CBC Names 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30 for 2023

The annual list has been putting the spotlight on young musicians for the last ten years

The Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) has recently released its 2023 list of 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30. The list covers a broad range of instruments and disciplines, with many of the young musicians playing more than one instrument.

A breadth of age is also apparent, with players still in high school being placed alongside those whose careers are more established.

One example is that of Marie-Claire Cardinal, a 28-year-old conductor and violinist from Quebec City. Cardinal was recently appointed as the resident assistant conductor of L'Orchestre Symphonique de Québec for the 2023/24 season, where she will work under music director Clemens Schuldt.

Pianist and violinist Alex Yang is the youngest musician on the list at just 14 years old. He recently won the grand prize at the FCMF National Music Festival, as well as taking out its Emerging Artist Award in the piano category. Yang is also the winner of the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers Association scholarship and received third prize at the CFMTA National Piano Competition.

The full list is as follows:

• Eric Abramovitz
• Thea Humphries
• Andrew Adridge
• Florence Rousseau
• Sarah Pollard
• Marie-Claire Cardinal
• Simon Farintosh
• Alex Hetherington
• Emmanuel Jacob Lacopo
• Zachary Rioux
• Sami Anguaya
• Thomas Roy-Rochette
• Serena Reuten
• Wesley Harrison
• Zhan Hong Xiao
• Emily Bosenius
• Marion Portelance
• Olive MacPhail
• Samuel Kerr
• Madeline Hall
• Tiffany Yeung
• Hamilton Lau
• River Sawchyn
• Benjamin Seah
• Hriday Buddhdev
• Elijah Orlenko
• Justin Saulnier
• Ashley Tsai
• Antian Jiang
• Alex Yang

You can read more about each young musician on the CBC's website.