NAC Foundation
A Q&A with the past NAC Orchestra Bursary winner who was recently selected as the Kingston Symphony’s new Concertmaster
Violinist Yolanda Bruno won a NAC Orchestra Bursary in 2006 and benefitted from attending the Young Artists Program (YAP) in 2008. We asked what the NAC Orchestra Bursary meant to her and why programs like YAP are so important for emerging artists.
Q: How does it feel to be the new Concertmaster for the Kingston Symphony?
A: It’s a huge honour and I feel very privileged. I am happy to be part of this musical family.
Q: You won a NAC Orchestra Bursary when you were a teenager. What did that mean to your future career aspirations?
A: The prize meant a lot to me. That summer, I applied for a music program in Italy. It was very expensive. Without the scholarship I wouldn’t have been able to attend.
Q: Why are programs like YAP so important for aspiring musicians?
A: YAP helps people work together and learn from each other at a very important stage in their development. Many of the colleagues I met at YAP I later worked with professionally in the UK and across Canada.
