Early Music Alberta Community Competition

The Cause

Early Music Alberta (EMA) is an Edmonton-based non-profit arts organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating early music through our annual concert series and world-class festival. Our focus is on medieval, renaissance, and baroque music, particularly as played on historical instruments and based on archival research.
In our commitment to community engagement, we propose to launch an annual community competition open to amateur musicians across Alberta. This competition aims to promote the historically informed performance of early music, repertoire from the renaissance to late baroque eras, and encourage amateur musicians to deepen their knowledge and appreciation for this genre. Musicians must play early music in the competition but are not required to play on historical instruments. Participants will compete for cash prizes and a coveted opportunity to perform at the beginning of a EMA professional concert in our concert series.
The competition will be structured into two age categories: 1) 13-19 years and 2) 20 years and up, and will focus on vocal, and string musicians, including plucked strings, in 2025. The idea is to focus on different instrument groups in alternate years; 2026 will be brass, winds and keyboards, ensuring a wide representation of early music instruments. The competition will consist of two preliminary rounds on March 8 in Edmonton and March 9, 2025 in Calgary and a final round in Edmonton on April 5, 2025. The final round is open to the public. Musicians from all over Alberta are invited to participate.
A jury of professional musicians, specialized in early music, including our Artistic Director, Josephine van Lier, will adjudicate the performances. For each age category, there will be a 1st place cash prize of $150, a 2nd place cash prize of $75 and an “audience favourite” prize of $50, judged by the attending audience.
To add to the excitement, the 1st place winner from each age category will be invited to perform at EMA’s concert, With Peace and Joy, on May 9, 2025—an invaluable opportunity to showcase their talents before a live audience in a professional concert setting. We believe this competition will not only cultivate a thriving community of early music enthusiasts, and generate some healthy, fun competition, but also inspire the next generation of musicians in Alberta.

Who Will it Benefit?

The proposed annual community competition by Early Music Alberta will benefit several key groups:
Amateur Musicians: Participants of all ages will gain valuable performance experience, enhance their skills, and deepen their appreciation for early music. The opportunity to perform at a professional concert will serve as a significant milestone in their musical journey.
Early Music Enthusiasts: The competition will engage the broader community, fostering a greater appreciation for early music. Public attendance will encourage social interaction and build a sense of community among music lovers.
Music Educators and Schools: The competition will serve as an educational resource, inspiring music teachers to incorporate early music into their curricula and motivating students to explore this genre.
Early Music Alberta: The organization will strengthen its mission of preserving and promoting early music while expanding its audience and community connections.
Judges and Mentors: Established musicians and music educators serving as judges will have the opportunity to mentor emerging talent and share their expertise.
Overall, this initiative aims to create a vibrant ecosystem of early music appreciation and performance, benefiting musicians and the community alike.