past seasons
In more than two decades of touring, Prairie Debut has featured over 142 artists and touched diverse communities across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Yukon.
2020-22 | Bouey-Doucet Duo
Innovative piano and shimmering violin combine in the Bouey-Doucet Duo.
2018-19 | Dominguez & Fung
Revel in the fanciful worlds created by music as cellist Chloe Dominguez and pianist Janelle Fung take you on a sublime and mystical journey inspired by fable.
2018-19 | Rolston String Quartet
2016 BISQC Laureate winners The Rolston String Quartet have been named among CBC’s 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30.
2019-20 | Trio Saint-Laurent
Clarinet, viola and piano combine in a display of acoustic poetry.
2019-20 | OKAN
Afro-Cuban group OKAN offers global music in a quartet of spice and soul.
2018-19 | Ladom Ensemble
Piano, accordion, cello and percussion combine in a distinct yet accessible sound with influences drawn from Italy, Greece, Balkan, Russia, Arabian Peninsula, and Asia.
2019-20 | meagan&amy
Meet pianist Meagan Milatz and violinist Amy Hillis, the first winners of the Pan-Canadian Tour.
2018-19 | VC2
Discover how VC2 are pushing the boundaries of classical cello performance in their program, Beethoven’s Cellists.
2018-19 | Avan Yu
Share in Avan’s adventures as an award-winning pianist, including milestone pieces from his major performances.
2017-18 | Proteus Saxophone Quartet
The Proteus Saxophone Quartet is redefining the traditional saxophone chamber music experience with their high energy, intense, and diverse performances. Named after the god of the sea, modular and versatile, the Proteus Quartet explores the numerous instrumental combinations of the saxophone family through the creation and performance of chamber music.
2017-18 | Henderson-Kolk Duo
Canada’s own Henderson-Kolk Duo has built their audience’s loyalty with their choice of repertoire, stage charisma and what Wholenote Magazine describes as “a warm and intimate sound.” Since their formation in 2004, they have quickly become one of North America’s premier guitar duos.
2017-18 | The Chooi Brothers
Brothers Nikki and Timothy Chooi are united by a profound understanding and genuine passion for the violin, which renders their musical union extraordinarily rich. Together, they have an intrinsic musical partnership that makes their duo artistry unique and interesting. Pianist Philip Chiu is more than a summation of technical and musical abilities, he has become one of Canada’s leading musicians through his infectious love of music and his passion for communication and collaboration.
2016-17 | Duo Milot & Bareil
Duo Milot & Bareil Harp & Violin "Harpist Valérie Milot and violinist Antoine Bareil offer exquisite sonority and complicity through their dynamic performances." - Journal Pioneer Duo Milot & Bareil are more than two musicians on stage, they are a couple...
2016-17 | Flûte Alors!
Dynamic and versatile, Flûte Alors! is composed of four new-generation recorder players. Since 1999, this award-winning quartet has received distinction for the audacity of their programs and the excellence of their performances.
2016-17 | Duo Fortin-Poirier
Duo Fortin-Poirier, featuring pianists Amélie Fortin and Marie-Christine Poirier, has been heralded as one of the most promising of its generation.
2015-16 | Duo Rendezvous
Duo Rendezvous unites two leading Canadian performers, violinist Jasper Wood and guitarist Daniel Bolshoy. This duo was formed as a response to great demand for a refreshing and passionate chamber ensemble with a strong dedication to outreach and education.
2015-16 | Luis Mario Ochoa Cuban Quartet
This acoustic quartet features the romantic rumba, to the lively samba, the pulsating bolero to the swaying waltz and cha cha. Traditional songs like “Canto Siboney”, “La Flor De La Canela”, and “El Carbonero”, bring Cuba home.
2015-16 | Marie-Josée Lord
Marie-Josée Lord soprano with piano and violin In 2005, soprano Marie-Josée Lord gained national recognition when she was awarded recipient of the prestigious Prix d’Excellence de la Culture from the Fondation de l’Opéra de Québec, and in that same year, was selected...
2014-15 | Kang-Mercer-Park
United by a shared love of the great classical and romantic chamber music repertoire, Judy, Rachel and Angela, three of Canada’s exciting artists, combine their broad-ranging individual knowledge and worldwide concert experience to offer dynamic and compelling performances as the Kang-Mercer-Park Trio.
2014-15 | Ensemble Caprice
Under the artistic direction of Matthias Maute and Sophie Larivière, Ensemble Caprice is renowned for its innovative interpretations of baroque music, receiving national and international acclaim for more than twenty years.
2014-15 | Fung-Chiu Duo
Established pianists in their own right, Janelle Fung and Philip Chiu have come together to present concerts that challenge the traditional boundaries of one piano four-hands.
2013-14 | Guy Few & Nadina Mackie Jackson
Known internationally as soloists, chamber musicians, recitalists and fashionistas, Guy & Nadina are “completely engaging from the moment they walk on stage” (THE CHRONICLE, Oliver BC).
