Judging by this year’s extraordinarily talented applicants, Canadian and international audiences can be assured of a bright future for classical music performance. Our 12 remarkable award winners were drawn from an initial pool of 50 applicants, nominated by 25 prestigious music schools and eminent musicians from across Canada and around the world. The Foundation is grateful to these nominators for taking the time and care to put forward their top Canadian students for consideration.
As in previous years, our pre-selection panel spent several days listening to the recordings submitted by each candidate and determining which of them would move on to the final adjudicative round. This panel included Rosemarie Landry, CM. (renowned soprano, Gelber board member and recently retired professor at the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Music); Lesley Robertson (celebrated violist, founding member of the St. Lawrence String Quartet, and Artist-in-Residence at Stanford University); James Sommerville (former principal horn of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, former Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, and distinguished soloist), and Andrew Tunis (acclaimed pianist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Ottawa). The Foundation is grateful to them for their many hours of painstaking work.
We are equally grateful to the five jurors who had the difficult task of choosing this year’s laureates from among the 27 finalists: flutist Camille Churchfield (devoted teacher at the University of Ottawa’s School of Music and formerly at UBC, long-serving former Principal Flute of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and former member of the National Arts Centre Orchestra); violinist and violist Scott St. John (the first former Gelber Foundation award winner to serve on our jury), and three Gelber Foundation board members: celebrated clarinetist James Campbell, CM (Artistic Director of Festival of the Sound); international voice teacher Rosemarie Landry, CM; and renowned pianist Stéphane Lemelin, (performer and dedicated pedagogue, on faculty at the Schulich School of Music in Montreal).
The Foundation applauds its 2025 laureates:
Chloé Dumoulin, piano
Montreal, Quebec
Named one of the CBC’s 2024 list of “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30,” pianist Chloé Dumoulin is recognized for her expressive playing and rich sound.
She has performed in Canada, the United States, Europe, and China. Winner of the 3rd Grand Prize at the 2024 Prix d’Europe Competition, she receives support from several foundations, including Jeunesses Musicales Canada and the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation (2023 and 2025), which this year will be supporting her as a Junior Fellow at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England.
A dedicated chamber musician, she founded the Vatra Quartet in 2020, which was invited to perform at the Montreal Chamber Music Festival. She has played in prestigious venues such as Salle Bourgie and the Maison Symphonique. As a collaborative pianist, she regularly works with singers and instrumentalists.
She recently earned an Artist Diploma with distinction from the Guildhall School, studying under Ronan O’Hora. She is also a graduate of the Conservatoire de Montréal, where she studied with André Laplante and Claire Ouellet.
Malena Lorenson, bass trombone
Red Deer, Alberta
Malena Lorenson is pursuing a diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral bass trombonist. Having just graduated from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, she will be beginning her Master’s degree with a solo specialization this fall at the Hochschule der Künste Bern in Switzerland.
Malena’s recent distinctions include second place at the 2024 OSM competition and first place at the International Trombone Festival George Roberts competition that same year.
She was invited to perform as soloist with the OSM in February 2025 for their Mon Beau Concerto concert series, and will be performing a concerto with her hometown orchestra, the Red Deer Symphony, this October.
As a chamber musician, Malena is a member of her Montréal-based trombone quartet Les Francobones and has performed with Monarch Brass at this year’s International Women’s Brass Conference. While studying in Montréal, Malena has played in an orchestral setting with various orchestras around Canada including the National Arts Centre Orchestra, l’Orchestre Métropolitain and the Québec Symphony.
Kelan Lynch, counter-tenor
Grand Prairie, Alberta
Born and raised in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Kelan Lynch is a passionate advocate for the arts in rural communities. A long-time member and soloist with the Grande Prairie Boys’ Choir, he performed in events such as Symphony and Singing in the City, helping bring classical music to wider, more diverse audiences.
After twelve years with the choir, Kelan earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of Alberta, where he studied both baritone and countertenor roles with Canadian tenor John Tessier. He also performed with the Madrigal Singers, serving as a board member and President.
Kelan now studies at London’s acclaimed Guildhall School of Music & Drama under renowned countertenor Andrew Watts. His operatic credits include the Sun in the Canadian premiere of The Enchanted Pig, Babylas in Monsieur Choufleuri, Major General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance, and Pluton in Orphée aux Enfers. He has also sung with Edmonton Opera in Tosca and Carmen, and regularly performs concert and consort music at Guildhall and with members of the Academy of Ancient Music. He recently made his European debut with one of the International Vocal Competition’s concert series.
