Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects

09/06/2026

📣 SAVE THE DATE! 🎶

Our ACNMP Annual General Meeting is happening online:

📅 Sunday, September 27
⏰ 3:00 PM Eastern Time
💻 Online

Are you an ACNMP member? We would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and feedback! Your voice matters. 💬🎵

Not a member yet? No problem! It is easy to join, and we would love to have you be part of the conversation.

📧 Email [email protected] for the meeting link or more information.

See you there! 💙

08/09/2026

🎉 Our Updated Woodwind Syllabi Are Here! 🎉

We are excited to announce that our Woodwind Syllabi have been updated!

Explore the latest syllabi for:
🎶 Flute
🎶 Oboe
🎶 Clarinet
🎶 Bassoon
🎶 Saxophone
🎶 Woodwind Ensemble

Whether you are a teacher, student, or performer, we hope these resources will help you discover and perform more outstanding Canadian repertoire.

📖 View the updated syllabi here:
https://acnmp.ca/syllabus/english-syllabus/

A heartfelt thank you to our syllabus assessors for generously sharing their time, expertise, and thoughtful feedback throughout this revision process:

• Laura Chambers
• Anne Palmer
• Mashad Nadalian
• Murray Lefebvre
• Sheba Thibideau
• Eric Tessier

Their contributions have helped ensure these syllabi remain current, educational, and representative of the richness of Canadian music.

Thank you for supporting Canadian composers and helping us promote Canadian music education across the country! 🇨🇦🎵

05/28/2026

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Cris Derksen.

Cris wrote the opening letter for our Contemporary Showcase Festival last year (attached in the comment below), and her words continue to inspire us. Her encouragement to young composers and artists — to persevere, follow their own path, and share their stories through music — reflected the generosity, wisdom, and creativity she brought to the artistic community.

We are grateful to have shared even a small part of her legacy through our festival. Her voice, artistry, and spirit will continue to resonate through the music and people she touched.

Our thoughts are with her family, friends, collaborators, and all who were inspired by her work. 🖤

On behalf of the CMC team, I am deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Cris Derksen yesterday in a car accident that has also left her wife Bobby in critical condition. We hope for Bobby’s safe recovery. My heart goes out to Cris’ family, friends and all those who worked with her.

I want to acknowledge the tremendous impact Cris has on contemporary music, through her compositions and performances. She was a composer, a cellist, a mentor, a collaborator and a strong voice from the Indigenous classical community… inspiring and so much more. It felt like her career was soaring with varying opportunities, such as a performance at Carnegie Hall of her work “Controlled Burn” performed by l’Orchestre Métropolitan de Montréal.

Soar onwards, Cris!

To learn more about Cris https://www.crisderksen.com

05/13/2026

We are thrilled to announce our newest center - Hamilton Contemporary Showcase!🇨🇦

With the addition of Hamilton, we now have 13 Contemporary Showcase Centers from coast to coast across Canada — and growing!

Here is what co-founder Lara DeBuyer shares about the journey:

“I am the daughter of a piano teacher from Edmonton, Alberta, and I grew up participating in music festivals. I first heard about Contemporary Showcase when my piano teacher (not my mother at the time!) enrolled me as a student. It was a refreshing change from the competitive festivals I was used to. I remember the joy of performing without the pressure of being ranked. The adjudicators worked with the entire group and spent time teaching us about Canadian music history.

It was through Contemporary Showcase that I was introduced to fascinating works by composers such as Alexina Louie, whose music was not included in the RCM books at the time. Years later, when I began teaching piano myself, I volunteered with the Contemporary Showcase in Toronto.

After moving to Hamilton and building my studio here, I realized that the nearest Contemporary Showcase festivals were far enough away that many parents hesitated to enroll their students. I mentioned this to Ian Green, a Canadian composer and fellow piano teacher, and he immediately expressed interest in organizing a Showcase in Hamilton.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with him. He is passionate about teaching and Canadian music and brings a wonderful vision to this festival. Together, we are working to create new opportunities for students in Hamilton to perform, learn, and engage with Canadian repertoire.

