Ontario-born composer R. Murray Schafer, Toronto violinist Steven Staryk and U.S. pianist John Perry will be honoured along with the Royal Conservatory of Music's latest batch of graduates this weekend, after the three were named the school's latest honorary fellows on Tuesday.
"These three extraordinary artists have made a substantial contribution to the development of music and music education in Canada," RCM president Peter Simon said in a statement.
He also pointed out that "all three have very strong links with the conservatory, having studied and taught here."
The three men join a prominent list of past RCM fellows, including Oscar Peterson, Robertson Davies, Maureen Forrester, Teresa Stratas, Tomson Highway, Adrienne Clarkson and Mario Bernardi. Some — such as Peterson, Stratas and Clarkson — are also alumni of the Toronto school.
Conservatory graduates hailing from Vancouver to Moose Jaw to Fredericton typically descend on Toronto to take part in the school's convocation ceremonies, organizers said.
Saturday afternoon's event, which will also feature a performance by 15-year-old violinist Bora Kim, will take place at the Toronto Centre for the Arts in the city's north end.
The school, founded in 1886, calls itself Canada's largest and oldest independent arts educator and counts the likes of Glenn Gould, David Foster and Robert Goulet among its alumni.
The school's downtown Toronto home is currently undergoing a major expansion, slated for completion later this year.
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Contact Us About Us HomeTuesday, January 6th, 2009