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Two Metro Moncton music educators have been chosen to receive the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra’s Lieutenant Governor’s Award.
Michel Deschênes, professor at the music department of the Université de Moncton, and Leanne Delaney, mentor and music teacher in the Anglophone East School District, have been cited for outstanding contributions to their field.
Created in 2006, the award rewards leadership and sustained support to improve the orchestra, to the musical training of youth or other orchestras in the province.
Lt.-Gov. Graydon Nicholas will host the awards ceremony at the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra’s last concert of the season, featuring David Myles, on Saturday at 7p.m. at the Moncton Wesleyan Celebration Centre.
“I am delighted by the invaluable devotion and leadership of Mrs. Delaney and Mr. Deschênes, two accomplished and admirable educators,” Nicholas said. “By being involved with youth, by giving music more visibility, these two understand that music contributes to personal and community development.”
Ken MacLeod, president and CEO of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, described both recipients as “pillars of music education” in the province and role models.
“Relentless, passionate, generous, and professional, they have been transmitting their knowledge and love of music to the young people they rub shoulders with, making it possible for a new generation of musicians to emerge in our province,” MacLeod said.
Deschênes started his career as a professor at the music department of U de M more than 25 years ago. He has taught hundreds of students at the university and also at Acadia and Mount Allison universities. Several of his students have distinguished themselves during their studies and are now leading brilliant musical careers. For almost 10 years, Deschênes has been touring around the country with Amérythme, his percussion ensemble,with Jeunesses Musicales of Canada.
Delaney has embraced a variety of roles since 1988 within the school district: teacher, music specialist, workshop leader, choir director and director of musical ensembles, curricula developer and mentor. She has become an exceptional example of professionalism thanks to her passion for the field and because of the students she has worked with, the orchestra said. She is in the second year of co-ordinating a pilot project titled In Harmony Music Project for Grade 4 students. For the past four years, the district has been collaborating with the youth orchestra to help students take advantage of workshops and performances during NBYO’s annual concert in Moncton.
The youth orchestra is composed of 70 young men and women from throughout New Brunswick from 12 to 22 years of age. The orchestra is under the direction of maestro Antonio Delgado. Its record of success includes performances at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Paganini Auditorium in Parma, Italy, the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing and the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna.
