Rachel Mercer, Min-Jeong Koh, Kerry DuWors win Canada Council's Musical Instrument Bank Competition

September 24, 2009 - The Canada Council for the Arts has announced the winners of this year's Musical Instrument Bank (MIB) Competition. Three of the Faculty of Music's string graduates are among the fourteen recipients.

Cellist Rachel Mercer is awarded the ca. 1696 Bonjour Stradivari cello, valued at $8 million. Born in Edmonton, Rachel received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto studying with Shauna Rolston, a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, studying with Lawrence Lesser, and a solo diploma from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam studying with Dmitri Ferschtman. She resides in Toronto where she teaches master classes at U of T and is principal cellist of Via Salzburg.

Violinist Min-Jeong Koh is awarded the ca. 1767 J.B. Guadagnini violin, valued at $536,000. Born in Seoul, Korea, Min-Jeong received her Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Toronto, where she was a scholarship student of Lorand Fenyves and Scott St. John. She has previously studied with Gwen Hoebig, Paul Kantor, Hyung-Sun Paik, and Mayumi Seiler. Min-Jeong was a top prize winner at the E-Gré Competition, and a recipient of the Faculty of Music's prestigious Felix Galimir Chamber Music Award. She is a member of the Cecilia String Quartet.

Violinist Kerry DuWors is awarded the 1820 J.F. Pressenda violin, valued at $375,000. Born in Saskatoon, Kerry DuWors was a student of the late Lorand Fenyves at the University of Toronto where she earned a Master of Music degree. At U of T she was a recipient of the prestigious Eaton Graduate Scholarship, Yo-Yo Ma Fellowship for Strings and the Felix Galimir Chamber Music Award. Kerry is Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at Brandon University School of Music.

For more information on the MIB competition, visit Canada Council's website.

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