Glenn Gould School Student Sabina Sandvoss Wins Michael Measures Prize

Published on April 14, 2026

The Alberta cellist will make her Koerner Hall solo debut with the RCO on May 1

Cellist Sabina Sandvoss (ADP ’27) has been awarded the 2026 Michael Measures Prize, presented by the Canada Council for the Arts. The award, which comes with $25,000, recognizes the country’s most outstanding young classical musicians.

For Sabina, a recipient of The Temerty Foundation Scholarships at The Glenn Gould School, the win is both an honour and a powerful source of motivation.

“Receiving this prize is fuelling my passion more than ever,” she says. “When I came across the list of past winners, I felt humbled and honoured to be included among them. This recognition is going to help me push myself further and expand my profile internationally.”

Those past winners include a host of RCM alumni: Taylor Academy graduates Blake Pouliot (violin), Daniel Hass (cello) and Matthew Christakos (cello), and former Glenn Gould School students David Liam Roberts (cello) and Isabella Perron (violin).

Sabina credits her time at The Glenn Gould School as a defining chapter in her artistic growth.

“Coming to GGS has been the most transformative and beneficial time in my career thus far,” she says. “There’s a level of spirit, passion, and ambition here that really lit a fire under me. Being surrounded by that kind of energy has been incredibly beneficial, along with my teachers helping me identify problems and grow into a stronger musician.”

A student of Hans Jørgen Jensen and Andrés Díaz, Sabina’s other recent achievements include First Prize at the Zara Nelsova Competition at the International Cello Festival of Canada, and winning the Robert W. and G. Ann Corcoran Concerto Competition at GGS in 2025, which earned her the opportunity to perform Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo: Rapsodie Hébraïque with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra at Koerner Hall on May 1, under the direction of Earl Lee.

“The Schelomo is such a special piece to me,” she says. “It felt like the right fit from the very beginning. Something about its power and intensity really speaks to how I connect with music.”

Sabina performs on a cello handcrafted by her father, luthier Christopher Tilman Sandvoss. It is an instrument she has played since the age of 12, which she describes as an extension of herself.

“My cello is priceless,” she says. “The sound and colour it produces feel completely unique. One of my goals is to bring my father’s work to international stages and share that voice with audiences around the world.”

With the way things are going for Sabina, that goal in well within reach.