Virginia Parker Prize | Canada Council for the Arts

To be eligible, you must:

• be a classical singer, instrumentalist or conductor
• have conducted or performed as a soloist or chamber musician internationally
• be under the age of 32. For the 2025 competition, you must be born after December 31, 1992
• be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status, as defined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; you do not need to be living in Canada when you apply.
• not have previously received the Virginia Parker Prize.

You must also meet the Canada Council’s definition of a professional artist in music and sound, which is someone who:

• has specialized training in the field consistent with the standards of their practice
• is recognized by other music artists working in their same tradition as an artist of superior achievement or potential
• is committed to their own artistic vision, retains creative control and is committed to the creation and/or promotion of original work
• has a history of public presentation, receives professional compensation for the public presentation of their work, and actively seeks to maximize the audience for their work, regardless of purely commercial considerations.