This message is being sent on behalf of Tracy Dahl, Instructor, Desautels Faculty of Music

Dear voice faculty and students,

For students new to the faculty, there is an annual German Lieder competition for our undergraduate students. Mark and Zita Bernstein created the Zita Bernstein Lieder Competition because of their passion for German Lieder, accompanied by their strong desire to promote the studying of and performing opportunities for students. Undergraduate voice students this competition is for you alone.

For those who participated in last year’s competition we are following the same timing with the preliminaries in December and the finals in January, but we have a new twist; the finals will be held in the new Desautels Concert Hall. This is a big departure from being in the VAR or in Eva Clare Hall. This is a wonderful opportunity to sing on the concert hall stage.  A time has been set for the finalist teams to have a rehearsal in the space before the competition to ensure that everyone feels supported and comfortable. That dress rehearsal day is on the Thursday, January 16th, 2025.

We are pleased to announce that one of Canada’s finest collaborative pianists Steven Philcox will be heading our panel of adjudicators for the Zita Bernstein Lieder competition. Some of you may recall Steven was to have been with us last year but had a family emergency and had to cancel days before the event. We are thrilled that Steven has committed to coming this year. We will gain from his expertise with a masterclass and individual coaching with him while he is here after the competition is completed.

Steven Philcox is Associate professor and head of Collaborative piano studies at the University of Toronto. He was a celebrated member of the music staff at the Canadian Opera Company. He is known for recitals and his partnerships with Canada’s elite singers. He has garnered praise for curating unique concerts and his non-traditional approaches to performance. His teaching has taken him across Canada, the United States and Europe. Steven is the co-founder of the Canadian Art Song project where they have 6 recordings of Canadian art song, a Juno nomination and encourage and support the writing of new vocal works.

Along with this announcement we are attaching your application form. Please read the attached form carefully and discuss your choices with your instructor before submitting. The requirements are specified on the application form. If you have questions, please address them to your MPS instructor.  

Note: we require your music when you submit your application for the preliminaries.  Translations will only be required for the final round for the program note.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday November 12th, 2024, please send your application to music@umanitoba.ca or drop them off at the Front Office T319 during working hours.

Preliminaries are on December 5th, 2024, starting at 3:30 PM at T2-266.

The preliminaries happen during the masterclass slot. We will divide the number of applicants into two or three groups, depending on the number of applicants, and continue as long as is necessary. Attendance is required until 5pm end of masterclass slot then you are welcome to stay. Think of it as a wonderful way to hear new repertoire.

Finals are on Sunday, January 19th, 2025, at 2 PM at the Desautels Concert Hall.

 Have fun selecting music.  We look forward to receiving your applications.  Don’t wait until the deadline, if you know what you are doing send in your application early.

All the best to everyone

Tracy Dahl, C.M.