Chordial Notes
Newsletter – March 2012
Upper Island Music Festival Success!
Congratulations to all the Nanaimo Conservatory students who participated in the Upper Island Music Festival this year! It seems as though everyone did very well. Thank you to the parents who helped in preparing students and to all of the volunteers of the festival. Here are the notes from your instructors:
Patrick Olmsted: Hearty Congratulations to the Conservatory
guitarists who all delivered stellar performances at the 2012 Upper Island Music Festival !!! The clean sweep of gold and silver was well deserved due to the number of personal best presentations from everyone. Kudos to : Rhys Wong, Maya Dean, Jonah Madson, Honor Thaagaard, Morgan McPhee, Karolina Malinowska, David Moddle,
David Macleod, Sam Firouzli, Maxime Therrien, Clif Clemotte,
Cameron Craig, The Nanaimo Conservatory Guitar Ensemble, and their leader Alexander Kolodinsky. Well done all!!!
Cindy Speelman: Congratulations to the following flute students of Cindy Speelman who performed beautifully at the Upper Island Music Festival this week: Robyn Boar, Ella Hannesson, Emily Holmes, Uei-Young Jung, Brooke Sorensen and Andrea Stachow. Keep up the great work. Thank you to our accompanists Douglas Holmes, Viky Jung and Justin Hu (piano student of Anne Tanod).
James Mark: Congratulations to Aidan Olmsted who placed first in U10 fiddle, Grade 1 romantic and Grade 1 baroque violin at Festival this weekend!
Christine McMahon: Vocal students of Christine McMahon earned kudos in the Upper Island Music Festival this week. Brittany Hannah gave stellar performances in the 19 - 28 yr. old group, gleaning First place in all six of her classes! Elizabeth
Herman was awarded four Firsts and one Second in the 29 year and over group. In the 10 and under group, Lilu Scott received three Firsts, and Akela Szasz received a Second Place.
Anne Tanod: Congratulations to Justin Hu who performed the first movement of the Mozart Piano Sonata K545 in the Grade Eight Classical Music class. Justin also accompanied some of Ciny Speelman/s flute students in the Festival. Way to go,
Justin!
Karl Rainer: Congratulations to Emma Leigh, Ella Wyndlow, Chloe Hardbattle, Clif Clemotte and Jasmine Mather for wonderful performances at the Upper Island Music Festival. All five violinists were wonderfully poised, confident and musical. Of special note were Emma's Allegretto, Ella and Chloe's duo of Judas Maccabeus, Clif's concerto by Accolay, and Jasmine's Hejre Kati. Everyone produced a rich beautiful sound which was the main focus of last year's lessons. Well done all! I was very proud of you.
NANAIMO YOUTH CHOIR NEWS
MARIAN SMITH TO BE HONOURED BY THE CITY OF NANAIMO!
Marian Smith has been awarded the City of Nanaimo's Honour in Culture award for dedication and support of the development of the cultural fabric of Nanaimo. Previous recipients of this prestigious award have included Conservatory founder Joyce Horner, theatre supporter Gordon Kirby, literary arts supporter Thora Howell, The Nanaimo Theatre Group, Arts Alive Summer School of the Fine Arts, and arts supporter Sandra Thompson. The awards will be presented at the Port Theatre by City Council, in the form of a framed photograph of the recipients done by Gary Peters that will be displayed in the Margaret Strongitharm Gallery at the Port Theatre. Sincere congratulations to Marian. She is a very worthy recipient and it's great that she is being recognized this way. She will be keeping illustrious company in the Margaret Stongitharm Gallery!
The Nanaimo Youth Concert Choir is pleased to announce their plan to attend the Pacific Childrens Choir Festival in Eugene,
Oregon June 26th - July 2nd. The choir will be busy raising funds in a variety of ways. We would appreciate your support by:
• purchasing the Nanaimo Youth Choir CD $15(launched in Nov) available at: Quilted Duck, A to Zebra, Tom Lee Music, Nanaimo Museum Gift Store, Newfoundland to Nanaimo and the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music;
• picking up a Thrifty's Smile Card from Shelley Wallace at 250-758-1834. This fund raiser costs you nothing but guarantees the choir 5% of groceries purchased at any Thrifty's store;
• collecting bottles/cans for the choir's bottle drives. We would appreciate it if you could drop your returnables at the Mostar bottle depot and just say you want the money to be added to the Nanaimo Youth Choir account there.
