Islanders can see and hear Canada’s finest young musicians when PEI hosts the National Music Festival August 20 to 22 at the University of Prince Edward Island and the Confederation Centre of the Arts.
More than 60 young musicians from across the country will participate in the festival after winning national final classes in their local and provincial music festivals.
Prince Edward Island will be represented by three solo performers: saxophonist Alexandra Gallant of Summerside and violinist Christina Bouey and pianist Stephanie Cole of Charlottetown. Two PEI choirs are also participating in the taped choral competition, the Summerside Community Choir and the Spring Park Choristers of Charlottetown.
“We are proud to be supporting an event which brings together some of the finest young musicians Canada has to offer,“ said Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs, Elmer MacFadyen. “I would like to welcome and congratulate each of the competitors on making it to the festival. Being part of the national festival speaks volumes of their talents and musical abilities.”
Many students of Canada's music festivals have achieved successful careers as performers, teachers and adjudicators. Alumnae of the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals include: Leona Boyd, Glenn Gould, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell and Anne Murray.
The festival will begin with a gala performance by the festival adjudicators Thursday, August 19 at the Indian River Festival. The seven internationally renowned adjudicators are mezzo soprano Laura Pudwell, pianist Stephane Lemelin, cellist Paul Marleyn, guitarist Dale Kavanagh, woodwind Mark Simons, brass Joan Watson and Indian River Festival artistic director and pianist Robert Kortgaard.
Competitions and workshops will be held Friday and Saturday at UPEI in voice, piano, string, guitar, woodwind, brass and chamber group classes. The first-place winners of the competitive classes will then advance to the Grand Award Competition Sunday evening on the main stage at Confederation Centre of the Arts.
Festival coordinator Jacqueline Sorensen said the national music festival is the culmination of Canada’s 230 local music festivals which involve 700,000 participants, 900 adjudicators, 18,000 volunteers and tens of thousands of audience members. “The festival encourages the development of classical music in Canada through competition, education, workshop-style adjudication and scholarships,” she said. “As hosts of the festival, Islanders have an incredible opportunity to hear our nation’s most promising young musicians. We encourage the public to attend the various festival events, particularly the Grand Award Competition Sunday evening at Confederation Centre.”
Festival committee members include Jacqueline Sorensen, chair, Diane Campbell, Frank Nicholson, Kay Linkletter, Maryanne Palmer, Arlene Sorensen, Jean Doherty, Lori Linkletter, Ann Francis, Estelle Dowling, Claude Brisson and Jean Robinson.
Concert tickets are now on sale at the Kensington Train Station and Confederation Centre box offices. For more information on the festival, visit the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals website at www.fcmf.org