Yao Wang wins 1st Prize in SOCAN Foundation Award

The SOCAN Foundation announced Wednesday the 2019 winners of their annual composition competition, the largest in Canada. Winning 1st prize for Best Original Score – Animated is none other than our own Yao Wang! The winning piece is Shekhar Kapur’s “Brides of the Well,” a short film by WaterAid UK about water insecurity and child marriage in the third world.

“I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work on such an important project. Many decision makers still prioritize the economy over the environment, deciding that the problems of today are more urgent than the ones we’ll have tomorrow, when we should to be worrying about both.” — Yao

Yao became involved with the project through a personal connection with director Shekhar Kapur. Kapur, in turn, was inspired by his experience as a youth in India, where access to clean water was one of the clearest markers of the massive wealth disparity.

“Brides of the Well” is the story of how two young girls cope with adversity in the face of both natural and human challenges. The portrayal is both haunting and familiar, showing how despite their trials, these are still just ordinary young people trying to do their best in a bad situation.

“Bride of the Well” was selected for 1st prize in original scores for fiction by a panel of Canadian Composers acting on behalf of the SOCAN foundation. SOCAN and the SOCAN foundation work to grow of the Canadian audio and music sectors. Their annual awards recognize outstanding contributions by young and emerging Canadian artists. Other local recipients this year are Kai Kubota-Enright with a young composer award and Dan Jeremy Reyes for a National Youth Orchestra of Canada residency.

Watch “Brides of the Well”: