NEWS

photo by Slava Bowman | Unsplash

Recent news from Prairie Debut

Announcing 2023-24 Pan-Canadian Touring Artists

Linda Ruan and Charissa Vandikas of La Fiammata Piano Duo seated at a grand piano Road-Trip-Pan-Canadian-Tour-2023-24

May 2022 | Road Trip! A Pan Canadian Partnership – La Fiammata Piano Duo Selected to Tour in 2023-2024

Calgary, June 7, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  – Pianists Linda Ruan and Charissa Vandikas – also known as La Fiammata Piano Duo – have been selected for a pan-Canadian tour offered by Debut Atlantic, Jeunesses Musicales Canada and Prairie Debut in 2023-2024.

The three classical music organizations announced in October 2021 that they were teaming up again for a second edition of Road Trip! A Pan-Canadian Partnership to offer an emerging artist or ensemble a tour that would span the country.

“Given the impact the pandemic had on the artistic community over the last two years, we opened the call not only to young artists but also to professional musicians. Many worthy candidates and artistic proposals were submitted, but we felt that La Fiammata’s proposal was the strongest. Musically, they have a strong connection and their program blended contemporary composers with established landmarks for piano 4 hands. The duo made an immediate impression upon the jury,” says Danièle LeBlanc, Executive and Artistic Director of Jeunesses Musicales Canada.

La Fiammata concerts will explore the importance of community and shared experiences in life and the strength of the connections.

“La Fiammata is all the more interesting as they bring a broad perspective to their programming that strives to reflect the similarities and differences of Canada’s diverse regions,” says Erin Sparks, Executive Director of Debut Atlantic.

Road Trip! A Pan-Canadian Partnership will run between September 2023 and June 2024, and will include approximately thirty dates across Canada and the Territories.

“We are thrilled to offer this unique opportunity to La Fiammata, especially since emerging artists very rarely get to play tours of this scope”, adds Po Yeh, Executive Director of Prairie Debut.

La Fiammata
Praised for their “dizzying musicality” (Süddeutsche Zeitung), Canadian piano duo La Fiammata are the Second Prize winners, the Henle Urtext Prize winners and the youngest piano duo finalists of the 70th ARD International Music Competition. Since their formation in 2015, La Fiammata has quickly emerged as one of the most promising young duos in the world, garnering top prizes at the 2021 Lancaster International Chamber Music Competition, the 2019 Suzana Szörenyi International Piano Duo Competition, and at the 2018 Northwest International Piano Ensemble Competition. As the Grand Prix Winners of the Canadian Music Competition, La Fiammata made its orchestral debut with Orchestre de la Francophonie and conductor Nicolas Ellis in 2017. Since then, they have performed with orchestras in Europe and North America, and have been featured on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, BR24 Rundschau (Bavarian Radio), Art Channel Romania, and EnjoyTV Romania.

The duo was formed in Toronto where they were both full scholarship students of The Glenn Gould School. During this time, they primarily worked with James Anagnoson of the renowned Anagnoson & Kinton Duo. They have also received coachings from Anagnoson & Kinton Duo, Emanuel Ax, Hung-Kuan Chen, Michael Esch and John O’Conor. Currently, Ms. Ruan studies at the Tianjin Juilliard School with Dr. Xiaohan Wang and Ms. Vandikas at the University of Montréal with Jean Saulnier and Charles Richard-Hamelin.

About Debut Atlantic
Bringing Canada’s exceptional classical music artists to Atlantic Canadian communities since 1979, Debut Atlantic takes the guess work out of presenting excellence in the genre by curating a five-tour season of primarily emerging artists available to presenters throughout the Atlantic region. Debut Atlantic is deeply committed to educational and community engagement and artist development. Additionally, it offers an annual scholarship to an exceptional Atlantic Canadian high school music student.

About Jeunesses Musicales Canada
Jeunesses Musicales Canada (JM Canada) is a talent incubator that boosts the careers of the best emerging artists, while helping to democratize classical music for audiences of all ages. Today, JM Canada seasons include over 1 200 musical activities presented across Canada, ranging from high-calibre concerts to exciting musical activities for young audiences.

About Prairie Debut
The only organization of its kind in Western Canada, Prairie Debut connects Canadian global-music and classical musicians of the highest levels of artistic excellence to audiences in over 90 communities, most of which are rural and outside the larger centres in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Northern Territories.

