Supporting our Symphony
PRISMA NEWSLETTER May 24th, 2016
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" I was blown away by the beauty of this small town and I enjoyed how intensive the program was. "
- 2015 student
In This Issue:
Well, the countdown is finally on--the 2016 festival is less than a month away. 

This year, we're excited to introduce the Gala Grand Opening Concert, which features all of the variety that PRISMA has to offer, including performances by students and Guest Artists alike. Read on to see the full range of repertoire (it even includes a concerto for typewriter).

Remember last year's event at Willingdon Beach? We heard from many of you about how impressed you were with the event; if you were wondering how we were going to follow that act this year, read on...

2016 is an exciting year, because both PRISMA and Kathaumixw take place over this summer. We want to share an exciting update with you from our friends at the Academy of Music.

Finally, learn more about PRISMA's High Note Tent, some interesting volunteer opportunities, and two new Guest Artists for PRISMA 2016 in this edition.
  or at the PRISMA office 7 days a week
Gala Grand Opening Concert
Friday, June 17, 7:30 pm
From Debussy to Concerto for Typewriter: An Evening of Variety

PRISMA 2016 is proud to present the Gala Grand Opening Concert on Friday, June 17th at 7:30pm at the Evergreen Theatre. This new concert features an evening full of variety with everything PRISMA has to offer--from chamber music by the esteemed guest artists to symphony music from the full PRISMA Festival Orchestra.

The evening's repertoire includes: 
Dukas - La Peri, Fanfare 
Villa Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras no. 6, Aria 
Calvert - Suite from the Monteregian Hills (brass quintet) 
Debussy - Etude No. 1 
Mozart/Volodos - Turkish March 
Sarasate - Carmen Fantasy 
Villa Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5, Aria (featuring Megan Skidmore, soprano)
Albinoni - Concerto 2 oboes and strings Op. 9 no. 9 
Bottesini - Elegie & Tarantella 
Leroy Anderson - Typewriter Concerto 
Rimsky-Korsakov, Coq D'or 

Find the event on Facebook.


PRISMA on the Beach:
A Celebration with Tla'amin Nation
They're back!

At this year's PRISMA on the Beach event, the air show will return--but this time, in celebration of Tla'amin Nation. The event will also feature a new piece of music produced in collaboration with Drew Blaney (Kespahl) and Tobin Stokes. You won't want to miss this monumental celebration!

Please bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, and dishes to help make this a zero-waste event. Accessible parking is available.

Find the event on  Facebook.

Volunteer with PRISMA

A recent poll in  Career Link's Water Cooler Blog found that the majority of respondents found their volunteer positions just as rewarding as their paid work (27%) and more rewarding than their paid work (38%). Volunteering with PRISMA is definitely a rewarding opportunity, and luckily we are still recruiting dedicated individuals to join our team!

Waste Reduction Volunteer Wanted
We are looking for a Waste Reduction Volunteer to help make PRISMA "greener".  Some knowledge of recycling and environmental best practises for events an asset. Duties include:
  • setting up & maintaining recycling stations for students, on-site festival office & concert venues
  • helping with planning, set up & take down; signage
  • consulting with Operations, office & event planning staff
The use of a vehicle is necessary.

PRISMA on the Beach Fundraisers Wanted
We are also recruiting outgoing, socially-connected individuals to help with fundraising at PRISMA on the Beach on June 15. 

Perks may include friends, fresh musical insights, access to concerts and a wonderful opportunity to contribute to your community.

Homestays Needed

2015 PRISMA students enjoying themselves at their homestay. These three are all returning for PRISMA 2016!

Interested in getting even more of the PRISMA experience? Consider volunteering to billet PRISMA students. Several of our students from past years echo the unique PRISMA atmosphere, thanks to the vibrant and engaged community here. Hear it from our 2015 Concerto Competition winner herself, who was billeted by our President and his wife:

"Among many other things, the residents of Powell River, BC were one of my favourite parts of the festival.  Just seeing the joy, excitement, and support that these people gave to the festival was amazing, and performances were made so much more enjoyable by the enthusiasm of the audiences."

Help PRISMA show its students the true spirit of Powell River and consider opening your home this season. For more details, including perks, get in touch with us.

Contact: 
[email protected] or stop by the PRISMA office in the Mall.
What is the High Note tent?
PRISMA Membership Perks FAQ


What is the High Note Tent?
PRISMA's High Note Tent is a reception area for our top donors--Patrons, Benefactors, Encore Club, and Maestro's Circle--before and during concerts, serving 40 Knots wine and light appetizers from Coastal Cookery. Invitations to the High Note Tent are now being sent to our Patron-level and above donors.

What is the Hospitality Tent?
The Hospitality Tent is open to all PRISMA audience members before concerts and during intermission. This is where we have 40 Knots wine and light appetizers available for purchase.

Why does PRISMA have a High Note Tent?
PRISMA uses this area to recognize our high-level donors for their contributions to the festival, while also building audience interest in joining the donor community. Membership acknowledgement is something very important to us; the High Note Tent is one of many examples of this.

This year, the High Note Tent will open on June 17th before the Gala Grand Opening Concert.

