Michael Measures Prizes
Arin Sarkissian (left) and Andrew Busch (right)
Photographer(s): Yamaha USA (left) and Stuart Lowe (right)
Latest winners
Arin Sarkissian
First Prize
Residing in British Columbia, Canada, Arin Sarkissian is the principal flutist of the Victoria Symphony. In the summer of 2022, the Toronto-born artist made guest appearances at the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal’s La Virée Classique as first prize and Stingray Rising Star Award – Audience Choice winner at the 2020 OSM Competition. Recent orchestral appearances include concerts with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Sarkissian holds a Bachelor of Music from Rice University and a Professional Studies Certificate from the Colburn School, studying with Leone Buyse and Jim Walker. Former mentors include Christina Yoo, Cynthia Kelly and Lilit Hovhannisyan.
Andrew Busch
Second Prize
Andrew Busch’s versatility shines through his performances on classical and marching percussion stages across North America and Europe. His achievements include first-prize wins in the 2018 National Music Festival of Canada and the 2020–21 Maritsa Brookes Concerto Competition. He is a co-founder and active performer with the Kairos Percussion Quartet, which is based in Toronto Canada, as well as the Quartet’s current operations manager. Andrew recently completed his master’s degree at the University of Toronto under Aiyun Huang, Beverley Johnston, Charles Settle, John Rudolph and Ryan Scott and was the recipient of the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s Program award and a University of Toronto Fellowship.
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).
Eligibility
To be eligible for these prizes, classical music performers must take part in the summer training program of the NYO Canada.
To know more about the eligibility criteria and get more information about these prizes, visit the NYO Canada website.
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.
Additional information
Annual competition
Prize amount
First Prize
$25,000
Second Prize
$15,000
Application-based
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.