2026 Adjudicators

Dr. John Burge is a classically trained composer and pianist, receiving his ARCT diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music while and high school and degrees from the University of Toronto (BMus and MMus) and British Columbia (DMA). He has composed a large body of instrumental and vocal music in all genres including opera. Many of his orchestral works, such as Snowdrift, The Canadian Shield and Rocky Mountain Overture, are regularly performed by orchestras across Canada and internationally. His string orchestra work, Flanders Fields Reflections, as recorded by Sinfonia Toronto, received the 2009 Juno Award for the Best Canadian Classical Composition. Since 2013, Red Leaf Pianoworks has been publishing his solo piano music, with a number of these piano pieces now being listed in conservatory syllabi and used as test pieces for competitions.

In 2014, John Burge was inducted as a Fellow into the Royal Society of Canada for his achievements in composition and his arts leadership. A passionate advocate for Canadian music, John Burge was an executive member of the Canadian League of Composers from 1993-2007 (holding the position of President from 1998-2006). Other significant national board responsibilities include serving on the board of the SOCAN Foundation Board from 2009-22025. Arts leadership in the Kingston area include being a founding board member of Cantabile Choirs of Kingston and a past chair of the Music at Port Milford Summer School and Festival based in Prince Edward County.

Now a Professor Emeritus, he taught at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario for 38 years including an appointment as the Director of the School of Music (now named the DAN School of Drama and Music). An active music festival adjudicator and clinician, John Burge loves working with musicians young and old, greatly enjoying the opportunity to share musical ideas and insights.