"a mesmerizing musical experience"

"luscious tone and technical prowess"

Cellist Ariel Barnes has a wide variety of performance styles under his belt. From music of the Baroque to contemporary styles, Barnes' performances have continued to excite audiences around the world. These performances also include an expanse of concertos that he has performed across the continent.

Barnes' recordings have won him nominations for a Juno and two Western Canadian Music Awards. He is a winner of the 2012 Canada Council Instrument Bank Competition, and has also been awarded the use of the 1730 Newland Joannes Franciscus Celoniatus cello, built in Turin, Italy, for three years.

Barnes has been in collaborations with many other fine artists, as well as in the Borealis String Quartet and Trio Accord as a past group member. Recently, Barnes was selected as one of six Canadian cellists to celebrate the launch of cbcmusic.ca as a featured artist in the Canadian Bach Cello Suite Project.

The performance of 21st century art music plays a significant role in Ariel's creative life.  He has given the world premier of works by Canadian composers such as Imant Raminsh, Jocelyn Morlock, Stephen Chatman, R. Murray Schaeffer, Brad Turner, Marcus Goddard, John Oliver, Rodney Sharman, Dorothy Chang, Glenn Buhr, Owen Underhill, Keon Birney, Elizabeth Knudson and Farshid Samandari.  His new project "Couloir" with Harpist Heidi Krutzen keenly focuses on the creation of new music for the beautiful combination of cello and harp.  

Cello students at PRISMA 2014 will be working with this world class returning PRISMA guest artist in masterclasses, sectional rehearsals and even private lessons for the two weeks of PRISMA.

Mark Morton is Principal Bass of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and Assistant Professor of Double Bass at Texas Tech University. Dr. Morton is the first-prize winner of the 1990 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition, and is the Artistic Director of the American School of Double Bass. He is the author of the popular "Dr. Morton" series of double bass technique books, and numerous articles in many important trade periodicals. 

Dr. Morton earned the undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Juilliard School in New York, being the first bassist in history to earn the Artist Diploma, Bachelor, Master and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees all from Juilliard.

Morton has soloed in Europe, South America, the United States, and Canada and has been a featured double bass soloist on radio broadcasts including NPR's "Performance Today," WGBH (Boston), and WQXR (New York). As a recording artist he has the Thresholds and Russian Rendezvous CDs, and shares a compact disc with Gary Karr of solo double bass music by Paul Ramsier. It was with that CD that Classical CD Reviews hailed Morton as "a most artistic representative of the new generation developed in the last half century." 

Mark Morton is an accomplished pianist, having appeared as piano concerto soloist with several orchestras, including the Houston Symphony Orchestra. His next CD, The Best of Bottesini will feature Morton accompanying himself on piano.

Morton has taught at Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, and he was the Assistant Double Bass instructor for Gary Karr at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut. He has given numerous masterclasses at institutions like Yale, the University of Iowa, and the Conservatoire National Superieure de Musique de Paris. 

Bass students at PRISMA 2014 will be working with this world class returning PRISMA guest artist in masterclasses, sectional rehearsals and even private lessons for the two weeks of PRISMA.

At this event, PRISMA students and guest artists will perform a preview of symphonic and chamber music from the festival. Enjoy a variety of food while perusing displays of art to the euphonic sounds of local musical acts. Bring your own chair or blanket to enjoy the culture and scenery at the beautiful Willingdon Beach.

So far, here are the confirmed performers, artists and food vendors:

Performers: 

Powell River Idol winner Jasper Snow Sassaman

The Powell River Community Band

Artists:

Ursula Medley

Amanda Martinson

Lila Smith

Food Vendors:

The Little Hut Curry

Rob n Lindaz Wood Fired Pizza

Shusma Dass Indian Food

Mayra Funes Indonesian BBQ

and many more!