Michael Measures Prizes
Justin Saulnier (left) and Sabina Sandvoss (right)
Photographer(s): Anastasia Krachkovskaya (left) and Bo Huang (right)
Latest winners
Justin Saulnier
First prize
Justin Saulnier is a 19-year-old violinist from Ottawa, Ontario. He has performed as a soloist with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM), the Orchestre Métropolitain, the National Arts Center Orchestra (NAC), the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, the McGill Symphony Orchestra, the Pembroke Symphony Orchestra and the Ottawa Youth Orchestra, having worked with prominent conductors including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Tomas Netopil and Alexis Hauser. Justin has received top prizes in the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition, Golden Violin and NAC Orchestra Bursary and OSM competitions. Justin plays on a 1680 Ruggeri, from Cremona, Italy, with a Louis Gillet bow, generously loaned to him by the company Canimex Inc., from Drummondville, Quebec.
Sabina Sandvoss
Second Prize
Known for her passionate and expressive performances, cellist Sabina Sandvoss is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance at the Glenn Gould School, studying with Hans Jørgen Jensen and Andrés Díaz. She recently won the 2025 Corcoran Concerto Competition, performing Schelomo, by Bloch. A three-time concerto competition winner in Calgary, Sabina received early mentorship from her mother, Beth Root Sandvoss, and performs on a cello handcrafted by her father, Christopher Tilman Sandvoss.
The prizes
The Michael Measures Prizes recognize promising young classical music performers from Canada. The prizes are awarded to young musicians 16 to 24 years of age who are enrolled in the summer training program of the NYO Canada (National Youth Orchestra of Canada).
Background
Michael Measures was a great music lover and engaged volunteer in Ottawa’s artistic community. Upon his death, he made a generous bequest to the Canada Council for the Arts so that it could provide development opportunities for young classical musicians and encourage public recognition of their achievements.
To know more about the eligibility criteria and to get more information about these prizes, consult the NYO Canada website.
Annual competition
Prize amounts
First prize
$25,000
Second prize
$15,000
Accessibility
If you are Deaf, hard of hearing, or a TTY user, please use your preferred MRS (Message Relay Service) or IP service to contact the Canada Council.
The Canada Council for the Arts can also receive calls from a video relay service (VRS). For more information, visit the VRS Canada website.