Every year, when funds permit, The Greely Players offers a maximum $1000 bursary to its members or former members under 25 years old, who are accepted to a post-secondary program in the performing arts.  Our aim is to encourage the youth of our community in their study of the performing arts. 

• Apply for this year's bursary

Christina Deaville will be embarking on a Performance Music program at McGill University. She has been playing violin for 14 years, and held the position of co-concertmaster for the Ottawa Youth Orchestra, and was a Senior Kiwanis Festival Trophy winner. She comes by her musical abilities honestly, as her Dad is a music professor at Carleton, and her mom is a violin teacher. Her brother also plays cello. Christina was a member of two orchestras for The Greely Players - Annie Warbucks and Fiddler on the Roof.

This year's winners are :

• Marianne Moore (played Grace in Annie Warbucks in 2007) who will be attending Carleton University in Vocal Music Performance.

• Emil Briones (orchestra for Annie Warbucks and Fiddler on the Roof) who will be attending McGill for Music Education.
  

• Kristen Cooke (orchestra for Annie Warbucks and Fiddler on the Roof) who will be attending Wilfred Laurier for Music.

The Greely Players is pleased to announce that they have been able to award three bursaries due to the success of their 2007 production Annie Warbucks.  This is the ninth consecutive year that The Greely Players has awarded bursaries to deserving students entering a post-secondary performing arts program.

Catherine Martel, who currently lives in Russell, joined the Greely Players’ production of Anne of Green Gables in 2001 in the title role of “Anne”.  Since then she performed in Bye Bye Birdie, and last year took on the job of Assistant Director for Annie Warbucks.  She is a graduate of the Arts Canterbury Drama program but has also performed vocally at the Kiwanis Festival where she received a third place in 2004.  Catherine has participated in numerous events in and around Russell, as well as helping to organize events at school.  Catherine will be attending Humber College ’s Acting for Film and Television Program in Toronto . 

Sonya Matoussova is a violin and cello player and will be attending Université de Montreal for a music performance program on both instruments.  She is a graduate of the Canterbury Arts strings music program, and was in the pit orchestra for three Greely Players productions: The Music Man in 2003, Oliver in 2005 and was the concertmaster for Hello Dolly in 2006.  Sonya has also been a member of the Ottawa Youth Orchestra and the Junior Thirteen Strings Ensemble for three years.  She also plays and teaches piano.

Caitlin Stewart, a trombone player, has been a member of The Greely Players’ pit orchestra for four consecutive years.  She is also a graduate of Canterbury Arts Music program, and has been accepted into the Bachelor of Music program at the University of Victoria .  As part of the Canterbury High School Senior Concert Band, she was a recipient of a Double Gold Award at the Kiwanis Music Festival; Most Outstanding Concert Band at the Musicfest Regional competition with an invitation to Nationals.  She was also a member of CHS’s pit orchestra for The Wizard of Oz, which received a Cappies nomination for best orchestra.  Caitlin has also been active as a class rep on the CHS Music Council.

Tristan Boucher of North Gower will be attending Concordia University for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz Percussion, while Gareth Thomas of Ottawa will be taking a Performance Music degree at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto. Both are graduates of the Canterbury Arts Music program, and worked under the direction of John Pohran in several Greely Players' productions.

Tristan Boucher has been playing drums for 9 years. He has been the percussionist for Anne of Green Gables, The Music Man and Bye Bye Birdie. Over the years, Tristan has been playing in a number of small groups, notably local band "Jackie In The Kitchen". Every Saturday evening this summer he can be seen playing a gig at Fresco Cielo's on Elgin Street. Tristan is also passing along his love of percussion to his own students.

Tristan's parents have been very supportive of their son's musical interests over the years, and have perfected the art of packing, transporting and unpacking a full drum kit all over the Ottawa area. They are not sure what they will do with their time when Tristan leaves for Montreal in the fall.

Gareth Thomas is an accomplished bassoon player and has participated in orchestras for The Greely Players' The Music Man and Bye Bye Birdie. He has been playing bassoon for 8 year, and hopes to become an orchestral musician. He has been a member of the Ottawa Youth Orchestra for 3 years and the Hull Conservatory Orchestra for 2 years.

Gareth has been active in the local Kiwanis and MusicFest competitions as a soloist and as a member of wind ensembles. He was recently the Open Provincial Runner-up in the Kiwanis Festival, and scored a Gold medal in the MusicFest Nationals as a member of the Capital Wind Quartet. This spring he won the $2000 Vic Pomer Award in the National Arts Centre Bursary awards for young musicians. Gareth is looking forward to his move to Toronto, where he has managed to find accommodation 6 subway stops away from The Glenn Gould School.