Bramwell Tovey, music director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, has been awarded with the 2015 Oskar Morawetz Award for Excellence in Music Performance.

The award honours the legacy of Oskar Morawetz, one of Canada’s leading composers of contemporary music, and is presented biennially to an exceptional Canadian performer in the field of classical music.

Tovey is an accomplished conductor, composer, performer, educator, and mentor who has served as the Orchestra’s music director since 2000. He has conducted some of the world’s most renowned orchestras and choirs, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Calgary Opera.

Tovey will be presented with the award this Monday (November 23) at the Orpheum Theatre, prior to conducting the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s performance of “Fauré Requiem, A Choral Masterpiece”.

The maestro will donate the $20,000 prize towards bursaries at the VSO School of Music, which allows students to study with members of the Orchestra.