ROBERTO & MARY WOOD SCHOLARSHIP

The Roberto and Mary Wood Scholarship is open to instrumental and classical voice disciplines and must be used towards further musical education.

The concert features a group of outstanding musicians who are recommended during sessions by the Adjudicators. On the evening of the Roberto and Mary Wood Scholarship Concert, each performer has twenty minutes to perform their selections. The three-member jury, consisting of highly regarded professionals in their disciplines, then consults and returns to announce the winner. 

Congratulations to Layla Park (Violin),

our Scholarship winner for 2023

WINNERS FROM 1991

1991 Lila Gailing (Piano)

1992 Karen Hsiao (Piano)

1993 None

1994 Jonathan Crow (Violin)

1995 Susan Platts (Mezzo Soprano)

1996 Kinza Tyrrell (Piano)

1997 Timothy Haig (Violin)

1998 Jacqueline Perriam (Piano)

1999 Audrey Bild (Piano)

1999 Katie O'Leary (Cello)

2000 Samuel Seong (Piano)

2001 Jonathan Klassen (Piano)

2002 Marnie Hauschildt (Piano)

2003 Patricia Au (Piano)

2004 Margit Juhász (Piano)

2005 Nikki Chooi (Violin)

Roberto and Mary Wood - A Brief History

Born in Scotland, Roberto came to Winnipeg with his parents at age ten and started his career in music with piano lessons.  Changing to voice lessons in his teens, Roberto was chosen over a score of others for the position of soloist at Broadway Methodist Church in Winnipeg before he was twenty years of age. 

His musical career was interrupted by the Great War, when he joined up in 1915 and went overseas with the 78th Winnipeg Grenadiers.  He was in the historic battles of Amiens and Passchendaele, was wounded and hospitalized back to England.  Returned to Canada he took work as an electrician’s assistant, and then a salesman with Canadian General Electric in order to earn a living.

In 1924 Roberto won the Rose Bowl competition for soloists in Toronto.  With that he decided to make music his whole career, moving to London, England, where he studied voice for four years.

Back in Winnipeg, Roberto met Mary Knox.  She was the organist at St. Giles Church, and it was there that Roberto and Mary became partners in marriage, and in music.  They set up two studios in a large house and gave voice and piano lessons to hundreds of students over the years.  In addition to choirs and teaching, the Woods were directors in Eaton’s Radio Children’s Program, which involved several thousand children in Winnipeg.  From 1924 to 1948 Roberto and Mary were leaders in the musical world of Winnipeg. 

In 1948 Roberto and Mary responded to a second invitation, and came to First United Church in Victoria as choir director and organist. 

Roberto had a special interest in music festivals.  While in Winnipeg, he and Mary entered their choirs and numerous pupils in the Winnipeg Festival.  In Victoria, Roberto took the lead in resurrecting the Greater Victoria Music Festival Association.  Roberto and Mary were in great demand as adjudicators, filling this role in more than 30 festivals across Western Canada.  In recognition, Roberto was made an Honorary Life Member of the Greater Victoria Music Festival Association. 

Of Roberto Wood, his friend, Dr. H.D. Beach wrote, “His appreciation of music was unique.  He considered music to be the highest of all the arts, giving expression not only to ideas but to man's emotions, his yearnings and his aspirations for universal meaning.”

Roberto and Mary Wood directed a considerable portion of their estate to the establishment of the Roberto and Mary Wood Scholarship.  The original intent and spirit of the scholarship was that it would be large enough to make a “significant difference for a very deserving student”.   It is understood that the $5,000 will be used for tuition and related expenses in the pursuit of further musical education.