What’s one of the best ways to make sure a future for a music pageant, and by extension, a musical artwork type itself? By including extra focus to the subsequent era. That’s the concept behind an growth of the youth programming being provided on the Collingwood Music Competition, going down this yr from July 9 to 18.
We talked to Inventive Director Daniel Vnukowski about what’s new, and what’s being provided to youthful music lovers on the Competition.
Daniel Vnukowski, Inventive Director
Daniel based the Competition in 2019 to deliver a significant music pageant to the gorgeous Southern Georgian Bay space of Ontario. Alongside along with his function as Inventive Director of the Collingwood Music Competition, Daniel Vnukowski has a busy profession as a live performance pianist and likewise because the host of the Classical Jukebox on the New Classical FM radio station. He studied on the Lake Como Worldwide Piano Academy in Italy, the Peabody Institute of Baltimore, and on the Guildhall College of Music and Drama in London. Along with concert events in Canada, Europe and Asia, he has been devoted to training and outreach efforts, together with a collection of performances in distant communities.
Highlights of this yr’s expanded youth and group programming embody:
- The annual Youth Academy has been expanded to 5 days with scholarships;
- A Rising Star live performance collection;
- Native college outreach to greater than 500 college students;
- A free out of doors Symphony Beneath the Stars.
The Interview
“It’s so integral to our progress,” Vnukowski says of the concentrate on subsequent gen applications.
As he notes, together with different concerns, it’s a response to altering demographics within the Georgian Bay area. An increasing number of households are transferring right into a area that was as soon as recognized largely as a trip space.
“We form of wished to develop right into a mini Tanglewood right here.”
The Youth Academy is a program for musicians age 24 and below, with candidates chosen by audition. Expanded to 5 from three days beforehand, occasions happen within the Nationwide Ski Academy amenities, and embody an intensive masterclass, youth expertise night time, concert events, and a chamber music group. Scholarships will cowl 20% of the schooling charges.
“It’s having fives days of actually immersive instruction,” he notes. The pure setting is a part of the attraction.
Together with occasions in the course of the Competition, the varsity outreach program is a vital element. “We actually need to hit the faculties once more,” he says.
It’s was a problem to restart that outreach submit pandemic, as he reviews, but it surely’s important, notably contemplating the dearth of music training being provided within the college system. He believes that focusing on center college children aged about 10 to 12 is vital, and the response is greatest. “It’s earlier than the peer strain will get to them.,” he explains. It’s an age the place children begin to need to know extra concerning the world round them. “That’s the form of candy spot.”
He mentions the thrill the younger performers have had in earlier Festivals once they work with nationally and internationally acknowledged performers just like the Elmer Iseler Singers. “They’re so inspiring once they work with youth.” The mentors this yr embody cellist Roman Borys, violinist Sharon Lee, mezzo soprano Andrea Ludwig, and Vnuknowski himself.
Vnukowski says the response to their name for video auditions went past their expectations, together with each the Youth Academy and Rising Star live performance collection.
“We didn’t anticipate to have a full home,” he mentioned of final yr’s live performance. “That was massively profitable.”
Summer time and Past
Across the core of summer time’s Competition week, including extra concert events and occasions all year long will maintain the momentum. That can embody high touring artists.
“That’s within the works for the autumn,” he says. “It’s a pure progress. We’ve come from a mother and pop group taking part in in cottages.” It’s now an occasion with a real sense of group. “It’s very festive.”
The Competition has a notable financial influence on the bigger group, but it surely’s about greater than {dollars} and sense.
“It’s helps the newcomer discover a sense of belonging,” he says. “It may well assist teenagers discover themselves as they develop up.”
The Symphony Beneath The Stars, a free out of doors live performance that’s being launched this yr, goals to deliver the Competition expertise to a broader viewers, together with those that might not assume that orchestral music is their factor. This system will embody well-known classical works, together with film music and orchestral preparations of pop. “All the same old suspects,” Daniel says.
An exit survey will assist them decide the influence. Are they newcomers to the Competition? Did they take pleasure in it — sufficient to come back again?
“As you possibly can see, we’re branching out,” he says. “When the ten years olds develop into 65 yr olds, are they nonetheless shopping for tickets?”
- Discover out extra concerning the Collingwood Music Competition [HERE].
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Anya Wassenberg is a Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher.
