The 9th WMC McLellan Competition for Solo Performance with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra 2022 Finalists

This competition is unique to the Women's Musical Club of Winnipeg. Its purpose is to provide funds to emerging Manitoba musicians who are performing at an advanced level and aiming to pursue careers in classical music. The prizes, invested at the Winnipeg Foundation, are due to a generous bequest by longtime supporter Doris McLellan, who attended concerts for several years.

The competition is open to vocalists ages 20-35 and instrumentalists ages 18-30.

Three finalists, chosen by a jury , will perform with the WSO on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 7:30 pm in Jubilee Hall (MBCI), Maestro Daniel Raiskin conducting. The following awards will be presented at that time:

First Place: $10,000

Second Place: $6,000

Third Place: $4,000

Please be aware that we require proof of vaccination and masks are required.

**Tickets will be available at the door - cash only**

Congratulations to the three Finalists! (In alphabetical order)

Geneva Halverson, mezzo soprano, is a voice teacher, pianist, and previous winner of the Zita Bernstein Lieder Competition (University of Manitoba) and Gilbert and Sullivan Trophy (Wpg Music Festival). They began their musical journey as a piano major at the UofM before switching to a voice major. Geneva now holds a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance as well as a Post Baccalaureate in opera performance. Geneva is capable of performing a variety of musical styles including baroque, romantic, 20th century, and musical theatre. Opera is very much in Geneva’s genetics, as their great grandfather was an opera singer with the Leipzig Opera in Germany before he died fighting in WWII. Geneva is honoured to be taking over where he left off; continuing on his career path that was cut short. Away from their voice studio, Geneva is an avid runner, fitness guru, mother to plants and to their Oma’s bird, Fritz.

Canadian violinist Gregory Lewis received his education at the Colburn School, Yale University, and the University of Manitoba, studying with Martin Beaver, Ani Kavafian, Oleg Pokhanovski, and Olga Medvedeva. Now established as an artist possessing “brilliant technique and control” (Chronicle Journal) and “wonderful musical personality” (Winnipeg Free Press), he has appeared as soloist with major Canadian orchestras and at countless festivals, and has performed extensively across North America and Europe as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the National Arts Centre. His numerous prizes include the National Music Festival of Canada, Concours de musique du Canada, WMC McLellan, American Protégé International Piano and Strings, and Yale Chamber Music. Lewis recently completed the first recording of Joan Tower’s piano trio, For Daniel, as a member of the Zyra Trio. He has taught masterclasses and adjudicated festivals across North America and holds several teaching positions at Yale University where he is currently in the residency stage of his Doctor of Musical Arts degree.

David Liam Roberts is establishing himself as one of the most exciting Canadian cellists of his generation, recognized for his extraordinary technique and unwavering artistry. He was named one of “Canada’s 30 Hot Classical Musicians under 30” by CBC in 2019, and won the Canada Council Michael Measures Prize in 2021. Recent engagements included an appearance with the Winnipeg Symphony, performing double cello concerti with Yuri Hooker, Halifax debut recitals with pianist LaLa Lee for Cecilia Concerts, recorded concerts presented by the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg (as part of the Zyra Trio) and Virtuosi Concerts (with Yuri Hooker), and appearances at the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance, Nova Scotia. Upcoming engagements include a tour of Atlantic Canada presented by Debut Atlantic in 2023, and concerto soloist appearances with the New Brunswick and Abbotsford Youth Orchestras. Originally from Winnipeg where he studied with Yuri Hooker, David Liam studies at the Glenn Gould School, Royal Conservatory in Toronto, where he holds the Chisholm full scholarship and is supported by the Manitoba Arts Council.

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Runners up:

The Vancouver Arts Review names Ana Toumine “a personal favourite”. Actively establishing herself as an accomplished singing-actress, Toumine has earned numerous awards that include the R. Murray Schafer Scholarship (IRCPA Toronto), first prize in the 2019 North Dakota-Manitoba District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and second prize in Vancouver Opera’s VOX Gala Competition 2019. She was named a “30 under 30” artist with the Alberta Council of Ukrainian Arts and is the 2020 Flipside Opera Idol. Toumine distinguished herself as an artist in residence at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, in addition to receiving a Training and Career Development Grant from the Alberta Foundation of the Arts. Her 2019-2020 season included a recital through L’Oasis Musicale Concert Series, numerous community engagement concerts with Edmonton Opera, Manitoba Opera, Flipside Opera, the Little Opera Company, and a performance of Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer, Op. 52. Recent highlights include a debut with Opera Kelowna as Mimí (La Bohème), and such notable roles as Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus), the title role of Alcina in Handel’s Alcina, and Anna Glawari (The Merry Widow). Toumine holds a M.Mus from McGill University, a B.Mus from the University of British Columbia, and a Performance Diploma from the University of Manitoba.

Praised for her “exquisite and ethereal presence with a lovely lyric coloratura” (GigCity), Christina Thanisch-Smith is currently working towards a MMus. in Performance (Opera and Voice) at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music under the tutelage of Professors Dominique Labelle and Michael McMahon. In 2022, Christina is looking forward to performing the roles of Thérèse/Tirésias in Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias with Opéra McGill, and will be returning as Hero in the on-going workshop of Much Ado! which commenced in April 2021. During her 20/21 season in Montréal, Christina also sang the title role in Handel’s Partenope with the Opéra McGill and sang Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder and Debussy’s Chansons de Bilitis in recitals. Christina is an alumna of the University of Manitoba (’20), Opera NUOVA, Wendy Nielsen’s Vocal Workshop, and Stratford Summer Music’s Vocal Academy.