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Information:

Po Yeh
Executive Director
Prairie Debut

Erin Sparks
Executive Director
Debut Atlantic
782-414-5511

Noémie Vallet
Head of Communications
JM Canada

Explore the archive of Prairie Debut press releases.

Announcing 2023-24 Pan-Canadian Touring Artists

Calgary, June 5, 2018 – Violinist Amy Hillis and pianist Meagan Milatz – also known as meagan&amy – have been selected for a pan-Canadian tour offered by Debut Atlantic, Jeunesses Musicales Canada and Prairie Debut in 2019-2020.

Pan-Canadian Tour Selection

Calgary, June 5, 2018 – Violinist Amy Hillis and pianist Meagan Milatz – also known as meagan&amy – have been selected for a pan-Canadian tour offered by Debut Atlantic, Jeunesses Musicales Canada and Prairie Debut in 2019-2020.

Ladom Ensemble Tours Classical Fusion in Western Canada

December 2018 | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Calgary, December 30, 2018 In January 2019, audiences across Alberta and Saskatchewan will experience Ladom Ensemble’s unusual and internationally-inspired fusion of chamber and world music in a concert series touring with...

Pan-Canadian Tour Selection

Calgary, June 5, 2018 – Violinist Amy Hillis and pianist Meagan Milatz – also known as meagan&amy – have been selected for a pan-Canadian tour offered by Debut Atlantic, Jeunesses Musicales Canada and Prairie Debut in 2019-2020.

Tournée PanCanadian

Trois organismes canadiens spécialisés en musique classique s’allient afin d’offrir à un-e artiste ou à une formation canadien-ne de la relève une tournée pancanadienne en 2019-2020.

Pan-Canadian Tour

September 2017 | Three Canadian classical music organizations join forces to offer a pan-Canadian tour to an exceptional Canadian emerging artist or musical ensemble in 2019-2020.

2018/19 Touring Artists

July 2017 Our 2018/19 Season will feature four touring artists. We are very excited to showcase their incredible talents at the fall booking conferences in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Keep in touch to find out more about these musicians, showcases will be...

Po Yeh Appointed

May 2017 | Po Yeh joins Prairie Debut as the new Executive Director, commencing July 2017. She comes to Prairie Debut from the Honens Piano Competition, where most recently as Director, Corporate & Community Engagement, she managed corporate development,...

Lynne Bailey Retires

February 2017 | Prairie Debut confirms the retirement of Executive Director Lynne Bailey

Duo Milot & Bariel Tour

January 2017 | Duo Milot and Bariel’s Duos & Duels tours Western Canada with Prairie Debut this February

The relationship of the performers and their passion for the music played is the foundation of Duo Milot & Bareil.

Bach Jazz by Flûte Alors!

January 2017 | Prairie Debut’s first tour of 2017 will be the recorder quartet Flûte Alors! who will be performing in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta this month.  Dynamic and versatile, Flûte Alors! is not afraid to push the limits of traditional recorder...

Duo Fortin-Poirier Tour Success

December 2016 | Duo Fortin-Poirier successfully completed their Prairie Debut Tour last month. The Duo performed to sold out crowds in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Yukon. Pianists Amélie Fortin and Marie-Christine Poirier, received standing ovations and praise from the...

2017-18 Touring Artist Showcases

December 2016 | Prairie Debut’s 2017-18 Touring Artists showcased at the Prairie Contact events this fall. Congratulations to Henderson-Kolk Duo, The Chooi Brothers and Proteus Saxophone Quartet on their incredible showcases. All three artists wowed the conference...

RBC Foundation Sponsorship

October 2016 | Prairie Debut thanks sponsor The RBC Foundation – Emerging Artist Project, a fund that contributes to Prairie Debut’s ability to bring our artists to small communities throughout Alberta and Yukon. We are grateful to RBC for their generous...

Duo Fortin-Poirier

September 2016 | Duo Fortin-Poirier will begin Prairie Debut’s 2016-17 touring season, performing concerts in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Yukon. The duo, featuring pianists Amélie Fortin and Marie-Christine Poirier, has been heralded as one of the most promising of...

Strategic Planning

May 2016 | Prairie Debut’s board and staff completed an amazing strategic planning meeting this past May in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Big ideas were discussed, the mandate reviewed, and the organization looks forward to continuing its role in the arts in western Canada....

apply to tour with prairie debut

Each year, we invite emerging and established Canadian musicians to showcase and tour with Prairie Debut. World-genre and classical musicians who consider music to be their professional career are invited to apply to be part of our 2020-21 season.

Applications open in January.

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