Ottawa, June 15, 2010 – Montreal violinist Alexandre Da Costa is the 2010 recipient of the Virginia Parker Prize announced the Canada Council for the Arts. The $25,000 prize was established in 1982 by Virginia Parker for Canadian performers of classical music under the age of 32, who demonstrate outstanding talent and musicianship.
Alexandre Da Costa received his Master's Degree in violin at the age of 18, and a First Prize from the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec along with a bachelor's degree in Piano Interpretation from the University of Montreal. He furthered his violin studies at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofia, Madrid with Zakhar Bron.
Download images of Mr. Da Costa.
Mr. Da Costa has won many national and international prizes including the Sylva Gelber Foundation Award and was awarded the loan of the 1689 Baumgartner Stradivarius from the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank in 2003. He currently plays the
1727 Di Barbaro Stradivarius and a Sartory bow, courtesy of Canimex.
Appearing in nearly 1000 concerts worldwide, Mr. Da Costa has played with orchestras such as London Royal, Prague and Dresden Philharmonics, the Berlin and Toronto Symphonies as well as the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Leonard Slatkin and Günter Herbig to name a few. His 13th cd will be a concerto recording with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Pedro Halffter. In addition to his concert and recording schedule, Mr. Da Costa is active as a teacher, giving workshops and master classes at various universities around the world.
Mr. Da Costa was selected by a peer assessment committee consisting of Valdine Anderson (Winnipeg), Kurt Kellan (Victoria), and Walter Prystawski (Ottawa).
General information
In addition to its principal role of promoting and fostering the arts, the Canada Council for the Arts administers and awards many prizes and fellowships in the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural and health sciences, engineering, and arts management. These prizes and fellowships recognize the achievements of outstanding Canadian artists, scholars, and administrators. The Canada Council for the Arts is committed to raising public awareness and celebration of these exceptional people and organizations on both a national and international level.
Find complete listing of these awards.
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