Three outstanding artists have been named to receive the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta 2025 Distinguished Artist Award:
Jens Lindemann, Trumpet (Edmonton, AB; Los Angeles, CA)
Rita McKeough, Visual and multimedia artist (Calgary, AB)
Elaine Quilichini, Choral conductor (Calgary, AB)
Jens Lindemann is an Alberta musician who has achieved significant recognition on the international stage over a performing and recording career spanning four decades. He has been named a Member of the Order of Canada (2014); International Brass Personality of the Year (2006); British Bandsman, Solo CD of the year (2011); numerous Grammy and Juno award nominations. From 2010-2020, Lindemann was Artistic Director of the International Summer Brass Festival, Banff Centre. In 2021 Jens established the Alberta All-Star Orchestra to showcase the talents of Alberta jazz musicians. The group has recorded four albums and performed in Canada and the US. He is current Professor with High Distinction at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Herb Alpert School of Music, in trumpet performance.
Rita McKeough’s interdisciplinary practice spans sound, installation, performance, video, and kinetic sculpture and has significantly shaped the contemporary art landscape in Alberta and beyond. For over five decades, her career has been marked by an unwavering commitment to experimentation, mentorship, and pushing the boundaries of contemporary art in Canada. McKeough has shown across Canada and the USA in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Recent works include: Remediation Room (Online, Calgary, 2022–ongoing); feel through deepness to see (Dunlop Art Gallery 2024); darkness is as deep as the darkness is (Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, 2020); Veins (OBORO,Montreal, 2018), and Oh, Canada (MassMOCA, North Adams, 2015). In 2009 McKeough was awarded the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts.
Elaine Quilichini is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Calgary Girls Choir, contributing to the Calgary arts community and to the provincial, national and international choral community for more than 40 years. She has inspired and empowered thousands of children and adults through her work. Her choirs have toured nationally and internationally to San Diego, Chicago, New York, Wales, England, Italy, Vienna, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The choir has been recognized with numerous awards at the CBC Radio National Choral competition, the Association of Choral Communities choral competitions (ACCC) and at the Vienna Music Festival and the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
The 2025 Distinguished Artists will be awarded by the awards’ patron Her Honour Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta on October 4, 2025. Watch for more information on the 2025 Distinguished Artists and their Creative Encouragement Award recipients on October 6, 2025.
