Mary Dawood is a concert pianist, a recording artist, a writer and a doctoral candidate in music and musicology at the Sorbonne (Paris). After graduating with honours from the University of Ottawa (Canada) with a Bachelor of Music in piano performance, she moved to Paris and immersed herself in the beauty, culture, art, music, philosophy, history and the humanities of Europe.  She graduated from the Sorbonne with a Master of Music and Musicology (with honours), released an award-winning album of classical solo piano music, debuted at Carnegie Hall (New York) and the Musikverein (Vienna), was considered for a Grammy nomination, attended the Grammy Awards, and is published in peer-reviewed journals and books.
Mary is a Bösendorfer Artist and proud to be a member of this historically significant Viennese Austrian musical tradition and heritage.  She is a proud voting member of the Recording Academy (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/Grammy Awards) and of the International Alliance for Women in Music (IAWM) where she was a featured artist in the Journal of the IAWM.  Her artistic and scholarly passions include music, writing, history and musicology.  Her 10-page contribution “The Cartons Piano at the National Library of France: Rediscovering Forgotten Music” was published in the first edition volume Making sense of music. Studies in musical semiotics. 
She is now embarking on a new life in the United States of America. North America and Europe are integral parts of Mary’s identity, both musically, artistically and on a deep human level and Canada, France and the USA forever remain Mary’s heartlands.  

EDUCATION
Doctorate of Music and Musicology (PhD), Sorbonne (Paris, France) - Ongoing
Master of Music and Musicology (with honours), Sorbonne (Paris, France)
Bachelor of Music (with honours), piano performance, University of Ottawa (Canada)
Royal Conservatory of Music (Canada)

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS   
Debuts at Carnegie Hall (New York) and at the Musikverein (Vienna)
Attendance at the Grammy Awards (Los Angeles) 
Award-winning cd-album “Nostalgia” considered for a Grammy nomination (Los Angeles)
Conception, creation and performance of Piano Poetics (Paris)
Becoming a Bösendorfer Artist (Vienna)
Becoming a voting member of The Recording Academy (Grammy Awards)
Featured in the Journal of the International Alliance for Women in Music (IAWM)
Featured in the book of poetry Tout ce temps avec toi, Amour ! by poet Michel Gauthier
Publication in academic volume Making Sense of Music (Belgium)
Special guest performances for the Governor General of Canada
Performances for the Canadian Music Competitions Association, Saint-Merry’s Church and the American Church in Paris concert series.    
World premiere of “Wind” by French composer Sylvain Guinet (Paris)
Radio broadcasts on Canadian and American radio stations

COMPETITIONS
Laureate of Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition (Vienna)
Laureate of American Protégé International Competition of Romantic Music (New York)
Laureate of Young Artists Competition of CBC Radio Canada and CBC Radio 2 (Ottawa)
Participant of Kiwanis Music Festival (Ottawa)
Laureate of Central Canada Exhibition Youth Talent Search

AWARDS & HONOURS (MUSICAL)
Global Music Awards, silver medal for outstanding achievement (2018)
Clouzine International Music Awards, best classical recording (2018)
Solo Piano music awards, Classical album of the year (2017)
Observatoire Musicale Français, travel Grant (2010, 2013)
Lois and Don Harper Music Award, first recipient (2003)
Ottawa University scholarship (1999)

AWARDS & HONOURS (OTHER) 
Certificate of Academic Achievement (1999)
French Immersion Certificate (1999)
Ontario Scholar (1999)
Eastern Canada Women’s Rubgy Championships, bronze medalist (1997)
Award for Exceptional Spirit (1997)
Ashbury 7’s Rugby Tournament, champions (1997)
Minto Skating Club Certificate of Achievement (1997)

PIANO POETICS In 2012 Mary Dawood created and produced her first “Piano Poetics” recital of piano, prose and poetry.  Described as a new and innovative approach to the performance of classical music, created and performed in both French and English, Mary unites the arts on stage, bringing the history of music to life by reciting her own prose and poetry about notable composers.  She then performs selected works by each composer. Miss Dawood was selected as a speaker and performer at the XIIth International Congress on Musical Signification in Belgium where she was invited to perform her piano-prose-poetry recital. She has performed her recital in Belgium, France and Canada.
TOUT CE TEMPS, AVEC TOI, AMOUR !   The writer and poet Michel D. Gauthier  published a book of poetry, Tout ce temps, Avec toi, Amour ! The book was dedicated to Mary Dawood and includes poetry inspired by her musical performances and her album “Nostalgia”. He included pictures from the pianist’s photo sessions with world class photographers Natalia Cristobal Rivé and Alejandro Rumolino.

ADVOCACY Mary gives her full support to the Alliance Internationale (Anciens de la Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris), to the Vimy Foundation and to the Canadian, American and Allied troops and veterans for whom she holds an extremely important and special place in her heart. She is an advocate of women’s rights, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and of the international recognition and implementation of the 1949 Geneva Convention.