CMU's Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition crowns 20th champion (Classic 107)
The music school at Canadian Mennonite University marked a significant milestone last week as it presented the 20th edition of the Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition.
The competition was founded in 2006 by Peter Janzen in memory of his wife Verna Mae, who was deeply embedded in the Mennonite music community before her death in 1989.
"This competition is a small way that my mom and dad could give back to CMU and Winnipeg," said Peter and Verna Mae's child CJ Janzen in a statement. "Throughout her 13-year battle with cancer, music was her balm, her joy, and comfort."
The competition is an annual highlight for students in CMU's music community, including this year's winner, soprano Julia Norris.
#myCMUlife | Where creativity and community thrive
CMU prides itself on its tight-knit and welcoming community, with plenty of opportunities to interact with peers outside of classes, whether you live on campus or you're a commuter student. One of the driving forces behind these events is the Arts & Entertainment committee.
As the title implies, the Arts & Ents committee is responsible for providing fun events all throughout the year for students to take part in at no extra cost to the students. One consistent event that has remained solid throughout the years is the coffeehouse, usually put on multiple times a year. Coffeehouses are a chance for students to showcase their music or any other forms of performance. As a university with a diverse demographic of students, it's nice to see what kind of projects your fellow students have been creating in their free time.
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CMU student composers to showcase their works (Classic 107)
The next generation of Manitoban composers will be on display this week at Canadian Mennonite University's Laudamus Auditorium.
Composition students at CMU's School of Music will showcase their latest works on March 12 at 11:30 AM as they continue to discover their musical voices and the ways in which they want to utilize it.
"My work actually started in high school when I pretty much accidentally composed my first original pop song," shared Keira Medina in an interview on Morning Light. "I was like, 'OK, well, I composed a song. So now what? I want to compose more!'"
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Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition
The lovely sounds of sonatas, cantatas, and melodies have resonated through the halls of the Laudamus Auditorium every spring for two decades now as Canadian Mennonite University's School of Music celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition.
Founded in 2006 by Peter Janzen of Deep River, ON, in memory of his wife, Verna Mae, who died of cancer in 1989, the competition acts as a way for Peter to support the music landscape in which Verna was deeply embedded.
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Sunday@CMU: March 2025
Images for the Christian Life
This month on Sunday@CMU, we hear from Sue Sorensen, Professor of English at CMU. She is also Director of CMU Press and a novelist and poet. Her series of meditations for this Lenten season contemplates images that help us conceive of our relationship with Christ.
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