 
New Guest Artists
 
Michelle Gott
Harp
MICHELLE GOTT is an award-winning and versatile harpist active in Canada and the United States. An experienced orchestral musician, Ms. Gott has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Boston Pops. She has been a featured soloist at the National Arts Centre and the National Art Gallery in Ottawa, as well as with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and the Atlantic String Quartet. Ms. Gott has also performed extensively for productions on Broadway, including The Producers and The Fantastiks and for artists such as Diana Krall and Olivia Newton-John. A winner of numerous national competitions, Ms. Gott is also a recipient of Juilliard's Peter Mennin Prize for Outstanding Leadership and Achievement in the Arts as well as the Richard F. French grant for her doctoral dissertation research on the music of R. Murray Schafer. She is currently on faculty at the University of Ottawa, where she teaches harp and coaches chamber music. She is also the director of harp ensembles for the Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy.

Marc Goldberg
Bassoon
MARC GOLDBERG received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from The Juilliard School as a student of Harold Goltzer. He is currently the principal bassoonist of Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, the American Ballet Theater Orchestra, the New York City Opera Orchestra, and a member of the New York Woodwind Quintet. Formerly the associate principal bassoonist of the New York Philharmonic (2000-2002), Mr. Goldberg has regularly appeared with groups such as the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Musicians from Marlboro, and Orchestra of St. Luke's, performing concerts with these ensembles across four continents. In great demand as a teacher, Mr. Goldberg is a long-time faculty member of The Juilliard School Pre College Division and the Hartt School; he also teaches at Mannes College, Bard College Conservatory of Music, NYU, and Columbia University. 

Beach Gardens Resort
Home to Guest Artists & Proud Sponsor of PRISMA

These Guest Artists will join the rest of the PRISMA instructional team at the Beach Gardens Resort & Marina for the duration of the festival.  The Beach Gardens has been the home for our Guest Artists for many seasons, and we know they are always happy to return to the cozy rooms and scenic views at their home away from home in Powell River.

"It is impossible to describe the many memorable moments as you would have be here to witness the wonderful music emanating from the many corners of our facilities.  These days are truly magical and indeed a favorite part of my job to see the same customers returning to such a prestigious event. We as a hotel and community are very fortunate to be able to accommodate such professional musicians from all over the world." 
- Joan Barszczewski, Beach Gardens Resort & Marina
 
Silent Auction Items Needed

Do you have something you'd like to donate towards PRISMA's annual silent auction? 
Get in touch with us!
International Choral  Kathaumixw
App provides all-encompassing information


 
Something new and exciting is available for this year's International Choral Kathaumixw.

A former choir member participating in 2004 from New Zealand has created an app for the organization.

Kieran Donnelly, who came to Powell River with New Zealand Secondary Students' Choir, is now a director of a company that makes apps for smart phones.

"He just contacted us one day and offered to create a Kathaumixw app," says Artistic Director Paul Cummings. "After some back and forth, he had it done and it's super cool. We're inviting people to download it and check out all the features for this Kathaumixw that runs from July 5 to 9."
The new app is available from iPhone App Store or Google Play for android phones. It has a complete schedule of events and concerts, information about post-Kathaumixw tours, artists and concerts as well as video and photos.

"Everything is there for you, right in your hand," Cummings explains.
This year's list of choirs includes those from Hong Kong, Hungary, New Zealand, Austria and South Africa as well as across the United States and Canada.

"We had 54 choirs apply to come this year, double the number we can have," says Cummings. He says that is in part to the word spreading about the Tla'amin carver creating a totem pole awarded to the Choir of the World at Kathaumixw.

In 2014 St. Stanislav Youth Choir from Ljubljana, Slovenia, a country of two million people, was announced the winner of the totem pole, amid thunderous cheers at the Gala Closing Concert.

A repeat attendee for 2016 is New Zealand's student choir that took three first-place awards in its first Kathaumixw appearance in 2004 for mixed voice youth choir, youth choir and folk and cultural traditions, more than any other choir in the history of the competition. It's a distinction that still stands.

"We feel very honoured and privileged to have been invited to be the guest choir at Kathaumixw 2016," says Andrew Withington, Musical Director since 2009. "I first attended in 2004 and then returned in 2010. It's amazing to be attending for a third time to such a fantastic event and to Powell River, which is so beautiful. It will be a great experience for our members to hear high-quality choral music from all over the world."
Withington adds he is looking forward to sharing unique New Zealand music with the audiences.

Cummings says that people attending the Gala Opening Concert will be in for some surprises at this year's festival.

"We changed things up somewhat in 2014, my first time as Artistic Director, and there are more exciting changes happening this year. People will be quite entertained by them."

Special guest for the evening that begins Tuesday, July 5, at 8 pm will be The Honourable Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

People can also go to kathaumixw.org where they will find information regarding billeting, volunteering and purchasing tickets. Or they go to Powell River Academy of Music to buy tickets.
PRISMA is a registered charity with Canada Revenue Agency.  Sponsorship recognition and benefits vary according to level.  For partnership inquiries, please contact [email protected].

TITLE SPONSOR:


 

Warmly,

Sarah Barton-Bridges

Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy | 
1-855-5PRISMA | [email protected] |
c/o Pinch & Reid
Suite D, 7061 Duncan St.
Powell River, V8A 1W1