CMW® Student Composer Competition

CATEGORY "PREPARATORY" CLASS 1:  Mila Pitz

Biography - I am 8 years old and I am in grade 3 at St. John’s Ravenscourt School in Winnipeg. I started playing piano when I was 6 years old and my piano teacher is Leanne Hiebert. I love dandelion puffballs because one of my favorite things to do in the summer is blow and make wishes on dandelion puffballs!

CATEGORY "A" CLASS 1: Thalia Zacharias

Thalia Lauren Zacharias is an 11-year-old, Grade 5 homeschool student from East St. Paul, Manitoba. She loves animals and music and her hobbies include reading, playing music, doing dance, gymnastics and aerial silks, horseback-riding, travelling, and much more! Serenade of the Gondolier is Thalia’s first official composition and she looks forward to the day when she can travel to see the Venice waterways and enjoy them in person! Thalia hopes to write many more pieces now that she has experienced the joy of composing.

CATEGORY "A" CLASS 2: Sarah Khalimov

My name is Sarah Khalimov. I am 9 years and ¾ old and in grade 4. I have 6 people in my family including my parents, 3 older siblings and myself. I love all of my family members very much. My favorite book series is Harry Potter. I just finished reading the 5th book, “Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix”. I love to play basketball with my friends at school, particularly boys against girls so we can show the boys how tough we are. I am very competitive. My guilty pleasure is TV and chocolates, love them but always have to watch my limits! Recently, I asked my parents for a pet, and I got a fish. I named it Albus Dumbledore after the headmaster at Hogwarts. I love Albus very much, he was my inspiration to write my very first piano piece.

CATEGORY "B" CLASS 1: Zoe Redekop

Zoe Redekop, a grade 7 French immersion student from Brandon, MB, has been playing the piano since kindergarten. She finds passion in many different performing arts. Sketching, composing, dancing, choreographing, singing- usually off key- and of course, playing piano are all included in her favourite pastimes. As well, Zoe participates in many sports, but especially enjoys volleyball. In her free time, Zoe likes to hang out with her awesome family and favourite cat, Scribbles.

Category "C":  Tairan He

16 year-old Tairan is a grade 10 student at Vincent Massey High School in Brandon, Manitoba. He started taking piano lessons at the age of 6. After several years of study with Claudette Caron and Mary Jo Carrabre, he began lessons with Everett Hopfner. In previous years, Tairan has won the Marilyn Nichols Memorial Trophy and the H.E. Phipps Trophy from the Brandon Festival of the Arts and scholarships from the Eckhardt-Gramatté Conservatory of Music. He began composing in his free time two years ago. In addition to piano, he excels in coding, mathematics, and videogames.

Category "D":  Sierra Brooks

"I'm Sierra, I'm 22 years old and have been playing the piano for five years. I'm a singer/ songwriter who loves to produce music and perform at open mic nights.

CATEGORY "PREPARATORY" CLASS 1:  Mila Pitz

I am 7 years old and I am in grade 2 at St. John’s Ravenscourt School in Winnipeg. I started playing piano when I was 6 years old and my favourite song to play right now is Driving Range. I love Giraffes and my favourite colour is Orange! I also love playing with my Cat KitKat and my sister Alexa!

CATEGORY "A" CLASS 1: Alexa Pitz

My name is Alexa Pitz and I am 9 years old. I am in grade 4 at St. John’s Ravenscourt School in Winnipeg. I have been playing piano since grade 1. My favorite place to be is Falcon Lake. I like to be outdoors and collect animals like frogs, fish, caterpillars, crayfish and other things. I also like to read and swim. I have a sister and a cat I like to play with. I have just started composing a song called the “Online Learning Blues”. In my opinion, school at school is much better than online learning.

CATEGORY "B" CLASS 1: Nigel Stahl

Hi, my name is Nigel Stahl. I started taking piano lessons in grade 4 and am in grade 4 in piano. I’ve won first place in the grade 2 category in my school division’s annual Festival of the Arts. I like playing piano and often arrange hymns to sing with my friends. I also really like to play the accordion. Some of my hobbies are playing instruments, reading, photography, and video-editing.

Category "C":  Graham Nash

Graham Hunter Nash, born in Winnipeg Manitoba, is currently 18 years of age and has been playing piano since he was seven years old. He had always had a love for music, even since birth, but he found it easier expressed through the instrument. Graham has played in the foyer of the centennial Concert hall, opening for the orchestra with many other musicians. He has always had a competitive spirit which has translated into Track and Field at the provincial and national level. Graham is currently enjoying life at home with his parents and his sister.

