2026 Youth Awards

May 26
2 min read

GBS Youth Awards 2025-26 presented May 23 2026

Supporting youth and music is an important part of our mission. Supporting youth and music includes: hosts and annual pay-what-you-can Family Christmas Concert, discounted student and children’s tickets, Georgian Bay Symphony awards for string and brass, and woodwinds at the Grey County Kiwanis Music Festival, and running several free music workshops for youth.

We are also very proud of our long standing tradition of recognizing our own young players each year.

The Herman Dilmore Award

This award honours the founding conductor/music director of the GBS. Dilmore was a Music Professor at the University of Western Ontario, where he introduced the Suzuki Method after studying under Dr. Suzuki himself. It is given to a student or students who have made a contribution to the orchestra. This award is supported in part by Long & McQuade Music Stores, The Walker Endowed Fund and other generous donors.

Award Winners:

Maria Ballard (bassoon)

Una Boutet (flute)

Anya Hutten (keyboard)

Olivier Lafleur (violin)

**Johnny Ballard, Una Boutet, Olivier Lafleur, Anya Hutten (not present)**

The Burton Morrison Award

This award is given to a student who has played with us but will be leaving to pursue a post-secondary education. Burton Morrison was a founding member of the GBS and played first Violin with us for over 25 years. A teacher by profession, he was especially interested in helping and encouraging young people. Burton Morrison continued to play the violin until the time of his death, giving his final performance at the Symphony’s concert in October of 2004. The Symphony is thankful to the Morrison family for continuing to support this award and the Walker Endowed Fund.

Maria Ballard, percussion (2yr)

Maria is taking a gap year this year before attending the University of Guelph to study Equine Care and Management in September. She has been playing piano since she was five, and percussion since she was ten. She has been in the Georgian Bay Symphony since September 2024. While attending Saugeen District Senior School, she was a member of the SDSS senior band and Royal Big Band. She has also performed with the Port Elgin Community Band, the Southampton Concert Band, and the Kincardine Theatre Guild. Right now she playing in the pit band for SDSS’s production of Freaky Friday.