Cassandra Miller wins 2011 Jules Léger Prize

Cassandra Miller is the winner of the 2011 Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music for her work Bel Canto, a song inspired by a lazy afternoon lunch with friends in the Greek mountains. Scored for mezzo-soprano and two separate ensembles performing simultaneously, it had its premiere in May 2010 at the Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur in Montreal by Ensemble Kore.

“A very long afternoon moment reminded me that life is warm and slow and completely full of strange potential,” says the composer. “The piece is simply a dedication to that idea, and to the friend who made that (and many other moments) possible for me.”

Originally from Victoria, Miller is currently based in Montreal. She holds a Master of Music degree from the Royal Conservatory of the Hague in the Netherlands, and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria. Her compositions have been performed throughout Canada and Europe.

Established by the Right Honourable Jules Léger, former Governor General of Canada, the $7,500 Jules Léger Prize, administered by the Canada Council for the Arts, is designed to encourage the creation of new Canadian chamber music and to foster its performance by Canadian chamber groups.

Visit the Canada Council website for more details, and to listen to Miller’s award-winning work.