March 2020 Edition

Spring Concert Have you heard? Our 2019 Concerto Competition winner Julie Lin is coming back to for a special performance on March 12! Tickets are still available. General seating. Click here to read a preview in the Powell River Peak , featuring an interview with Julie and PRISMA maestro Arthur Arnold. Or, find 5 Questions with Julie Lin on our website. Thursday, March 12 7:30 PM Max Cameron Theatre General Admission $27.25 adults | $12.25 students Cash bar on site serving 40 Knots wines Buy Tickets Now New Office Hours Tuesday 1:00pm – 5:00pm Wednesday 1:00pm – 5:00pm Thursday 1:00pm – 5:00pm The Festival Box office will also be open on the following Saturdays: Saturday April 18 1:00pm – 4:00pm Saturday May 23 1:00pm – 4:00pm PRISMA staff are here to assist you with membership renewals, festival tickets and passes, and merchandise sales. The PRISMA office is located in the Town Centre Mall (across from Subway), 26-7100 Alberni Street.

Tickets & Passes Now On Sale Have you reserved your seats for the 2020 PRISMA Festival, June 15-27? Click here to purchase early for best selection. Festival Pass: $99 – Includes access to Limelight Concerts and Masterclasses Adult Ticket: $27.25 (per concert) Youth Ticket: $12.25 (per concert)

We Are Hiring: Special Events Assistant Do you love making special events “special”. Do you want to improve your skills in event logistics? Join PRISMA! We are looking to add a Special Events Assistant to our team.

Other News

PRISMA on CBC Radio Did you happen to hear the maestro on  CBC North by Northwest  o n February 9? He stopped by the studio to chat with host Sheryl MacKay about will be stopping by the studio to chat with host Sheryl MacKay about our Spring Concert and the upcoming PRISMA Festival repertoire, which features several pieces written by composers repressed by World War II. Here's the podcast for those who missed it. The interview starts at 1:42:00.

PRISMA at the Library PRISMA has been proud to partner with Powell River Public Library in presenting a series of educative talks. The first took place last June as a preview of the Mosolov Harp Concerto, and the latest – "The Story of Bob Hanf's Piano Trio" – happened just last week. Another is yet to be announced this June. Arthur Arnold introduced and played music samples from a never-before-performed piano trio by Auschwitz victim Bob Hanf – one of the exciting pieces on our upcoming Spring Concert repertoire. Don't miss it!

Meet our new Guest Artists Dutch virtuoso Carla Leurs began her violin studies at the age of 6. One year later, she was invited to perform for the Queen of the Netherlands. Currently, she is concertmaster of the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra. We are thrilled to welcome her to PRISMA for the very first time and have her work with our students and perform at the Gala Opening Concert (June 18), PRISMA on the Beach (June 20) and Chamber Music Concert (June 25). Born in the Lower Mainland, Gwen Seaton is currently Second Bassoon with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, a position she has held since 2009. Prior to joining the VSO, Gwen played Second Bassoon with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for the 2007/2008 season and has also served as Acting Principal for the Vancouver Opera. As a soloist, she has performed with the Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra and the Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra. She will perform at PRISMA at the Chamber Music Concert (June 25) and work with our students during Week 2 of the festival.

Máté Szücs returns for PRISMA 2020 He wowed audiences during PRISMA 2018 during Berlioz' Harold In Italy and Weber's Andante & Ronda Hungarese ... and now violist Máté Szücs is back for Week 1 of PRISMA 2020. Máté was principal viola in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 2011 to 2018 where he also appeared as a soloist playing the Bartók Viola Concerto in September 2017. At PRISMA, he will perform as a featured soloist at the Gala Opening Concert (June 18) and in the world premiere of PRISMA composer-in-residence Jaap Nico Hamburger's Viola Concerto (June 19).

#FollowTheStudents Alumni reunite! Marie-Ange Boislard (PRISMA 2018) recently attended the   Merida International Brass Festival  in Mexico with friend William Broverman (PRISMA 2014) – and then, on her way home, runs into fellow 2018 alums Thomas McKee and Tim Hanley. How cool is it that PRISMA connects people all over the world!

We recently heard from Sierra Schmeltzer (2017/18) who won the piccolo position in the Boise Philharmonic. She also won a fellowship with the American Youth Symphony in Los Angeles and will be completing her masters at the University of Southern California in May 2020.

Congratulations to PRISMA 2018/19 alumna Taylor Fleshman and PRISMA 2014 alumna Charlene Chin! Their chamber group, Duo XCIV, won 2nd prize in Istanbul, Turkey at the Ceren Necipoglu International Competition in the chamber division.

Violist Jacob an der Sloot (PRISMA 2018) recently won a job with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and began playing with them in January 2020. (He is now the youngest member of the VSO at only 22 years of age!) He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree from the Juilliard School in 2019 – the year he also made his solo Carnegie Hall debut.

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