Season winds down for Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts

Since I was on vacation the past week I took a walk down to the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre for the weekly Tuesday RBC Foundation Music@Noon student recital in the Cairns Recital Hall.  It is a weekly event during the school year, with the final one of the season scheduled for this Tuesday, April 3rd featuring piano & guitar students.

Last Tuesday's recital was primarily devoted to voice students in the Department of Music, but several instrumentalists were also featured.  Voice students included Awura-Adwoa Bonsu, mezzo-soprano, Emily Stockwell, soprano and William Sadler, tenor.  Instrumentalists included Gavin Oresta on guitar, and Divya Iyer, Ruth Jones and Nayla Nicole Whipple on piano.

The students are from the studios of Deborah Linton (voice), Timothy Phelan (guitar) and Erika Reiman (piano).  All have achieved a remarkable level of achievement already in their chosen studies, and will only get better as time and experience increases.  How many will ultimately pursue professional careers is certainly open to conjecture, but based on last week's recital more than a few have promising musical careers in their collective futures.

The standouts for me included pianist Michele Braun, playing the Brahms Intermezzo in E major, Op. 116, No. 4 and soprano Emily Stockwell, who performed two vocal selections, Silent Noon by Vaughan Williams and Brahms' Immer lieser wird mein Schlummer, Op. 105 No. 2.  Stockwell especially displayed a radiant voice with lovely tone, plus a nice stage presence.

To be sure, all of the students are exceptional but as is always the case with these recitals some are more advanced than others.  But that is not to discourage those still in the earlier stages of their studies.

Once again the Cairns Recital Hall was well-filled for the performance, including a number of students from Sir Winston Churchill School, who got to engage in a Q&A with performers outside of the actual performance.

As mentioned the final student recital takes place at noon tomorrow, so if you don't have plans over the lunch hour why not head to the PAC for an hour?  Best part of all, the recitals are totally free of charge.

Elsewhere with the Department of Music as the season winds down, there is a student solo recital this evening at 7:30 in the Cairns Recital Hall featuring pianist Luis Molina, once again with free admission.  Tomorrow evening a must-attend concert will feature The University Wind Ensemble directed by Zoltan Kalman in the larger Partridge Hall.

Kalman, who is Principle Clarinet with the Niagara Symphony and also on the faculty at the Department of Music brings together both high school and university students as well as members of the Niagara musical community for a varied programme from the wind band repertoire.  It can get a little noisy sometimes, but that's part of the fun!  Tickets are just $12 and available from the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre box office.

Meantime the University String Orchestra performs at the Cairns Recital Hall Wednesday evening at 7:30 with George Cleland conducting.  This is the Department of Music's newest ensemble, featuring university students and community members.  They perform standard repertory as well as more obscure gems waiting to be rediscovered.  Once again, tickets are only $12 and available from the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre box office.

Finally, the Brock University Choirs wrap up their season Sunday afternoon at 2:30 in the Cairns Recital Hall featuring Brock's student choral ensembles (men's, women's and mixed choruses) under the direction of conductor Rachel Rensink-Hoff.  They perform a wide variety from the choral repertoire both well known and not so well known.  Tickets are $15 and again, available from the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre box office.

I always enjoy attending the events scheduled by the Department of Music at Brock University's Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts.  The talent is there and the price is extremely affordable.  And now that we have such a great performance venue right in the heart of St. Catharines, why not take advantage of the opportunity whenever you can?

Happy Easter!

April 2nd, 2018.