Friends of Music spring activities, Ruth Scott Chopin Competition

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A ten-day celebration of music in Campbell River begins this week as the Friends of Music open their twenty-fifth annual Music Week. One of the highlights of the event is the Ruth Scott Chopin Competition, now in its fourth year.

On Sunday, April 29, at 7:30, sixteen students will vie for the coveted Ruth Scott prize of $500, given to the student judged, by Fiesta Master Teacher Murray Nichol, to have given the best performance of a Chopin work. Admission to the event, held at Trinity Presbyterian Church on Simms Road, is by donation. Previous winners at this popular concert have been Micah Brush, Carter Johnson and Liana Kelly.

Ruth Scott was a much-loved piano teacher and founding member of the Friends of Music. After her death, her friends and family chose to honour her through a competition featuring the music of Chopin, her favourite composer.

Music Week is a non-competitive music festival featuring students of all ages playing the piano (Fiesta and Carnival), the violin and cello (Pizzicato) and singing (Cantabile).

Pizzicato starts on Thursday morning, April 26, with students in Royal Conservatory, Suzuki, and Fiddle classes. Master teacher Ernest Kassian will work with students in a master class setting.

Under the guidance of Cantabile Master Teacher, Karyn Way, voice students of all ages, including a number of adults, will perform, with their accompanists, folk songs, classical solos, sacred music, jazz and musical theatre. Cantabile begins on
Friday afternoon, April 27. The Friday evening session, which begins at 6:00, is a highlight, with with intermediate and senior students singing and acting musical theatre numbers.

Fiesta participants are piano students in Royal Conservatory Grade Three and above. They are grouped according to the type of music they play - Romantic, Baroque, Popular music etc., and their grade level. Master teacher Murray Nichol is
passionate about working with young pianists and has adjudicated at music festivals all over Canada and in India. The Fiesta portion of Music Week runs from Monday, April 30 until Friday, May 4.

Students in their first years of piano study, some as young as five years old, take part in Carnival, which runs from Friday evening, May 4 until Sunday afternoon. They perform in small groups according to their age and level, and work with
Campbell River’s Kolya Kowalchuk, himself a frequent performer at Music Week, and now finishing his musical education at McGill.

The master teachers suggest performers for the Finale Concert, to take place on Friday, May 11 at the Campbell River United Church. This very popular concert, which begins at 7:00, will also feature the winner of the Ruth Scott Chopin
Competition.

All events, except the Finale Concert, take place at the Trinity Presbyterian Church, and the public is welcome to attend for a very modest fee.

For more information about Music Week,  contact Sandy Havelaar, at 250 923 6627.
Contact: havelaarsandy@gmail.com
 


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Goals The goal of Campbell River Friends of Music is to further music education in our community. We aim to do this by:
  1. Providing non-competitive musical celebrations such as Music Week and Master Classes.
     
  2. Managing the funds for competitive scholarships and bursaries for music and art students.
     
  3. Providing a quality instrument for piano and voice examinations, teacher recitals, student concerts & practice sessions, and for professional concerts.
     
  4. Maintain a list of accompanists who may be contacted if a performer needs an accompanist for a competition or musical event.

History
  1. Non-profit volunteer run music organization who produces an annual non-competitive Music Week Festival for Piano, Voice, and Strings 12 days long. This project funds our summer bursaries.
     
  2. Fund a summer bursary to local music students (any instrument, piano, or voice) one $500.00 .
     
  3. Manage as the North Island Young Musician Society the annual Virginia Graczak Piano ($3000, $500 for runner up) and Voice ($2000) Competition and the Margaret Gracza Arts Scholarship at NIC ($2000)
     
  4. Manage as the Dorothy Brealey Scholarhip Society the annual Dorothy Brealey Scholarship for Piano (currently $1000.00)
     
  5. We manage the Ruth Scott Memorial Chopin Competition and the prize is $500.00
     
  6. We are the screening committee for the Frances Keen, Noreen M. and C.C., (Mickey) Halleran Memorial Scholarship Fund for the times that an award is offered.
     
  7. Host visiting artists and concerts (voice, instrumental, piano) from around the world and local up and coming artists, and arrange masterclasses for students when possible.
     
  8. Maintain a grand piano housed at the Trinity Presbyterian Church for our concerts, masterclasses, piano exams, and student practice
     
  9. Rent the use of the piano to functions held at the Church which funds the maintenance costs of the piano.
     
  10. Maintain an email list of people interested in our concerts and notify them of up-coming concerts.
     
  11. Maintain an email list of the total membership and as well a list of the executive.