GGS Soprano Emma Pennell Wins $25,000 RBC Emerging Artists Prize

Emma Pennell couldn’t be more excited about what their latest accomplishment means. 

Pennell, a recent graduate from The Glenn Gould School, has been named the 2025 recipient of the RBC Emerging Artist National Award. Pennell was honoured at the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Show in Ottawa on June 14.  

“For many emerging artists, especially those from underrepresented communities, awards like this can be the difference between possibility and reality,” said  Pennell, who also performed at the 2025 GGS Convocation. “They help launch careers, yes, but they also signal to the world that these voices matter.” 

Pennell, a soprano, recently received their post-graduate Artist’s Diploma from The Royal Conservatory, had a unique introduction to opera. Growing up in an Indigenous family in rural Northern Ontario, they didn’t have much exposure to live classical music. But when Pennell was studying at Cambrian College’s music program in Sudbury, that’s when they saw a live opera performance for the first time—and it was life changing.  
 
“I showed up thinking someone’s going to hand me a guitar and we’re going to do some four-chord song jams,” said Pennell. “But no. They do a student showcase, and my now-dear friend gets up and sings an opera aria.  I’d never heard someone sing like that and it blew me away. You can’t hide in the opera, you take up space which deeply resonated with me. That day, it was like a lightbulb went off.” 

Pennell went on to do undergraduate studies at the University of Western Ontario, and began advocating for better representation in the arts. After graduating from Western, Pennell enrolled in the Artist’s Diploma Program at The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School where they were a recipient of The Temerty Foundation Scholarship and studied in the Price Opera Program under Stephanie Bogle.

“It is amazing but not surprising that Emma Pennell has been awarded the RBC Emerging Artist Award,” said Adrianne Pieczonka, head of the GGS vocal department. “It recognizes Emma's potential not only as a gifted soprano with a beautiful voice, but also their commitment to advocacy engagement, celebrating and supporting Indigenous artists and their projects in Canada.”

Pennell’s star has been rising, booking performances across Canada, including an appearance with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Pennell was the 2nd Prize winner at the 2024 Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio Centre Stage Competition. 

“This RBC Emerging Artist Award will have a transformative impact on my career,” said Pennell. “This will help fund audition travel, vocal coaching, help refining my craft, and other essential professional development as I transition from a young artist into a full-time professional. It will also support the creation of future projects that centre Indigenous narratives in opera, ensuring that my work remains rooted in community as it grows in scale and ambition.”