Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music

Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music

Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music. Founded in 1978 by Jules Léger, who served as Canada's governor-general 1974-9, 'to encourage Canadian composers to write for chamber music ensembles and to foster the performance of Canadian music by these groups.' The prize, awarded annually, comprises a trophy by the Canadian sculptor Louis Archambault and a $5000 cash award (increased to $7500 in 1991). The competition, which is for works written for any combination of from two to twelve performers, is open to all Canadians and to landed immigrants of at least one year's residence. Administration of the prize was managed by the Canadian Music Council 1978-90 and by the Canadian Music Centre beginning in 1991. The winning compositions are given a concert performance, initially at Rideau Hall, the governor-general's Ottawa residence, but later in venues in Montreal and Toronto, and these concerts frequently have been broadcast by CBC radio. The winners have included R. Murray Schafer (String Quartet No. 2 'Waves'), 1978; Bruce Mather (Musique pour Champigny), 1979; Serge Garant (Quintette), 1980; John Rea (Com-possession), 1981; Walter Boudreau (L'Odyssée du Soleil), 1982; John Hawkins (Breaking Through), 1983; Brian Cherney (River of Fire), 1985; Michel Longtin (Pohjatuuli), 1986; Denys Bouliane (À propos... et le baron perché), 1987; Michael Colgrass (Strangers: Irreconcilable Variations), 1988; Peter Paul Koprowski (Sonnet for Laura), 1989; Donald Steven (In the Land of Pure Delight), 1991; John Rea (Objets perdus), 1992; Bruce Mather (YQUEM), 1993; Peter Paul Koprowski (Woodwind Quintet), 1994; John Burke (String Quartet), 1995; Christos Hatzis (Erotikos Logos), 1996; Omar Daniel Zwei (Lieder nach Rilke), 1997; Alexina Louie (Nightfall), 1998 and 1999; André Ristic (Catalogue 1 [bombes occidentales]), 2000; Chris Harman (Amerika), 2001; Yannick Plamondon (Autoportrait sur Times Square), 2002; and Éric Morin (D'un Château l'autre), 2003. The prize was not awarded in 1984, nor in 1990.

See also Chamber music composition; Sovereigns, statesmen.