[Skip to Content]
Ontario Arts Council (OAC)
Grants Advanced Search
Grants Advanced Search

Contact

Shoshana Wasser

Associate Director of Public Affairs and Communications
416-969-7434
Toll-free in Ontario: 1-800-387-0058

Lora Bidner receives 2018 Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award

September 26, 2018


Composer, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lora Bidner is this year’s recipient of the Ontario Arts Council’s (OAC) Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award for her song 3,000 Volts. The award will be presented on Sunday, September 30, 2018, at Folk Music Ontario’s annual conference.

 

About Lora Bidner

Image of Lora Bidner

  • Lora completed a Masters of Music Technology at the University of Toronto in 2017. This was followed by a residency at the Canadian Film Centre (CFC)’s Slaight Family Music Lab, where she composed music for the CFC’s short films. For her film composition work, Lora has received three SOCAN Foundation awards.
  • Lora’s debut album, To the North, was met with critical praise from media outlets such as Exclaim! magazine, Le Droit and Ottawa Showbox. Her work has also been spotlighted by CBC Radio 1 (Ottawa), Metro Ottawa, Huffington Post and Ottawa Community News.
  • Lora has performed at prestigious venues such as the National Arts Centre and the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, Que., as well as major festivals like RBC Royal Bank Ottawa Bluesfest and the Ottawa Folk Festival.

Quote

The award jury lauded 3,000 Volts as a piece that “immediately captures your attention.” They also praised how the song is “propelled by the tension between its haunting lyrics, and its beautiful harmonies and instrumentation.

 

About the Colleen Peterson songwriting award

  • The Colleen Peterson Songwriting Fund was established at the Ontario Arts Council in 2003 by Peterson’s sister, Shirley Richardson, and singer-songwriter Laura Bird.
  • The annual $1,000 award honours Peterson’s contribution to Canadian music by supporting and promoting the work of Ontario-resident emerging singer-songwriters in the roots, traditional, folk and country genres.
  • Nominations are received from Folk Music Ontario’s Songs From the Heart competition. The OAC assembles the jury that chooses the award winner.
  • This year’s jury consisted of Noosa Al-Sarraj (Bridgenorth), David Poulin (North Bay) and Ansley Simpson (Toronto).
  • Previous winners include Noosa Al-Sarraj, aka Winona Wilde (2017), Abigail Lapell (2016) and Graydon James (2015). Click here for a full list of past recipients.

For further information

Shoshana Wasser, Communications Coordinator, Ontario Arts Council
416-969-7434 | 1-800-387-0058, ext. 7434 | swasser@arts.on.ca