Thirteen-Year-Old Royal Conservatory Student Wins Grand Prize at 2010 Canadian Music Competition

July 23, 2010

Leslie Ashworth takes top spot in two categories, awarded $1,000 scholarship

Toronto – Thirteen-year-old Leslie Ashworth, a student at The Royal Conservatory’s Young Artists Performance Academy, took home the Grand Prize at the Canadian Music Competition in Edmonton earlier this month.

The violinist was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from Jeunesses Musicales of Canada Foundation for placing first in the 11-14 Years Old category of the competition. In addition, Leslie won first prize among 12-year-olds in the Strings performance category.

One of the country’s top musical competitions, the Canadian Music Competition supports and encourages young Canadian performers in the field of classical music, preparing them for professional life beyond their academic activities.

Leslie began playing the violin at age four and has been a scholarship student at The Royal Conservatory’s Young Artists Performance Academy since she was nine years old, studying with Mr. Alec Hou. Later this year, she will accompany both the Oakville Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Hamilton for the first time in her young career, having received awards from each organization in 2009.

Leslie has composed over a dozen original pieces and, in addition to the violin, currently studies piano at The Royal Conservatory. She recently released her first album, Precious Musical Moments, with 50 percent of all proceeds being donated to Free The Children, an organization dedicated to liberating children from poverty and exploitation.

Founded in 1886, The Royal Conservatory is the largest and oldest independent arts educator in Canada, providing opportunities for personal development through music and arts education in over 300 communities across Canada and a dozen countries around the world. Each year, more than 500,000 Canadians take part in Conservatory programs, exams, and public school initiatives. The Royal Conservatory’s Young Artists Performance Academy develops performance skills, musicianship, and academic excellence among exceptional young classical musicians. The program supplements superior musical training with innovative interdisciplinary experiences, including acting, movement, improvisation, and other arts-based instruction, designed to deepen musical understanding and build peak performance and creative skills. For more information, please visit www.rcmusic.ca.

Media Contact:
Jeff Embleton
Manager, Publicity The Royal Conservatory
Phone: 416.891.2785
jeff.embleton@rcmusic.ca