Every year, the Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Literature, Science and Art (HAALSA), under the auspices of the Dundas Valley Orchestra (DVO), gives out an award to a young promising musician from the Greater Hamilton Area. The winner will receive a cash prize and will have the opportunity to perform with the DVO at one of its concerts. If teachers and students wish to express their interest please contact DVO at: dvo.haalsa@dundasvalleyorchestra.ca
2026 contest information
- Application deadline: March 27, 2026
- Criteria for Nominees
- Nomination Form
- Contest poster
DVO-HAALSA Young Musician Winners
Full details for each winner appear below.
- 2025 - Patrick Wilson, Saxophone
- 2024 - Sohan Mukherjee, Violin
- 2023 - Victoria Zeng, Piano
- 2022 - Nirvaan Grewal, Cello
- 2021 - Gabriel Klassen, Voice
- 2020 - Aanya Grewal, Flute
- 2019 - Max Chen, Trombone
- 2018 - Hannah Thompson, Clarinet
- 2017 - Amelia McNiven Fontani, Violin
- 2016 - Philip Darley, Cello
- 2015 - Lindsey Rynders, Oboe
2025 DVO-HAALSA Young Musician winner: Patrick Wilson, Saxophone
Patrick Wilson is a Saxophone player and senior at Westdale Secondary School.
Since discovering his passion for Jazz at age 14, he has worked diligently to develop his performance skills. He is greatly influenced by players like Stan Getz, Chalie Parker, Patrick Bartley, and many more.
Patrick has studied jazz saxophone locally with Scott Neilson for the past two years.
This past summer he took part in the 5-Week Aspire program at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. There he studied jazz with some of the best students from across the globe under the tutelage of professors like Jonathan Suazo, Jeff Herrington, Greg Hopkins, and Ilona Kudina.
Patrick is a member of the Hamilton Allstar Jazz Band, a big band based in Ancaster that performs regularly in Southern Ontario. He also leads a volunteer jazz trio that performs monthly at Extendicare Assisted Living.
Beyond his passion for jazz, Patrick also enjoys the local rock scene, playing regularly as a member of local indie band In The Same Bed. He has recently guested on a record by Hamilton band Smit, and in a live performance by local favourites Superstar Crush.
2024 DVO-HAALSA Young Musician winner: Sohan Mukherjee, Violin
Sohan Mukherjee is a Grade 5 student attending Greensville Elementary School in Dundas, Ontario. He is an aspiring young musician with a passion for playing classical music on the violin since the age of 7 and piano since the age of 3. Sohan is an active member of the senior Cricket Chamber Orchestra in Dundas, Ontario and has had experience playing as a soloist in the orchestra since 2022. He has completed the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) grade two certification in violin and grade two RCM certification in piano with First Class Honours with Distinction. At the 2024 Guelph Kiwanis Festival, Sohan was selected as a provincial nominee for the Ontario Kiwanis Festival Competition in piano and awarded a music scholarship. He also received a platinum award in violin at the 2023 Toronto Kiwanis Festival. His love of music outside of violin and piano extends to the ukulele, recorder and singing in the Greensville Elementary School choir. In his free time, Sohan enjoys playing ball hockey, swimming and skiing.
2023 DVO-HAALSA Young Musician winner: Victoria Zeng, Piano
Note: Photo and biography updated for 2025 performance
Victoria Zeng is a dedicated pianist currently studying with Lang-Ning Liu at the Phil and Eli Taylor Academy of the Royal Conservatory of Music. She is passionate about her craft and is always looking for new ways to deepen her understanding of music, both on and off the stage.
In 2024-2025, Victoria will have the privilege of performing at Carnegie Hall in New York, Koerner Hall in Toronto, and The Meridian Arts Centre with Sinfonia Toronto, among other venues. Her musical achievements have earned her accolades in competitions like the Canadian Chopin Competition, the Hartford Chopin Competition, Music International Grand Prix, and the Classical Stars International Competition. She has also been fortunate enough to attend the Frost Chopin Festival, Vivace Music Festival, and the Inaugural Mannes Piano Festival on scholarship.
Victoria’s musical journey has been shaped by the guidance of several renowned mentors, including Jeremy Denk, Vladimir Feltsman, Stanislav Ioudenitch, John O’Conor, Stewart Goodyear, Marina Lomazov, and Dina Yoffe. Previously, she also studied with Alexei Gulenco and Tanya Gernburd.
When she’s not at the piano, Victoria can be found watching MasterChef, skiing, or perpetually clearing out her phone storage to make room for her ever-growing photo collection.
2022 DVO-HAALSA Young Musician winner: Nirvaan Grewal, Cello
Nirvaan Grewal, a high school student with an immense passion for the cello, is an incredible musical talent. He has completed his Grade 10 RCM certification and placed first in both Grade 7 and 8 Lower Strings Ontario Music Festivals Association (OMFA) Provincials. A long-time member of the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (HPYO), the youngest member of Sinfonia Ancaster, and an artist in the community, Nirvaan’s musicianship is versatile and varied. He plays with an exceptionally mature sound, expressing mood and evoking emotion through his deep connection with the music.
2021 DVO-HAALSA Young Musician winner: Gabriel Klassen, Voice
Gabriel Klassen is a second-year Bass-Baritone studying classical voice at the University of Toronto. Between the ages of 15 and 18, he studied with Roland Fix at the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts, and he is now studying under Wendy Nielsen at the University of Toronto. Gabriel has had many solo and choral performance opportunities; most recently, he has performed as a soloist in the Songs of the Season concert in Walter Hall at the University of Toronto, and in Eternity - a concert held by the Hamilton Children’s Choir. Alongside solo training and performances, Gabriel has participated in many choirs, including The Hamilton Children’s Choir, University of Toronto’s Tenor Bass Chorus, and most recently, the Macmillan Singers. In the summer of 2019, he had the opportunity to perform internationally with the Hamilton Children’s Choir as a showcase choir at the World Youth & Children’s Choir Festival, held in Hong Kong.
2020 DVO-HAALSA Young Musician winner: Aanya Grewal, Flute
Aanya Grewal is a Grade 11 student at Hillfield Strathallan College in Hamilton, Ontario and has been playing the flute for 13 years. Her passion for music has been demonstrated in the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, where she has played for 5 years as principal flute, the Hamilton Children’s Choir Illumini and most recently, the Toronto Youth Symphonic Winds. She is a regular Kiwanis Festival participant, an RCM gold medalist as well as an OMFA Provincials finalist. A past member of the Westmount Wind Orchestra, and the HSC Wind Symphony, Aanya is a strong contributor to her school music program. Aanya is extremely excited to be playing with the DVO and is very grateful for this opportunity.
2019 DVO-HAALSA Young Musician winner: Max Chen, Trombone
Max Chen is a grade 11 student at Nelson High School in Burlington, Ontario. He has been playing the trombone for 6 years and is an aspiring classical musician. He has played in numerous exclusive honour ensembles across Canada, including the 2018 and 2019 Ontario Provincial Honour Band and the 2019 Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra. He recently travelled to England and France in 2019 as a section leader with the Burlington Teen Tour Band to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, as well as to California in the 2018 Tournament of Roses Parade. Max is active at Nelson High School’s music program, playing in their ensembles as well as leading the jazz big band, and he is also playing with the Toronto Youth Symphonic Winds.