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Graham Sommer Competition Postponed to 2021

Published: 31 July 2020

MONTREAL, QUEBEC, July 31, 2020 -In light ofthe COVID-19 pandemic and with the health and well-being of the composers, musicians, jury, and audience in mind, the 2020 edition of the Graham Sommer Competition for Young Composers (GSC) has been postponed untilSeptember 2021.

Dr. Graham Sommer’s intention for this competition was to create works with the potential to connect with the concert-going public, and we are confident that this decisionsupports hisvision.

Our aim in postponing is togivefinalists additional composition time;allowactivities to resumeto a “new” normal; permit in-personrehearsals for the musical ensemble; enable travel to and from Montreal for our finalists and jurymembers; and to welcome a live audience at the Final Concert and Prize Gala.

Consideringthecurrentstate of thearts community,the donor’s family, the Schulich School of Music, and the GSC AdvisoryCommitteewanted to acknowledge theworkdone byfinalistsAlec Hall, LaurenceJobidon, Michael Kim-Sheng, Jared Miller, and Matthew Rickettsandthe GSC’s commitment to them.Inthisspirit,followingthe new submission deadline and upon delivery of the final composition, the GSC willaward $3,000 CAto each finalist. This is a portion of the monetary prize offered to each of the finalists for participation in the GSC,normallypresented at the Concert and Prize Gala.

The main source of income for many artists rely on performances and commissionedworks, andsome (if not all) of these contracts may have been cancelled and postponed due to COVID. ThoughAmy Hillis (violin), Chloé Dominguez (cello), and MeaganMilatz(piano)will join us for the GSC in 2021, they will also appear in the 2020-2021 concert season at the Schulich School of Music. We are grateful to the musicians and the School for keeping the spirit of thecompetitionalive untilwe meet again for thefinalsin 2021.

Please stay connected to the competition via our website and Facebook Page, where you can join us onthejourney to Pollack Hall in MontrealonSeptember26, 2021at 2:00 PMfor the Concert and Prize Gala.

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