• Attending the NYC Beer and Burger Fundraiser tentative date March 31st. Please call Shelley Wallace (250-758-1834) for more details, to purchase tickets or to donate items to the silent auction. This promises to be a fun evening and the more,
the merrier!
SUZUKI FLUTE NEWS
Congratulations to Uei-Young Jung for completing her Suzuki Flute Book 1 Graduation Recital on March 3.
Upcoming event: Suzuki Flute Book 1 Graduation Recital on Friday March 16 at 3:15 p.m. in the Ensemble Room featuring Robyn Boar on Flute assisted by Justin Hu on piano. Everyone Welcome.
MUSIC AT MIDDAY
St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 29 Church Street, Nanaimo 12.15 p.m. – 12.45 p.m.
Organist: Peter Orme (Director of Music, St. Paul’s Church)
Wednesday, 11th April - Canadian Organ Music; Wednesday, 9th May - Music by J.S. Bach (1685-1750); Admission free – donations to St. Paul’s organ fund
SILENT AUCTION ITEMS NEEDED
The Conservatory’s Annual Silent Auction will be happening in a few months and we are accepting donations starting now. If you have something you would like to donate, please bring it by any time. All donations of items will receive a tax receipt for the full value of the item. Thank you so much for supporting your Conservatory!!
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Music Known & Unknown
At 2 pm on Sunday, March 25th, in the intimate setting of 1891 heritage St. Michael’s Church, select wind instrument players from Ensemble Pacifica join with pianist Julian Greenwood in spectacular performances of a quintet by W.A. Mozart and a sextet by the little-know late-Romantic composer Ludwig Thuille. Following the performance, stay for a delicious “Meet the Artists Reception”! Tickets ($15 in advance or $20 at the door) are available at Valley Vines to Wines (Mill Bay), Ten Old Books (Duncan), Ocean Soul Book Caffé (Crofton), Salamander Books (Ladysmith), the Chemainus Festival Inn or by calling 250-748-8383. You may also buy tickets at Toad Hall Emporium (Chemainus) at the advance price of $15 until one hour before concert time!
The Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra presents
“From Russia with Love”, Saturday Mar 24th, 7:30 pm at Brechin United Church and Sunday Mar 25th, 2:30 pm at St.Edmund’s Anglican Church – Parksville. Chris Helman is guest artist, to play the Glazunov Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra. As well, the program includes works by Bach, Vivaldi, Delius, Bartok and Morricone. Tickets are $20 adults/$10 students (under 12, free) at the Port Theatre Box Office or at the door.
IN MEMORIAM – WE REMEMBER
• AL BURROWS - A donation has been made by Helen Milne in memory of Al Burrows.
Thank you for celebrating Mr. Burrows life with us.
• WELDON DAVIDSON BRADLEY - Donations to the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music are being made in celebration of the life of Weldon Davidson Bradley an avid fiddle player from the central island area. Mr. Bradley has been fondly remembered by the following people who have made a donation to the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music in his name: Madlyn & Wes Bradley (with Trevor, Dale, Christi and Becky Bradley; Russ and Anne Bradley and Erica, Jeff, Cohen & Ethan Schmidt), Edna Smith, Douglas Morrison, Josie Rinald, Frank Bradley, Anna West, Richard Linstedt and Jacqueline Dumont, Joseph Boyda, Sandra Winkler, Peter and Joan Copiak, Fred and Lynn Meredith, Ethel and Terry Whibley. Thank you for joining with us in this celebration of Mr. Bradley’s life and his love of music. Donations will be used to support music instruction for students of the Conservatory.
CALENDAR
Please check your calendars, many new dates have been added
March 19- 23 Spring Break, please check with your
instructor regarding scheduled lessons
March 16 Suzuki Flute Book Graduation
March 30 Faculty Concert TBA
April 6 Good Friday, office closed
April 9 Easter Monday, office closed
April 27 Faculty Concert TBA
April 27 Suzuki Parent Session
May 17 Suzuki Piano Recital at St. Paul’s
May 25 Faculty Concert
June 2 Festival of Recitals and NYC Concert
August Jensen Jazz Camp – Details in April
