With the generous support of RBC Financial Group, through its charitable foundation, 30 young artists from across Canada will come to Banff to train at The Banff Centre. Backed by the RBC Youth Excellence Scholarships, artists in the disciplines of opera, music, and dance will perform during the 2007 Banff Summer Arts Festival.

Established in 2005 with a $1 million donation over six years to artistic programs and scholarships at The Banff Centre, RBC’s commitment will assist at least 150 professional artists in developing their careers in Banff. Scholarships will go to visual, literary, and performing artists in all areas, including dance, theatre, opera, music, jazz, Aboriginal arts, writing, visual art, and media arts. The scholarship program will directly assist with arts training at the Centre, while RBC’s sponsorship of the annual Banff Summer Arts Festival will help to showcase the work of those artists. Every year, the Festival provides invaluable performance and exhibition opportunities for hundreds of artists on stages, in studios, and behind the scenes.

To qualify for an RBC Youth Excellence Scholarship, artists must demonstrate artistic excellence and a commitment to community development and leadership. “Over 60 remarkable young artists applied for the RBC Youth Excellence Scholarships this year,” said Sarah Iley, vice president of Programming, at The Banff Centre. “All were inspiring in their academic and artistic achievements, have shown leadership and social responsibility in their communities, and represent an extraordinary range of talent, dedication, and promise for Canada's cultural future.” This summer’s recipients are examples of the best in artistic and community leadership from across Canada, and The Banff Centre’s artistic programs, and Festival audiences, will benefit immeasurably from the skills and talents of these young artists.

RBC Youth Excellence Scholarship recipient Andrew Love

Based in Calgary, bass-baritone Andrew Love is a music graduate of Rocky Mountain College where he studied voice and conducting, church music, and composition, and was the recipient of numerous scholarships. While at college, Love assumed numerous leadership roles including bass section leader and assistant conductor; leader of two student ensembles touring Canada, the U.S., and Europe; and team leader for a group of students who worked with Calgary’s Mustard Seed Homeless Shelter and Kitchen. He sang in the Calgary Opera Chorus in the 2005-2006 season and is currently part of Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Development Program. Love will be participating in The Banff Centre’s Opera as Theatre program to hone his skills and further his career as a singer, actor, interpreter, musician, and performer.

About arts training at The Banff Centre

Training for young artists is fundamental to The Banff Centre’s mandate. As one of Canada’s only post-secondary institutions dedicated to the arts, the Centre provides learning opportunities for thousands of early- and mid-career artists every year. Artists participate in master classes, thematic and independent residencies, and production workshops, and present their work to public audiences through year-round performances and exhibitions. The value of The Banff Centre artistic experience is clear. Recent alumni include Booker Prize-winning author Yann Martel, Calgary-based visual artist Chris Cran, Royal Winnipeg Ballet principal dancer Tara Birtwhistle, Esther Honens Piano Competition Laureate Katherine Chi, and acclaimed soprano Laura Whalen.

About RBC Financial Group

RBC Financial Group (RBC) supports organizations, initiatives and events that contribute to Canada's communities through nurturing and celebrating artistic expression. In 2005, RBC supported national and community theatre, dance, choral and orchestral music, and the visual arts, including the annual RBC Canadian Painting Competition. Focus areas include programs that help emerging artists from all disciplines. For more information, please visit www.rbc.com.

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