Nine-year-old Courtenay resident Nikolas Strilets won a gold medal for scoring the top mark in British Columbia on the Royal Conservatory of Music Preparatory Voice examination. Strilets received the award at the annual Convocation and Gold Medals Ceremony, held in Vancouver, Sunday.
Regional gold medals are awarded each academic year (Sept. 1 - Aug. 31) to Conservatory examination candidates in Preparatory A and B and Levels 1 to 10 who achieve the highest mark in their respective province or designated region. Eligible candidates must score at least 80 per cent on their practical examination and must have completed the co-requisite theory examinations for their respective grade and discipline. Gold medal ceremonies are held annually in cities across Canada, often in conjunction with convocation ceremonies, to recognize students’ achievements and acknowledge the contributions of their teachers.
Strilets’s teacher is Laura Anne Bateman, who lives in Victoria.