Some of Penticton’s finest young performers will be taking part in a local appreciation concert held by the Penticton Community Concerts at the Cleland Theatre.
Partnering with Performing Arts B.C. Provincial Festival, Jonathan Stuchbery and Saige Carlson are the featured artists performing individually and together. They were recently recommended by adjudicators to the Provincial Kiwanis Music Festival, to be held in Penticton this June, and will be accompanied by Dennis Nordlund on piano on Wednesday.
“All of the artists performing are extremely well deserving of this honour. I really don’t think Penticton realizes how many talented young people they have in their own community and it is wonderful to showcase them leading up to the provincial festival,” said Lorna Bull, Penticton Kiwanis Music Festival secretary and dance assistant. “It is really a sneak preview of the wonderful things occurring here and a glimpse of the gifted youth who will be competing amongst B.C.’s most promising in music, dance and speech arts.”
Stuchbery, a Grade 12 student at Penticton Secondary School, plays classical guitar in jazz ensembles and French horn with the Youth Symphony of the Okanagan. Stuchbery has been accepted into McGill University Bachelor of Music in Classical Guitar Performance.
Carlson has been recommended to compete in the B.C. Provincial Festival in National Classical Voice. She is a young soprano who has received awards in both local and provincial competitions. Last year she represented B.C. in the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Associations National Voice Competition. She has been accepted to UBC as an undergrad in opera.
Brooke Cumming, Montana Valverde, Cheline Lacroix, Julia Ludington and Alexis Brooks will also be performing dance solos throughout the evening at the local appreciation concert. All of these dancers have been recommended to compete in the B.C. Provincial Festival, which is hosted by Penticton June 3 to 7. A group dance performance by Okanagan Dance Studios choreographed by Traci Stevenson Bourne will also take place. Young performers in music, dance and dramatic speech arts from each regional festival are recommended to the provincial festival where they will be adjudicated, participate in master classes, workshops and concerts.
Penticton Community Concerts recently announced the 2014-2015 concert season lineup which includes Les Violons du Roy and British Columbia Boys Choir, QuintEssence and another local performers concert that is yet to be announced. Membership is $90 for the four concerts or $15 for four concerts for students.
Purchasing your subscription before May 16 comes with a perk: one free single ticket for one of the four concerts. For more information call 250-492-8326 or info@shatfordcentre.com.
“Our goal is to keep the membership affordable while still keeping in tune with today’s production costs,” said Hobden. “Our organization continues to make it possible to hear performances you may never have heard before.”
Tickets for the May 7 local appreciation concert are $30 for adults and seniors and $5 for students available at the Shatford Centre. Tickets may also be available at the door the night of the concert at the Cleland Theatre.