E-Gré National Music Competition winner returns to Lorne Watson stage

A journey that began in Brandon University’s (BU’s) Lorne Watson Recital Hall will conclude on the very same stage as pianist Linda Ruan returns this week for the final stop on her Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition winner’s tour.

Ruan’s performance, part of the BU School of Music’s pro series, will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 25, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Ruan won the 2025 E-Gré competition in April, earning a $6,000 cash award and a fall tour. The Brandon performance will be her ninth of the tour, which began in October and has also included concerts in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador.

“One of the delights of the competition and the ensuing tour is the opportunity to see incredible young musicians grow in their artistry,” said Dr. Leanne Zacharias, Acting Dean of Music at BU. “Linda wowed the judges during her performance here in April, and her return engagement this month is sure to be even more spectacular.”

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 2026 competition will feature voice, with the finals to take place from April 17 to 19 at the School of Music.

“The Eckhardt-Gramatté Conservatory of Music is a place where students can flourish through music,” said Conservatory Director Dianna Neufeld. “The musicians who join us for the E-Gré competition wow us with their talent and their dedication, and Linda’s concert promises to be another inspiring experience.”

Tickets for the November 25 concert at the Lorne Watson Recital Hall, inside the Queen Elizabeth II Music Building, 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 LINDA RUAN:

Winner of the 2025 Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition, Chinese-Canadian pianist Linda Ruan is passionate about sharing the potential of music to overcome boundaries across cultures. Since being introduced to the drums at age four and then the piano at age seven, music has remained a stabilizing force in her diverse childhood from Tokyo and Shanghai to Vancouver. Her unconventional path from a young age broadened her horizons and cultivated a fascination for diverse cultures. Her curiosity guided her beyond her solo piano studies, expanding to music pedagogy, community engagement and a wide range of chamber music projects.

Linda is a top prize winner in competitions including the Lancaster International Piano Competition, the Shean Piano and Strings Competition, and the Seattle International Piano Competition. She has performed in venues worldwide, from Carnegie’s Weill Hall and Lincoln Center’s Rose Studio to a recital tour in China spanning Guangzhou to Shanghai. Her piano duo La Fiammata is the second-prize winner of the ARD International Music Competition 2021 and embarked on a Pan-Canadian Tour during the 2024-2025 season, a collaborative project between Atlantic Debut, Jeunesses Musicales Canada and Prairie Debut.

Linda received her Bachelor of Music with Honours and Master of Music degrees from The Glenn Gould School, The Juilliard School, and the Tianjin Juilliard School, respectively. Her past teachers include James Anagnoson, Hung-Kuan Chen, Corey Hamm, Xiao Li, Li Wang, and Xiaohan Wang. Currently, she is studying at the UBC School of Music with Dr. Corey Hamm.

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