Canadian Repertoire

For the final round of the Vancouver International Music Competition (VIMC), competitors may perform a work by a Canadian composer as one of their selections. The Canadian Music Centre (CMC) has a large collection of sheet music by Canadian composers available for preview, purchase, and download. Performers are allowed to choose an alternative composition by a Canadian composer. However, the work must be a published work by a Canadian composer. Original works composed by the performer are not permitted. The CMC website has an advanced search option for finding works, but you must create a free account to listen to recordings on the website.

Showcasing many Canadian compositions alongside classical repertoire, The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) has a graded music book series for all of the instruments featured in the VIMC. The RCM has a syllabus for each instrument free to download with repertoire and etudes for each difficulty level. Music found in their book series is indicated in each syllabus with an arrow bullet symbol (►). Music books for each instrument can be purchased at the RCM online bookstore. Canadian composers featured in the Celebration series for piano include:

Joanne Bender
Boris Berlin
John Burge
Stephen Chatman
Diane Chouinard
Jean Coulthard
Robert (R.) Nathaniel Dett
Christine Donkin
Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté
Pierre Gallant
Anne Crosby Gaudet
Janet Gieck
Chilly Gonzales
Susan Griesdale
Ruth Watson Henderson
Alexina Louie
Andrew Markow
Rebekah Maxner
David McIntyre
Linda Niamath
Lorna Paterson
Oscar Peterson
Clifford Poole
Teresa Richert
Frederick Silvester
Ann Southam
Court Stone
Nancy Telfer

This is not a full list of Canadian composers featured in the RCM book series as there are other Canadian composers featured in RCM books for other instruments.

The Canadian Music Centre has provided repertoire suggestions below. The recommended age categories and approximate lengths of some single-movement work are detailed. Click the title of each work to visit the CMC website, listen to a recording (free account needed), download a non-printable score preview, and see score purchasing options.

The age categories:

Junior Talent: ages 8 and under
Young Talent: ages 9–12
Young Artists: ages 13–17
Artists: ages 18–35

Selected Repertoire

Piano

Fastforward by Alexina Louie (4 minutes) — Artists
Phobos and Deimos, Circling by Jocelyn Morlock (4.5 minutes) — Artists
Nocturne by Maria Molinari (1.5 minutes) — Young Artists
Refuge by Michael Parker (1.5 minutes) — Young Artists
Wascana Park by Elizabeth Raum (2.75 minutes) — Young Artists
Chaotic Dreams by Saman Shahi (1 minute) — Young Artists
Sea Flea by Ann Southam (1 minute) — Junior/Young Talent
Sonatina by Samuel Dolin (1.5 minutes) — Junior/Young Talent
Two Two-Part Inventions by Rhené Jacque (1 minute) — Junior/Young Talent

Violin

Prayer and Dance of Praise by Elizabeth Raum (10 minutes) (violin and piano) — Artists
Adieu Babylon by Sid Robinovitch (10 minutes) (violin and piano) — Artists
Sonatine Baroque by Murray Adaskin — Young Artists
Danse Villageoise by Claude Champagne (violin and piano) — Young Artists
Fantasy on a Theme of Schubert by Robert Rival (violin and piano) — Young Artists
Vista by Barbara Pentland (9 minutes) (violin and piano) — Young Artists
Two Sonatinas by Jean Coulthard (violin and piano) — Junior/Young Talent

Viola

Baroque Diversions by Marjan Mozetich — Artists
Prayer and Dance of Praise by Elizabeth Raum (8 minutes) — Artists
Adieu Babylon by Sid Robinovich (10 minutes) (viola & piano) — Artists
Very Near the Edge of the Flat Earth by Rose Bolton (8 minutes) (viola & piano) — Young Artists
Reverie by Elizabeth Raum (8 minutes) (viola & piano) — Young Artists
Gigue by Alexander Rapoport (2.5 minutes) (viola & piano) — Junior/Young Talent

Cello

Prayer and Dance of Praise by Elizabeth Raum (8 minutes) — Artists
Adieu Babylon by Sid Robinovitch (10 minutes) — Artists
Halcyon by Jocelyn Morlock (7 minutes) (cello and piano) — Young Artists
Cantilena for violoncello and piano by Owen Underhill (10.5 minutes) (cello and piano) — Young Artists
Ecce tu pulchra es for solo cello by John Burge (9 minutes) — Young Artists
Three Short Pieces by Lorne Betts (5.5 minutes) (cello and piano) — Young Artists
Ballade for cello and piano by Michael Conway Baker (3 minutes) (cello and piano) — Junior/Young Talent
Black in the Colour by Elizabeth Knudson (7 minutes) — Junior/Young Talent

Double Bass

Basement Apartments by Monica Pearce (double bass and piano) (no recording) — Artists
Anerca I by Milton Barnes (recording is for bassoon, but exists in double bass version) — Young Artists
Four Miniatures by Ralph DeCoursey (double bass and piano) (no recording) — Young Artists
Six Easy Pieces by Ralph DeCoursey (double bass and piano) (no recording) — Junior/Young Talent

Harp

From the Eastern Gate by Alexina Louie — Artists
Castles in the Sand by Kevin Lau — Young Artists
Elegy for Solo Harp by Frederick Schipizky — Young Artists
15 Pieces for Harp by John Weinzweig — Junior/Young Talent

Guitar

Momentum (any movement except Chant) by Omar Daniel — Artists
Meditation by Roydon Tse (7 minutes) — Artists
Two Short Works for Guitar by Scott Wilkinson — Young Artists
Six Fantasies (any movement) by John Beckwith — Junior/Young Talent
Eighteen Pieces for Guitar (any movement) by John Weinzweig — Junior/Young Talent

Voice

SOPRANO

Five Lyrics of the T’ang Dynasty by John Beckwith
A Good Night by William George
Ash Roses: A Cycle of Six Songs by Derek Holman
Selfie by Shelley Marwood
Involuntary Love Songs by Jocelyn Morlock

MEZZO

A Good Night by William George
The Chimney Sweeper by Oskar Morawetz
Involuntary Love Songs by Jocelyn Morlock
Three Contemporaries by R. Murray Schafer

TENOR

Five Lyrics of the T’ang Dynasty by John Beckwith
Three African Songs by Ron Hannah
Ricorso by Daniel Jamieson
Involuntary Love Songs by Jocelyn Morlock

BARITONE

Six Songs to Poems by e.e. cummings by John Beckwith
The Centered Passion by Derek Holman
Involuntary Love Songs by Jocelyn Morlock
Of Passion’s Tide by Jeffrey Ryan