francis is a promising young conductor, as well as a versatile musician, who is active as a choral and orchestral conductor, concert producer, pianist, composer, and baritone. In addition, he is the co-founder of the Orchestre Philharmonique et Choeur des M茅lomanes (OPCM) with Elie Boissinot, Artistic Director of L鈥橢nsemble Vocal Trame Sonore, Conductor of the Choeur Fernand Lindsay for the Festival de Lanaudi猫re, and chorus master for several concerts at the Bell Centre featuring, among others: Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman, Hans Zimmer and Ramin Djawadi. Highly engaged in Montreal鈥檚 music scene, Francis is also the co-founder and President of GFN Productions, a production company presenting high-calibre concerts at Montreal鈥檚 finest venues.
2018 Winner 鈥� Adam Keeping
Adam Keeping is passionate about the promotion of opera and symphonic music. The young conductor holds an honours degree in music from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a Juris Doctor degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. He has also studied conducting in France and the Czech Republic, piano at Centre d鈥橝rts Orford (Qu茅bec), and international law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Adam has taught piano and music theory, chaired legal education programs for the Ontario Bar Association, and instructed at Osgoode Hall Law School.
