Michael Bridge wins the Virginia Parker Prize

November 1st 2024
Rita Barnea

The Canada Council for the Arts is delighted to announce the winner of the Virginia Parker Prize! Heartfelt congratulations to Michael Bridge, accordionist, professional accordionist and Rebanks Fellow at the Glenn Gould School, in Toronto, Ontario who is this year’s winner.

The Virginia Parker Prize is awarded to a classical singer, instrumentalist or music conductor under the age of 32 who demonstrates outstanding talent, musicianship and artistic merit, and who makes a valuable contribution to artistic life in Canada and internationally. This prize was established by the late Virginia Parker in 1982 and is funded by an annual gift from the Virginia Parker Foundation.

Michael Bridge Wins Virginia Parker Prize
Michael Bridge Wins Virginia Parker Prize

Michael Bridge is a distinguished musician, proficient on both the acoustic and digital accordion. He has achieved recognition through numerous competitions in Canada and internationally, and was named one of CBC’s 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30. Dr. Bridge holds a DMA in accordion performance from the University of Toronto and was a Rebanks Fellow at the Glenn Gould School. He performs 100 concerts annually, both as a soloist and as a member of Bridge & Wolak and Ladom Ensemble.

Dr. Bridge’s musical approach is a blend of seriousness and spontaneity, with a repertoire that spans classical, contemporary, jazz, folk music, and improvised silent film accompaniments on digital accordion. He has performed in every province and with major orchestras in Canada, the USA, Brazil and Poland—premiering over 60 new works.

As a teacher, Dr. Bridge has given masterclasses in Finland, France, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, and across the USA and Canada. He is a sessional instructor at the University of Toronto, teaching a music business course on touring as a freelance artist in North America.

Photographer: Sam Gaetz

To learn more about Michael Bridge, visit his website at www.michaelbridge.ca.

For further information: virginiaparker-prizes@canadacouncil.ca