There are so many outstanding Canadian composers living and working in this part of the country. I find that students connect with music differently when they realize the composer is alive, accessible, and someone they may even meet in person. This year, we are starting small as we learn the ins and outs of festival planning, but in the future we hope to include concerts, lectures, and community events featuring composers to give students even more meaningful ways to engage with the repertoire.”

Please join us in warmly welcoming Hamilton to our Contemporary Showcase family! 👏

Hamilton Contemporary Showcase will host its very first showcase this fall. If you are in the area, be sure to connect with co-founders Ian Green and Lara DeBuyer at [email protected] for more information. You can find more details here:
https://acnmp.ca/hamilton-center/

02/27/2026

Congratulations to Charise Pohl from the Maritimes Showcase, co‑recipient of the 2025 Mary Hildebrand Memorial Award for Performance Excellence! 🏆

Mary Hildebrand was a teacher, composer, and devoted supporter of Contemporary Showcase Mississauga. The Hildebrand family created this award to honour her passion for music and her lasting impact on youth and the arts.

👏 Well done, Charise — such a meaningful achievement!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

02/22/2026

Congratulations to Alexandra Aquino from Mississauga Showcase, who was awarded the 2025 John Weinzweig Centenary Scholarship (Junior Award)! 🏆

John Weinzweig, known as “the Dean of Canadian composers,” was the pre-eminent Canadian composer and teacher of his generation. This scholarship was established in recognition of the 100th anniversary of his birth, celebrating his remarkable legacy in Canadian music.

Well done, Alexandra — what an incredible achievement! 👏✨

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

02/21/2026

Congratulations to Gaoyan Thomas Cheng from Calgary Showcase , recipient of the 2025 Louise MacPherson Memorial Award! 🏆

Louise MacPherson was a beloved and influential music teacher in Saskatoon, Vice-President for the Canadian Music Competitions, and a long-serving executive of the Saskatchewan Registered Music Teachers’ Association. This award is made possible through the support of her daughter, Jill Kelman, and the Canadian Music Centre, honoring Louise’s legacy of dedication to music education and excellence.

👏 Well done, Gaoyan — such a wonderful achievement!

“Valse Étude” is a Chopin-esque waltz that plays with the contrast between boldness and grace.Original composition composed and performed by Gaoyuan Thomas C...

02/15/2026

Congratulations Kim McCreery from Calgary Showcase, co‑recipient of the 2025 Mary Hildebrand Memorial Award for Performance Excellence! 🏆

Mary Hildebrand was a teacher, composer, and devoted supporter of Contemporary Showcase Mississauga. The Hildebrand family created this award to honour her passion for music and her lasting impact on youth and the arts.

👏 Well done, Kim — such a meaningful achievement!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

02/14/2026

Congratulations to Allie Pompu from Calgary Showcase, recipient of the 2025 Ann Southam National Award (Senior)! 🏆

Ann Southam was one of Canada’s first prominent women composers — an electronic and classical music composer known for blazing a trail for women composers. This award, established by her family, honours her legacy by celebrating the continuum of Canadian female composers.

👏 Amazing work, Allie — we’re so proud of you!

I Want Something from Pay the Piper by Cecilia Livingston.

02/08/2026

Congratulations to Vivian Liu from Calgary Showcase, recipient of the 2025 Mary Gardiner Award for Performance Excellence (Senior)! 🏆

Mary Gardiner was a pianist, educator, mentor, award-winning composer, champion of Canadian music, and a long-serving president of ACNMP. This award is made possible through memorial donations and the generosity of the Gardiner family and Eva Michalak, honoring Mary’s enduring legacy and commitment to excellence in performance.

👏 Fantastic achievement, Vivian — we’re so proud of you!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.