Violinist Justin Saulnier has delighted audiences across Canada on his Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition winner’s tour, and now he will return to the stage where it all started.
Saulnier, accompanied by Gaspard Tanguay-Labrosse, on piano, will perform a School of Music pro seriesconcert at Brandon University’s (BU’s) Lorne Watson Recital Hall on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m. The concert is the second-last stop on their fall tour, which was part of the prize for Saulnier’s triumphant performance at this year’s competition, held in May at the Lorne Watson. The final concert of the tour will take place on Monday, Nov. 25 at the University of Manitoba.
From Orléans, Ont., just outside of Ottawa, Saulnier made his orchestral solo debut with the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra at 12 years old, and he is currently studying at McGill University. His concert on Saturday will feature new music works by Charles Ives, Melody McKiver and Dinuk Wijeratne.
“The E-Gré competition is our introduction to a new generation of remarkable Canadian musicians,” said Greg Gatien, Dean of the School of Music. “Those who were fortunate enough to see Justin perform here in May will have the opportunity to see how an already incredibly talented artist has continued to grow, while others will enjoy getting their first glimpse at one of Canada’s rising stars.”
The E-Gré competition has been contested annually at BU since 1976, rotating between voice, strings and piano, in a showcase of emerging artists and Canadian composers. The 2025 competition will feature piano, with the finals to take place from April 25 to 27 at the School of Music.
“The E-Gré competition is our introduction to a new generation of remarkable Canadian musicians.”
Greg Gatien, Dean of Music
Tickets for Sunday’s concert cost $20 for general admission and are available at the door. Brandon University students and Conservatory of Music students can attend for free.
The School of Music gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Manitoba Arts Council.
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.
Please contact the School of Music at Music@BrandonU.ca with any accessibility considerations.
About Justin Saulnier:
Justin Saulnier made his orchestral solo debut at age 12 with the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra and has also performed with Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre Métropolitain, Canada’s National Arts Center Orchestra, the McGill Symphony Orchestra, the Pembroke Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Ottawa Youth Orchestra. Justin has received many awards, notably the first prize in the Eckhardt-Gramatté competition and in the NACO Bursary Competition, second prize in the Concours OSM, the grand prize in the Orchestre Métropolitain OMNI Competition, the Concours et Festival de Musique de Lanaudière, the McGill Romantic Concerto Competition, and the OMFA’s provincial competition. Justin has also enjoyed being concertmaster of the Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra, and the McGill Symphony, among others.
He is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree at McGill University with Andrew Wan. He is grateful to the Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation for their generous support. Justin plays on a 1680 Francesco Ruggeri from Cremona, and a Louis Gillet bow, generously loaned to him by the company Canimex Inc., from Drummondville, Que.
About Gaspard Tanguay-Labrosse:
Gaspard Tanguay-Labrosseis one of the most requested collaborative pianists and chamber musicians in the Montréal scene. Professor at the Trois-Rivières Conservatory of Music Rivières, he also accompanied numerous instrumentalists and singers from the University of Montréal and McGill during their musical training. He also collaborated with several recognized Quebec institutions, notably I Musici de Montréal, the OSM Competition, Ballet-Opéra-Pantomime and Orford Music. Gaspard holds a doctorate in music performance from the University of Montréal and a master’s degree from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. Among his teachers are Jean Saulnier, Roland Keller, Marc Durand and Christiane Claude. His musical activities have led him to perform within Quebec and across Canada. He has also won prizes in several national and international competitions such as the Shean Competition in Edmonton; the Trois-Rivières Symphony Orchestra competition; the Prix d’Europe and the Julia Crane international competition in the United States.
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