Juliana Moroz, Cello
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Originally from Winnipeg, Canadian cellist Juliana Moroz is increasingly recognized as a rising young artist in North America. Named to the CBC’s “30 under 30” list in 2021, she received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings in 2023, as well as her Master’s degree from Rice University in 2025. Juliana has participated in the Aspen Summer Music Festival, Morningside Music Bridge, Orford Arts Festival, Rome Chamber Music Festival, and was a participant in the inaugural Josef Gingold Chamber Music Festival in Miami, Florida.In 2024, she was a finalist in the Eckhardt Gramatté Competition, and was a Fellow at Toronto Summer Music.
Most recently, Juliana performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra on their Masterworks Series. In the fall, she is excited to move to Toronto as a Rebanks Family Fellowship Artist for the 2025-2026 season. An avid chamber musician, Juliana has performed with acclaimed musicians including Amy Schwartz-Moretti, Andrew Wan, Yura Lee, Lawrence Dutton, Angela Cheng, and Orion Weiss.
Juliana loves to play with her family as a member of the JAGD Quartet and enjoys baking desserts, especially macarons.
Sophie Naubert, soprano
Gatineau, Quebec
Sophie Naubert is a young lyric coloratura soprano praised for her “extraordinary vocal maturity coupled with exceptional acting skills” (L’Opéra). Since the age of 23, she has captivated audiences on international stages, performing with renowned orchestras and opera
houses, including Theater Lübeck (Germany), Orchestre Métropolitain under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Cottbus (Berlin Konzerthaus), Opéra de Montréal, Les Violons du Roy, Les Ambassadeurs – La Grande Écurie, Arion Orchestre Baroque, Festival d’Opéra de Québec, and Orchestre symphonique de Gatineau. In 2021, she contributed to the ATMA Classique recording of Massenet’s complete melodies.
A laureate of the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation, Jeunesses Musicales Canada, RBC Prestige Scholarship, and Opéra Bouffe du Québec, Sophie is also the winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (St. Louis District, 2024), the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Competition, and the Herbert J. Frank Prize from the George London Competition.
Her recent European stage debut in Germany—where Lübecker Nachrichten hailed that she has “everything it takes for an international career”—marked a significant milestone in her artistic development. Beginning with the 2025–2026 season, she joins Theater Lübeck as a full-time ensemble member. The Gelber Foundation is supporting her relocation to Germany, along with further training and career development opportunities.
Luca Ortolani, oboe
Ottawa, Ontario
Luca Ortolani is a Canadian oboist recognized for his thoughtful musicianship and versatility across solo, orchestral, and chamber settings. He has performed with ensembles including the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Kentucky Symphony, the Tianjin Symposium Festival Orchestra, the Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and l’Orchestre de la Francophonie. As a soloist, he has recently performed works such as Vivaldi’s Double Oboe Concerto and Vaughan Williams’ Oboe Concerto.
Equally at home in chamber music, Luca has been featured in concert series including the Colburn Chamber Music Society, the Next Generation Series with Concert Nova, The Bach Ensemble at St. Thomas, Ottawa Chamberfest, and the Kingston Road Brandenburg Project.
He is grateful to have received several distinctions in support of his artistic growth; among these are the 2025 Sylva Gelber Music Foundation Award, the 2024 National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary, the 2024 Sturdevant Prize for Orchestra Excerpts, the 2022 Louise Schaefer Wilshire Scholarship (University of Cincinnati
College-Conservatory of Music), and the 2022 Vic Pomer Award from the National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition.
Luca completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto studying with Sarah Jeffrey and earned his Master’s at the University of Cincinnati
College-Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Titus Underwood. Luca is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at The Colburn School in Los Angeles, where he studies with Eugene Izotov.
Daria Schibițcaia, violin
Toronto, Ontaria,
Winner of the 2025 Walter Prystawski Prize
Michael Song, cello
Ottawa, ON
Canadian cellist Michael Song has garnered an international reputation for uncompromising depth and command of the instrument; as a soloist, he has appeared throughout Europe and North America in a broad concerto repertoire, from Haydn and C.P.E. Bach to Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Prokofiev, and Gulda.
Described as playing with “nobility, poise, and assurance,” Song carries forward the legacy of the great cellists who have influenced him in his formative years: Gary Hoffman and Lynn Harrell. He is the recipient of the Kronberg Academy’s Landgraf von Hessen Prize and a laureate of the Fondation Gautier Capuçon.
The current season sees him on tour throughout France, Belgium, the UK, Washington DC, and Philadelphia with appearances at Schloss Elmau, Salle Cortot, and the Curtis Institute of Music. In recital, Song takes care in crafting programs that blend tradition—both new and old—bringing to the stage forgotten gems and music of the present in the pursuit of enduring expressions of beauty.
Michael Song currently performs on a 1723 Domenico Montagnana and a bow by Persoit made available through an anonymous benefactor.
