2015 Canada Council Prizes Announced

Each year the Canada Council for the Arts awards five prizes, one each in music, dance, theatre, architecture, and visual arts. This year's winners are:

Music
Yolanda Bruno wins the Virginia Parker Prize ($25,000), which recognizes an outstanding young classical musician (singer, instrumentalist or conductor) who has been a recipient of Canada Council grants.

Bruno, a violinist, has performed across North America and Europe, was named one of CBC’s 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians under 30 in 2014 and is a 2015 Canada Council Musical Instrument Bank finalist. With the prize money, she will work with renowned violinist and teacher David Takeno in London, England. 

Dance
Marie-Josée Chartier wins the Jacqueline Lemieux Prize ($6,000), which recognizes outstanding applicants to the Grants to Dance Professionals Program and Grants to Aboriginal Dance Professionals Program.

Chartier moves easily between the worlds of dance, music, opera and multimedia, adopting the roles of choreographer, director, dancer, vocalist, mentor or teacher. She founded Chartier Danse (2003) to support her projects for the national and international scenes.  Her many awards include four Dora Mavor Moore Awards and the K.M. Hunter Dance Award.

Theatre
Michael Levine wins the Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts ($50,000), which recognizes the highest level of artistic excellence and distinguished career achievement by Canadian artists in dance, theatre or music.

Levine is one of the most celebrated and sought-after theatre designers in the world. He brings a vision to the stage that captures the audience’s imagination and intellect and he is recognized as a generous collaborator and mentor. His numerous national and international awards include a Gemini, The Edinburgh Festival Drama and Music Award, twoDora Mavor Moore Awards and Festival d’Aix Critics Prize and Toronto Arts Award.  Michael is a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres in France.

Architecture
Public Architecture + Communication wins the Professional Prix de Rome in Architecture ($50,000), which recognizes outstanding achievement in Canadian architecture. It is awarded annually to a young architect or architectural firm to develop their skills and creative practice as well as work with specialists worldwide. 

Public Architecture is a firm concerned about the steadily decline of public spaces in Vancouver where people gather. With the Prix de Rome, Brian Wakelin and his team will travel to the Netherlands and Japan to learn how the Dutch and Japanese have reclaimed public space. They will visit diverse and open environments that include parks, ponds, shops, restaurants and cultural venues where the public and private intertwine.

Visual Arts
Rodman Hall Art Centre, Brock University wins the York Wilson Endowment Award ($30,000), which is given to a Canadian art museum or public gallery to help it purchase work by a living Canadian artist that will significantly enhance its collection.

With the award, the Rodman Hall Art Centre was able to purchase Settlement by Mary Anne Barkhouse, an Aboriginal artist based in Minden, Ontario. This will allow a temporary exhibition of public art to remain permanently on display on the banks of Twelve Mile Creek in St. Catharines. 

To learn more about the Canada Council for the Arts, visit http://canadacouncil.ca/.