North Saanich’s Anjulie Djearam won a gold medal from The Royal Conservatory of Music in preparatory voice.
The ceremony was held in November while Djearam’s exam was in June. The gold medals were given to those who scored the top marks in B.C. for their respective Royal Conservatory examinations. Djearam, who attends St. Michael’s University School, got into music when she was in Grade 2.
Now 11 years old, Djearam is happy about her recent win.
“I feel really proud of myself, accomplished,” she said, adding she hopes to perform opera in the future.
Rachael Bruton Haisell is her voice teacher, who teaches Djearam out of her home in Saanich. She too is very happy with her big win.
“It seems that every time she does something, she does really well,” Bruton Haisell said.
Bruton Haisell said she was surprised, as they weren’t trying to win anything. They just prepared a song and she performed, getting the highest mark in the province. Djearm sang The ferryman by Marjorie Helyer and Butterflies by Lillian Smith.
This isn’t the first time she won an award. She also won the Jan Fraser trophy for most promising singer at the Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival. And it was the first time a 10-year-old won the award.
Dejearam sings in churches and seniors homes, and is part of the Viva Choir and the Victoria Children’s Choir.