Anna Stube, violin,
Calgary, Alberta
Latvian-born violinist Anna Štube (b. 2005) has astounded audiences with her depth of expression throughout her international performance career; she is devoted to sharing the compassion and humanity of music.
Having recently performed with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra in their 2024/25 season, Anna made her first solo appearance with the CPO at age 13, shortly before receiving First Prize at the 2019 OSM Manulife Competition — their youngest-ever winner.
Featured on CBC Music’s 2022 “30 under 30” roster, Anna was a guest artist at the 2023 Banff International String Quartet Festival, the 2022 Rockport Chamber Music Festival; she recently performed a MainStage concert for Toronto Summer Music 2025. In the fall of 2024, Anna presented the Britten Violin Concerto with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra and Earl Lee in her official Koerner Hall debut.
A recipient of the prestigious Sylva Gelber Music Foundation Award for the second year in a row, Anna currently studies at the Glenn Gould School with Jonathan Crow. She plays on a 1667 Andrea Guarneri violin and bow generously loaned by CANIMEX Inc.
Korin Thomas-Smith, baritone
Toronto, ON
Named one of CBC music’s “30 hot classical musicians under 30” in 2021, Canadian baritone Korin Thomas-Smith has been carving a place for himself in the North American music scene.
The 2025-2026 season sees Korin making his debut at the Santa Fe Opera, performing as Schaunard in La Boheme, Count Ceprano in Rigoletto, and covering Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro.
A graduate of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio training program, Korin returns to the COC to perform as Mercurio in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, and later makes
his debut at the Dallas Opera in The Little Prince. Notable roles include Dottore Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Argante in Rinaldo, and Wagner in Faust. Korin holds a Master of Musical Arts in Opera from Yale University, and Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees from the University of Toronto. Korin has been an Apprentice Artist and Vocal Fellow at Des Moines Metro Opera, the Glimmerglass Festival, Ravinia Steans Music Institute, and the Music Academy of the West.
In 2025, Korin was awarded Second Place in the Christina and Louis Quilico Vocal Competition, and was a finalist at the George and Nora London Foundation Vocal Competition. In 2023, Korin was awarded Third Place, Opera at the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition.” This is Korin’s second Gelber award; it will assist him in launching his international career through lessons and coachings, participation in competitions, and a European audition tour.
Paul Williamson, piano
Mission, British Columbia
Included in CBC Music’s 2017 edition of “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30,” Paul Williamson has established himself as one of Canada’s promising young pianists. He received first prize at both the 2014 Canadian National Music Festival and the 2017 Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association National Piano Competition, in addition to three semifinal awards. He is also a prizewinner of the 2020 WMC McLellan Competition and received 3rd prize at the 2022 Shean Piano Competition and the 2023 Bader and Overton Canadian Piano Competition.
Currently enrolled in the Doctor of Musical Arts degree program at Northwestern University, Williamson also holds degrees from the Colburn School (AD, MMus) and the University of Manitoba (BMus). He has studied under James Giles, Fabio Bidini, and David Moroz.
In the spring of 2023, Williamson recorded his debut solo album featuring the music of Franz Liszt for Naxos Records. He has also recorded an album of the music of Canadian composer Tristan Zaba alongside Canadian soprano Mckenzie Warriner for the Centrediscs label.
Williamson is grateful to have his career supported by the Luminarts Cultural Foundation and the Amron-Sutherland Grant for Young Pianists from the Colburn School. His Gelber award will support his final year of study at Northwestern, as well as participation in international piano competitions and summer music festivals.
Emad Zolfaghari, viola
Windsor, Ontario
Canadian violist Emad Zolfaghari came to international attention after winning the first prize and audience prize at the 2024 Primrose International Viola Competition. Emad was accepted into the Curtis Institute of Music at age 16, where he currently studies with Hsin-Yun Huang.
Other major competition prizes include first prize at the Klein International String Competition and the International Morningside Music Bridge Competition, second prize at the Johansen International String Competition, third and special prizes at the Tokyo International Viola Competition, and third and audience prize at Montreal’s OSM string competition. He also was awarded Charlotte White’s Salon de Virtuosi Career grant in 2024, and was listed as one of CBC Music’s “30 under 30 hot Canadian classical musicians.”
Solo appearances include the Tokyo Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, l’Orchestre Métropolitain, National Philharmonic, Oakville Chamber Orchestra, Peninsula Symphony and more.
Emad currently plays on a fine 1700 Matteo Goffriller viola on generous loan from the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation, and a Eugène Sartory bow from CANIMEX, inc. His Sylva Gelber Music Foundation award will support his final year of study at the Curtis Institute, along with participation in various career development opportunities.