Category "D":  Anna Schwartz

Anna Schwartz is a piano student attending Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg. Her focus is music and biochemistry looking toward a future in medicine.  She studies piano with Loren Hiebert and Shirley Elias, as well as composition with Neil Weisensel. Anna enjoys studying voice with David Klassen and participates in several choirs, including the CMU Festival Chorus and the Southern Manitoba Choral Society. She holds an ARCT in Piano Performance and earned a provincial Gold Medal in Grade 10 Voice. Anna likes to run, play squash, and improvise on the piano. She often participates in church services as pianist and organist.

CATEGORY "PREPARATORY" CLASS 1:  Jai Claire

Jai Claire is an eight year old 2nd grader who loves math, piano and violin. He also plays a variety of sports which include: Hockey, Soccer and Golf. He is fascinated with electronics and mechanical stuff. He spends a lot of time building cool things with LEGO.

In the summertime, Jai enjoys spending time with his dad at the farm cutting and baling alfalfa. When he grows up, he would like to work at NASA or be an electrical engineer.

CATEGORY "A" CLASS 1: Hermione Claire

Hermione Claire

Hermione is an eleven year old 6th grader who lives in Souris, MB. She enjoys the quiet town among other things that include dancing, singing and participating in plays. She also studies violin in the Suzuki Talent Education Program at Brandon University. She loves to read and write as well.

Hermione has a younger brother named Jai who is also learning piano and violin. Hermione loves to play with her dog, Captain. In the summertime, Hermione enjoys golfing, swimming, gardening and picking berries with her mom. When she grows up, she would like to be a lawyer.

CATEGORY "B" CLASS 2: Sheen Dube

Sheen Dube

I am a 14 year old who loves music, art and sports.  I am a grade 9 student at Saint John’s Ravenscourt School.  I love to play piano in the evenings.  My passion however is song writing.  I wrote my first song when I was 7 years old on water scarcity.  Now, my songs usually focus on emotions like love, friendship empowerment, fighting, etc.  This song was dedicated to my friend who was going through a rough time, and I wanted her to know I was always by her side.  Although I prefer upbeat songs, I enjoy listening to any kind of music.  Music inspires me in many ways.

Category "D":  Evan Miles

Evan Miles is 18 years old and lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is currently enrolled in Grade 12 French Immersion at Ecole Secondary Kelvin High School, however he will be studying jazz in the Desautels Faculty of Music at the U of M in the fall.

Since an early age, Evan has expressed an interest in composing music. His passion for jazz and improvising is strongly rooted in his love of creating music of his own. To him, composition and jazz go hand in hand, as in both mediums, the artist attempts to create a story or convey an emotion using harmony and melody When Evan is not involved in music related activities, he enjoys rock climbing and playing ultimate frisbee with his friends.

CATEGORY A CLASS 1: Max Merckx

Max Merckx

My name is Max Merckx, I’m nine years old and I live in Boissevain Manitoba.  I enjoy nature, going to our family cabin, tubing, playing hockey, and I also like to play video games.  I’ve participated in Boissevain’s Composers and Kids event 2 years in a row, and I really enjoy meeting Canadian Composers.  This past year I competed in the Boissevain Festival of the Arts in the piano category, and I also sang with the Boissevain School Grade 3 choir.

CATEGORY B CLASS 1: Elena Neufeld

Biography for Elena Neufeld

Hi, my name is Elena Neufeld and I live on a farm near Margaret, MB. I’m 15 years old, and in grade 9 at Boissevain School. In my free time I like riding my horse, sketching, photography, snowboarding, writing, and hanging out with my friends.

I like playing percussion in my high school band, and I study privately the violin, and piano.  I’m a member of the Brandon Youth Orchestra and Suzuki group through the Brandon University Conservatory.

CATEGORY B CLASS 2: Sheen Dube

Sheen’s Biography
Sheen Dube was born in Winnipeg. She began piano lessons when she was 4 years of age and started voice lessons 3 years ago. Sheen wrote her first song when she was 7 years old focusing on day to day issues in the world such as water scarcity. She has been doing it off and on ever since.
Sheen’s taste in music varies greatly, from pop to classical and jazz to ethnic. Sheen’s musical interest is part of a wider activity including going to concerts, playing the tuba in the school band, singing and composing music. She is currently in Grade 8 at St. John’s Ravenscourt School.
When Sheen is not making music or listening to her favourite singer, she likes to play badminton and watch movies.

CATEGORY "C": Evan Miles

Evan Miles is 17 years old and lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has been studying classical piano with Gina Wedel since he was 4 years old and jazz piano and composition with Kevin Curtis since he was 12. Evan’s compositions reflect his jazz piano background as his knowledge of jazz theory and harmony allows him to create unique chord voicings and interesting resolutions. In addition to piano, Evan plays trombone, drums, guitar and is teaching himself upright bass. He is enrolled in grade 11 French Immersion and Kelvin High School, where he is a part of the senior jazz band, concert band and the president of the environmental action committee. In his free time, Evan enjoys rock climbing, Ultimate Frisbee, attending jam sessions and playing pool with his friends.