There is no place better to be than Powell River for lovers of classical and choral music over the next few weeks.
Audiences have given a warm welcome to young professionals and seasoned masters who travelled here to participate in two weeks of the Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy (PRISMA). They have been attending performances, master classes and recitals, which have widely ranged from greatest classical composers from Brahms to Bach.
Just as PRISMA winds up on Saturday, June 28, with its final gala performance, another significant music festival will kick off only a few days later.
On Canada Day, Tuesday, July 1, International Choral Kathaumixw festival will begin. The festival, which runs every second year, has attracted choirs from across Canada, United States, Russia, Slovenia, Kenya and Taiwan this time around.
It’s sometimes hard to believe how blessed Powell River is when it comes to the arts. It is not at all surprising that the city was named a cultural capital of Canada in 2004 and that it continues to have a reputation as a cultural destination with festivals like these.
Kathaumixw put Powell River on the international choral map 30 years ago and has moved from founder and music director Don James onto a new generation.
Arthur Arnold, current music director for PRISMA and chief conductor of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, first came to Powell River with the Seoul National Symphony Orchestra to work with the Kathaumixw festival In 2000. He divides his time between Moscow, Amsterdam and Powell River. Through his many connections in the orchestral world, he has attracted brilliant guest artists like violinist Sooyong Yoon.
What PRISMA and Kathaumixw offer is a brilliant convergence of needs being met. In addition, they are key events that help us define who we are as a community, giving us so many opportunities to come together to celebrate and share through music. Hundreds of volunteers spend hours ensuring both events are successful.
Visitors stimulate the local economy, keeping accommodations providers and restaurants full. It’s been estimated that the economic impact runs into the millions of dollars.
Listen to the crescendo of symphonies and choirs. What joy!
