The deadline is looming for talented young musicians to register for the Vancouver International Music Festival. This event includes masterclasses offered by virtuoso artists-in-residence, as well as student recitals. In addition, the exceptionally talented classical music instructors will perform at the same festival, which runs from August 18 to 23. It mostly takes place at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music, with the closing gala scheduled at the Vancouver Playhouse.
From Toronto, the festival has invited James Anagnoson as one of the 12 artists-in-residence. He is dean of The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School of Music, which is exclusively dedicated to performance. Anagnoson has been a faculty member since the school was founded in 1987.
According to his biography, Anagnoson has given master classes in Europe, North America, and Asia. He has also been a juror for many competitions, including the Dublin International Piano Competition, the Hong Kong International Piano Competition, the Canadian Chopin Competition, the Prix d’Europe, the International e-Competition, the Toronto International Piano Competition, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Competition.
Lynn Liu is president of the Canadian International Arts and Music Society, which has been organizing the Vancouver International Music Festival and the Vancouver International Music Competition since 2017 with a team of volunteers. Students must register for this year’s festival by July 15.
“I would like to involve more students, of course. And I want the public to be aware of this event in the summertime,” Liu tells the Toronto Spark over Zoom. “If they have visitors or friends travelling from outside of Canada, they’re welcome to join the festival, too.”
Chinese, Indian, and western classical music
Liu takes pride in the festival’s multicultural orientation, reflecting Vancouver’s diversity.
“We want to involve different cultures and music,” she emphasizes, before adding that “Indigenous people definitely play a very important role in our society.”
To that end, St’at’imc and Lil’wat Nation member Russell Wallace is one of the artists-in-residence, He is a highly regarded composer, producer, and traditional singer, as well as director of Indigenous Vocal Ensemble at Vancouver Community College. In 2022, Wallace won a Leo Award for work on the TV series 1491.
For the second consecutive year, the Vancouver International Music Festival will invite two stars from the world of Chinese classical music as artists-in-residence. Zhongxi Wu, a graduate of Heilongiang Performing Arts University, has mastered the Chinese bamboo flute (dizi) and suona. Meanwhile, Shanghai-born pipa virtuoso Guilian Liu is the second Chinese classical musician invited as an artist-in-residence.
In addition, internationally renowned harpist Kaori Otake will also be there. She won the International Harp Contest and has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Rio International Harp Festival. And flautist Paolo Bortolussi, director of flute and contemporary chamber music at the UBC School of Music, is another of the artists-in-residence.
Watch the promo video for the Vancouver International Music Festival.
A unique format
Other artists-in-residence include Canadian pianist and soloist Henri-Paul Sicsic, pianist and conductor Ian Parker, collaborative pianist Grace Huang, sarodist and tabla player Hriday Buddhdev, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra concertmaster and violinist Nicholas Wright, and cellist and Vancouver Academy of Music president Joseph Elworthy.
“The format is unique in the classical music world to involve both students and famous artists from all over the world,” Liu says. “The students not only perform themselves, they also have a learning experience with these wonderful artists.”
Plus, students see these artists-in-residents perform in front of audiences, further enriching their musical education.
For more information on the Vancouver International Music Festival, visit the website. The registration fee for students includes participation in masterclass(es) and the festival performance fee. Follow Charlie Smith on Bluesky @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social. Learn more about the communities that make up Canada on the Toronto Spark website. The Toronto Spark is on Bluesky @torontospark.bsky.social.
