Anita Pari
Anita Pari is a young musician from the Ottawa area. She was born in San Diego in 1998. She plays the piano, the cello and loves to compose beautiful melodies. The process of creating new music comes most naturally to her; the motivation, often from an exploration of the musical forms and genres she encounters as she moves forward in her studies. In 2010, she completed all the requirements of the RCM's Performer's Diploma (piano), receiving a gold medal for maintaining the highest average mark in advanced music theory courses among all graduating students in North America (studying with Colin Mack and Lori Lynn Penny).
Anita composed her first piano piece at the age of four. Subsequent notable piano compositions include "My First Waltz" (2008, 2nd place, Canada Music Week Music Writing Competition, CFMTA) and "Sonatina in C Major" (2009, Anne Eggleston Trophy, Kiwanis Music Festival of Ottawa, and 1st place, Canada Music Week Music Writing Competition, CFMTA). Anita also expresses her musical ideas through choral and chamber music. Her song "Worlds Apart" (2008) was premiered by the Harmonia Choir of Ottawa and her quartet "Nocturne for Strings in F# Minor" (2010, 2nd place, Canada Music Week Music Writing Competition, CFMTA) by the Cecilia String Quartet at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival. This latter piece was inspired by the melodies of a piano nocturne (2009, Samuel Dolin Memoriam Award, ACNMP, and 2010, Anne Eggleston Trophy, Kiwanis Music Festival of Ottawa) she wrote. Recently, she completed a trio for flute, cello and piano (2011, 2nd place, ORMTA Provincial competition).
Anita is a piano student of Andrew Tunis of the University of Ottawa since 2007 and a cello student of Anne Contant of the Conservatoire de musique de Gatineau since 2006. She is the recipient of several performance awards, including first and second places in piano and strings, respectively, in the 10-year-old age group of the 2009 Canadian Music Competition; first place in the provincial student instrumental category (piano) of the 2009 ORMTA provincial competitions; and 2011 Young Artist, ORMTA provincial competition. Also in 2011, she made her orchestral debut with the Waring Orchestra at the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition where she placed third, playing Shostakovich's concerto in F major.