After wowing the audience and the jury with her performance this spring at the Echkardt-Gramatté National Music Competition (e-Gré) at Brandon University (BU), McKenzie Warriner returns to conclude her winner’s tour with a pro series performance on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
The Saskatchewan born-and-raised soprano, who is now based in Toronto, will perform with pianist Danielle Guina at 7:30 p.m., at the Lorne Watson Recital Hall. Guina also accompanied Warriner in April’s 46th e-Gré competition. Part of the winner’s prize was an 11-stop Canadian tour, which has included concerts in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba an Ontario.
“The e-Gré competition introduces us to some of Canada’s most dynamic young artists, and McKenzie is a worthy addition to that tradition of excellence,” said Greg Gatien, Dean of BU’s School of Music. “It’s always fascinating and rewarding to see how the winner’s artistry grows between the competition and the conclusion of the tour, and I’m excited to welcome McKenzie back to BU, along with Danielle, who we know very well through her affiliation with the School of Music and our Conservatory.”
The program will include works by Olive Senior and Keith Hamel, whose composition Breath was commissioned for this year’s competition, as well as David McIntyre and more.
The e-Gré competition has been held annually at BU since 1976, promoting Canadian musicians and composers to new audiences. The competition rotates each year between voice, piano and strings.
Admission for Tuesday’s performance is $20, and tickets will be available at the door. Please contact the School of Music at Music@BrandonU.ca with any accessibility considerations.
Please note that seating in the Lorne Watson Recital Hall is limited and that programs are subject to change. For an up-to-date listing of pro series and student performances, please visit Events.BrandonU.ca/Events/Category/Music.
The School of Music gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Manitoba Arts Council.
About McKenzie Warriner:
McKenzie Warriner is a Saskatchewan-born and raised/Toronto-based soprano acclaimed for her interpretation of music spanning from the Baroque to the Avant-garde. Particularly committed to singing the works of living composers, McKenzie performed at the 2023 Aldeburgh Festival as a Britten Pears Young Artist, premiering works by Marcus Rock and Beatrice Ferreira. Other recent credits include Messiah (Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra), Le portrait de Manon (Vancouver Opera), Abigail Richardson-Schulte’s Alligator Pie (Regina Symphony Orchestra), and performances in elementary schools across Vancouver as a Vancouver Opera Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist. In 2021, McKenzie and composer/performer Tristan Zaba founded Slow Rise Music, a Toronto concert series producing cutting edge new vocal works. She is also featured on an album of Zaba’s compositions with pianist Paul Williamson. McKenzie earned her Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Manitoba.
About Danielle Guina:
Canadian collaborative pianist, Danielle Guina, received her Master of Music degree in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music at the Eastman School of Music under the direction of Dr. Jean Barr. Active in vocal and instrumental areas, Danielle has performed in concert and in festivals internationally in Canada, Italy, and the United States. She is a co-founder of the trumpet and piano duo Power of Two, and also works closely with soprano, McKenzie Warriner, to create diverse and representative concert programs of works by Canadian, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ composers. Danielle is a staff pianist at Brandon University, and is a teacher of piano, voice, theory, and history, at the Eckhardt-Gramatté Conservatory of Music. She has worked with composers Jake Heggie, David McIntyre, and Diego Vega, as well as participated in masterclasses with renowned artists Margo Garrett, Lydia Brown, Alan Louis Smith, Malcolm Martineau, Graham Johnson, Kevin Murphy, Alexandra Nguyen, Andrew Harley, Hila Plitmann, Nicole Cabell, Murray McLachlan, Andrei Pisarev, Douglas Finch, Futaba Niekawa, the Cecilia String Quartet and more.
Contact
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- communications@brandonu.ca
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