Newswire | Annie Noël-de-Tilly wins NAC Bursary 2026

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OTTAWA , April 22, 2026 – Eight talented music students, aged 18 to 24 and with ties to the
National Capital Region, competed this week for a chance to win prizes worth more than $34,000 at the 45th annual National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition, held at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre.

This year’s winners are:

• The 2026 NAC Orchestra Bursary ($10,000) – Annie Noël-de-Tilly, flute
• The Crabtree Foundation Award ($6,500) – Jackson Kelly, percussion
• The Friends of the NAC Orchestra Award ($3,500) – Sara LeBlanc, oboe
• The NAC Orchestra Vic Pomer Award ($3,000) – Graeme Lister, trumpet
• The Dorothy M. Horwood Award ($2,500) – Nabeel Ansari, oboe
• The Friends of the NAC Orchestra Evelyn Greenberg Award ($2,000) – Cailin Walsh-
Estabrooks, flute
• The Piccolo Prix ($1,500) – Ray Zheng, flute
• Honourable mention ($500) – Samuel Lucas, clarinet
• The Sturdevant Prize for Orchestral Excerpts ($1,500) – Jackson Kelly, percussion
• The Peter Webster Award for Best Concerto ($1,500) – Annie Noël-de-Tilly, flute
• The Don Renshaw Memorial Award for Brass ($500) – Graeme Lister, trumpet
• Jury Prize ($1,500) – Jackson Kelly, percussion

This year’s competition was open to wind (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon), brass (French horn,
trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, tuba), percussion, and timpani players studying music in
preparation for a career as a professional orchestral musician. The jurors evaluated the semi-
finalists and finalists on their performances of short orchestral excerpts and movements from a
concerto, sonata, or an unaccompanied work for their instrument.

Flutist Annie Noël-de-Tilly took home this year’s grand prize after previously participating in the competition in 2022 and 2024.

“For me, I would say this is a story of perseverance. This is my third time doing the competition. This competition has taught me so much about myself—about what I want in life, and what I can do. It means a lot as a musician as well. It gives you a drive to continue through the hardships, the tiredness that you go through daily, and all the work you put in.”

— Annie Noël-de-Tilly, 2026 NAC Orchestra Bursary winner

The jury was particularly impressed by the maturity and artistry Noël-de-Tilly brought to her
performances over the two days of competition.

“She had an approach to this competition to really showcase what she can do best. Her approach to the orchestral excerpts was really solid, and we could tell she knew how the pieces went. She wasn’t just playing the excerpts to play the music. I think we’re going to see her develop into a very serious orchestral musician in the future.”

— Darren Hicks, NACO Principal Bassoon and jury member

The 2026 competition included two new awards. Annie Noël-de-Tilly also received the first-ever Peter Webster Award for Best Concerto. Established in 2026, the $1,500 award is awarded to a musician whose concerto performance showcased a compelling artistic voice and expressive depth, in honour of Peter Webster, a violist and long-time Personnel Manager of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, who passed away in 2023. Percussionist Jackson Kelly was awarded the $1,500 Jury Prize, which is presented at the jury’s discretion to recognize a candidate whose performances merit special distinction. This prize is made possible through the generous support of Linda Wood, a long‐time NAC volunteer, Donors’ Circle member, and former Chair of the Friends of the NAC English Theatre, whose commitment to nurturing musical excellence led to the creation of this award.

This year’s Bursary Committee was chaired by Christina Cameron. The jurors were Interim Chair Robert Cram (non-voting) and five NAC Orchestra musicians (Emily Kruspe, Principal Second Violin; David Thies-Thompson, viola; Darren Hicks, Principal Bassoon; Steven van Gulik, Second Trumpet; and Andrew Johnson, Principal Percussion). They were joined by external jurors Éric Vaillancourt (Director of the Conservatoire de musique de Gatineau) and Susan Hoeppner (Juno-nominated Canadian flutist).

Past recipients of the NAC Orchestra Bursary Award include Audrey Morris (harp, 2025); Luca Ortolani (oboe, 2024); Bryan Cheng (cello, 2016); Kerson Leong (violin, 2013); and current NAC Orchestra members Leah Roseman (violin, 1990); Steven van Gulik (trumpet, 1993); and Darren Hicks (bassoon, 2012).

ABOUT THE NAC ORCHESTRA BURSARY COMPETITION

The first National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition was held in 1981. The prime
objective of the competition is to encourage the pursuit of excellence from young instrumentalists aspiring to orchestral careers. Each year, a jury identifies deserving recipients through audition and competition. The Bursary was created in 1979 by members of the NAC Orchestra as a gesture of appreciation to the audiences who had been so supportive of it during its first decade. It provides recognition and financial support to help further develop young musicians with connections to the NationalCapital Region (NCR). Funding for the award came initially from two sources: the NAC Orchestra Bursary Fund, created in 1979 by the members of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the NAC Orchestra Trust (originally the Capital Trust, founded in 1932 to benefit the Ottawa Philharmonic Society, which, on its demise in 1970, transferred the income to the NAC). It is now known as the NAC Orchestra Trust Fund.

In 1981, one prize of $1,000—the NAC Orchestra Bursary—was awarded. Thanks to the Fund’s growth and the generosity of private organizations and individuals in subsequent years, prizes now total more than $34,000.

The 2027 competition will be open to violin, viola, cello, double bass, and harp students aged 16 to 26.