Local music student Victoria Mahmood, 10, has been awarded a Royal Conservatory Gold Medal for the highest mark in Grade 2 Violin in Saskatchewan for 2012.
Gold medals are awarded each academic year, by province or region, to candidates who have obtained the highest mark for practical examinations in each discipline.
The Royal Conservatory is one of the largest and most respected music education institutions in the world, providing the definitive standard of excellence in curriculum design, assessment, performance training, teacher certification and arts-based social programs.
Victoria is currently a student of École Monseigneur Blaise Morand and is in Grade 4.
She is also a member of a string quartet, Quattro Corde, with her violin teacher Erin Foreman, a former gold medalist and accomplished violinist and teacher in the Battlefords. Victoria also plays in the International String Band, studies piano, voice and highland dance and plays soccer.
Andrew Mahmood, 16, has completed his Grade 8 Royal Conservatory exam in violin with honours. He also studies violin with Erin Foreman. Andrew has also completed his Advanced Rudiments in Theory, receiving First Class Honours with distinction, having studied with Theo Masich, principal of École Monseigneur Blaise Morand.
Andrew is a French Immersion student at John Paul II Collegiate and is currently in Grade 11. He is an avid basketball player and skier. Andrew was also nominated in 2012 as "rookie of the year" for John Paul II Crusaders Football.
Victoria and Andrew are the children of Therese and Dr. Yasin Mahmood.
