Nova Scotian Pianist Vlad Chiriac Wins Debut Atlantic’s Award for Musical Excellence
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2020
NOVA SCOTIAN PIANIST VLAD CHIRIAC WINS DEBUT ATLANTIC’S AWARD FOR MUSICAL EXCELLENCE
Halifax NS – Debut Atlantic is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2020 Award for Musical Excellence is 18-year-old pianist Vlad Chiriac, from Bedford, Nova Scotia.
Established in 1999, the Debut Atlantic Award for Musical Excellence is awarded annually to an Atlantic Canadian high school music student as chosen by a member of our distinguished alumni. The Award recognizes talented youth and is designed to support and encourage the development of young musicians in Atlantic Canada. The Award consists of a $1,000 cash prize and a featured performance, as well as mentorship opportunities with a Debut Atlantic artist or alum. To celebrate Debut Atlantic’s 40th anniversary, the cash prize was doubled to $2,000 for this year only. This year’s esteemed juror, violinist Christina Bouey, praised Vlad’s expressivity and technique and made note of his “bright future ahead”.
Vlad Chiriac is a grade 12 student at Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford, NS, where he attends the International Baccalaureate French Immersion Program. He has completed the level 10 practical examination with the Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program and is currently preparing for the ARCT exam. Vlad has participated in various piano competitions throughout Canada, and most recently competed in the 2019 New Glasgow Music Festival Rose Bowl and won the provincial Kiwanis qualifier.
In 2013, Vlad was a runner up for piano four hands at the Canadian Music Competition National Final, held in Sherbrooke, QC. A year later, he won the Nova Scotia Music Teachers Association Scholarship Competition, and in 2015 placed fourth with a mark of 91 at the Canadian Music Competition National Final in Vancouver, BC. In 2016, he won the Halifax Chapter of the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers Association Scholarship Competition, and in that same year was the Provincial Music Festival Nominee. He was a scholarship recipient of the Nova Scotia Talent Trust in 2016 and 2017, and was runner up at the 2018 Halifax Kiwanis Music Festival Rose Bowl.
Vlad started studying the piano at the age of seven, and will be continuing his piano studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS. He is honored to be the recipient for this year’s award, and stated that he is “very grateful that there are avenues like these to give hardworking musicians the chance to excel, piano performance is and will stay my passion.”
Congratulations Vlad!
Debut Atlantic wishes to recognize the partners and sponsors that come together to bring incredible artists to communities and venues of all sizes across our region. This would not be possible without the generous support of sustaining partners, including Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Nova Scotia, and the Province of New Brunswick. Debut would also like to thank its educational partner, the Nova Scotia Department of Education; and its season partners, including the Halifax Regional Municipality, The Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation, Support4Culture, the Craig Foundation, Pink Larkin, Halcraft Printers, Strategic Arts Management, and InnVest Hotels (Comfort Inn).
One of the most respected music touring organizations in the country, Debut Atlantic’s first season in 1979 featured then-emerging and still-unknown artists, pianist Jon Kimura Parker, tenor Ben Heppner, and Canada’s Baroque orchestra Tafelmusik.
For further information, please contact:
Erin Sparks – Executive Director or
Elizabeth Upson Perez – Program Officer
Debut Atlantic
902.429.6812