2013-14 | Yadong Guan Trio
Hailing from Beijing, Yadong Guan is a true musical ambassador who brilliantly masters the pipa, a traditional Chinese instrument that is over 2,000 years old.
2013-14 | musica intima
Internationally renowned for their warm and engaging stage presence, impeccable musicianship, and unique perspective on ensemble singing, musica intima has earned a reputation as Canada’s most exciting vocal ensemble.
2012-13 | Georgy Tchaidze
Georgy Tchaidze, First Laureate of Calgary’s Honens International Piano Competition (2009), is a native of St Petersburg, Russia. His Honens win allowed him to bring his artistry beyond Russia for performances throughout Europe and North America.
2012-13 | Cecilia String Quartet
Praised for their “extraordinary commitment and maturity” and “talent, passion and mastery”, the Cecilia String Quartet is one of Canada’s most exciting young ensembles today.
2012-13 | Kornel Wolak and Chris Donnelly
Armed with a clarinet, a piano and their personable stage presence, Kornel Wolak and Chris Donnelly present a remarkable blend of classical and jazz music rarely heard in live performance.
2012-13 | Couloir
Two of the West Coast’s exceptional musicians, harpist Heidi Krutzen and cellist Ariel Barnes, have formed Couloir, a new and unexpected duo dedicated to collaboration with Canada’s leading composers, performing modern art music at the highest level of excellence, and presenting engaging new music concerts in non-traditional settings.
2011-12 | Alexander Sevastian
With three first prize wins at the International Accordion Competition to his credit, Alexander Sevastian truly commanded the world’s attention as one of the best.
2011-12 | Sharon Wei & Angela Park
Canadian musicians Sharon Wei and Angela Park have captivated audiences around the world through their unique interpretations of the viola and piano repertoire from Bach to new creations.
2011-12 | TorQ
Awarded a MARTY for “Best Emerging Performing Arts Group – 2009” by the Mississauga (ON) Arts Council, TorQ was formed in 2004 by four young, enthusiastic Toronto-area percussionists looking to add new energy to percussion repertoire and performance
2010-11 | Martha Guth, Tyler Duncan and Erika Switzer
Soprano Martha Guth has been acclaimed for her “’thrilling top range, rare breath control and an awesome legato. Singing along with Baritone Tyler Duncan, with “that rare mixture of elegant phrasing and resonant power’, and Erika Switzer, pianist, widely known for her brilliant, expressive, and technically confident playing.
2010-11 | Alessio Bax & Lucille Chung
Not very often do two young and celebrated concert pianists get together on stage on a regular basis and build an extensive repertoire. They have performed together on many of the world’s most prestigious platforms.
2010-11 | Jorge Miguel Flamenco Ensemble
“Passion” is a word that applies to the latest work by Jorge Miguel, to the music and to his commitment to explore the roots of the tradition and to find within that depth the seeds of new possibilities for the ancient art of Flamenco.
2009-10 | The Schumann Letters
The Schumann Letters is a concert format performance presenting some of the most beautiful piano and vocal music of Robert Schumann. It is exquisitely narrated through a spectacular story of his life and love for Clara Wieck and his personal triumphs and tragedies.
2009-10 | Quartango
Comprised of four highly accomplished musicians, bound by their shared passion for the tango and driven by an unceasing desire to make a close connection with their audience, Quartango offers a performance filled with subtle nuances and a blend of colors that reflects both the classics and modernity and the effervescence of the milonga.
2009-10 | Roy & Gaudet
Violinist Jean-Sébastien Roy was laureate of the Prix d’Europe 2006 and winner of the Prix Joseph Rouleau at the Concours International de Musique de Montreal in 2003 and 2006. Canadian pianist Mathieu Gaudet has established himself in the musical world for his passionate interpretations and virtuoso technique.
2008-09 | Allen Harrington and David Moroz
Canada’s leading young saxophonist, Allen Harrington, teaches saxophone, bassoon, and chamber music at the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Music. A graduate of the Juilliard School, Winnipeg-born pianist David Moroz enjoys a career as one of Canada’s most versatile artists.
2008-09 | Les Boréades de Montréal
Founded by Francis Colpron in 1991, Les Boréades de Montréal focuses on early music. The ensemble has chosen an interpretative approach in keeping with the spirit of the Baroque era, by adhering to the rules of performance practice of the past and playing on period instruments.
2008-09 | Collaborative Tour Project – The Banff Centre and Prairie Debut
In the fall of 2008 alumni musicians of The Banff Centre brought a program of classical music to towns throughout the province.
2008-09 | Bellows & Brass
Bellows & Brass is a trio comprised of three of Canada’s most successful soloists. They make music that is challenging, pleasing and above all-fun. Their concerts have been described as “vividly emotional … passionate … a revelation.”
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 2019.
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