2019 Winner of the Award for Musical Excellence announced
March 20th, 2019
NEWFOUNDLAND SOPRANO ANNA MERCER WINS DEBUT ATLANTIC’S AWARD FOR MUSICAL EXCELLENCE
Halifax NS – Debut Atlantic is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2019 Award for Musical Excellence is 17 year old soprano, Anna Mercer from Coleys Point NL. In addition to the cash prize of $1000, Anna will be a featured artist at the Indian River Festival’s Youth Legacy concert on June 16th, 2019 at 2pm, in the historic St. Mary’s Church, Indian River, PE.
Established in 1999, the Debut Atlantic Award for Musical Excellence is awarded annually to an Atlantic Canadian high school music student as chosen by a member of our distinguished alumni. The award recognizes talented youth and is designed to support and encourage the development of young musicians in Atlantic Canada. The Award consists of a $1,000 cash prize and a featured performance, as well as mentorship opportunities with a Debut Atlantic artist or alum. This year’s juror praised Anna’s performance,saying, “It is a voice you want to hear more of, and certainly the applicant that I’d most want to hear in a recital tonight; her passion and diligence shine through in every note she sings.”
Anna Mercer grew up in a musical family, and has been making music her whole life. She has studied with COC soprano, Sonya Gosse since 2014, and in both 2017 and 2018 she attended the Vocal Technique Workshop where she studied with Wendy Nielsen. She has performed in numerous master classes and recitals at Memorial University’s School of Music and has been attending MUN’s Song Academy program since 2015.
Along with being an accomplished soprano, Anna is an active choral conductor. She founded and conducts the Storm Jib youth choir. This choir works exclusively on authentic NL folk music and the music of Indigenous people of the region. Anna has been recognized and supported by the Bruneau Centre for Excellence in Choral Music for her work with Storm Jib. Anna is mentored by renowned choral conductor, Kellie Walsh and is a choral apprentice with the Shallaway Choir. Anna is currently a finalist for the prestigious TD Scholarship 2018.19 for her work with Storm Jib and other musical work in her community.
Anna has been the recipient of many awards, scholarship and bursaries for her musical work. She won the Kiwanis Jr. Rose Bowl in 2015 and 2017. In 2018 she won the Senior Vocal Rose Bowl, the Provincial Music Festival and competed in the National Music Festival in Sackville. She is the first ever voice recipient of Debut Atlantic’s Award for Musical Excellence.
Anna is currently a student at Ascension Collegiate and will be starting her university music studies in vocal performance in September 2019 and looks forward to a lifetime of music making.
Congratulations Anna!