Faculty of Music student Laurelle Froese is the winner of the annual Zita Bernstein German Lieder Competition, which was held Wednesday, November 25, 2009.

Laurelle holds a B.Mus. in Performance from the University of Manitoba and is currently enrolled in the Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Performance. Laurelle was accompanied on piano by Chris Kayler, another of U of M B.Mus. graduate and a current Masters student.

The prestigious Bernstein competition was established in 1998 by Mark and Zita Bernstein, and carries a cash prize award.  Students competing must perform three selections of German Lieder by at least two different composers, and be enrolled in the Faculty of Music as a full-time student. This year’s competition saw nineteen students compete in the initial round, with nine finalists selected.