It truly was an evening of music for one's soul.
For the slightly fewer than 60 patrons attending, Sunday's fifth in a series of chamber music recitals put together by local artists, pianist Jaya Hoy and mezzo soprano Lisa Hornung, it was a remarkable evening.
Sunday's recital featured Arlene Shiplett, French horn player, violinist Myra Lin, violin and Hoy on piano.
The three tremendously talented women received a standing ovation after their performances of pieces by Josef Haydn, W.A. Mozart and Johannes Brahms. The final, galloping flourish of Brahms' Trio in E Flat Major, Opus 40, brought the audience to their feet, leaving the musicians with no more suitable choice of encore than a repeat of the finale.
The concert ended in a buoyant mood, with musicians and patrons alike stirred by the thrill of the classical masterpieces performed.
Shiplett and Hoy, known to many North Battleford residents as Chiki McPhail, have known each other since childhood, having both grown up in the close community of the VLA (Veterans' Land Administration) district. They lived a block apart.
Shiplett's musical studies began at an early age with piano lessons, choir and both school and private band programs. She graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor in Music Education in 1986 and became a member of the Saskatoon Symphony in 1992.
Since 2000, she has narrowed her focus to teaching horn at the University of Saskatchewan as well as private teaching and coaching.
Her recent accomplishments include winning the Dwaine Nelson Teaching Award, conducting the mass horn choir at the Call of the Wild horn conference, and performing with the International Brass Quintet at the International Peace Gardens.
Shiplett may be seen every summer performing on the Western Development Museum's Steam Calliope - one of a few in playing condition in North America.
Myra Lin returns to North Battleford from Phoenix, Ariz. where she performs and teaches. The American violinist has been performing as recitalist and chamber musician to audiences throughout the United States, Canada and Europe for over 25 years and performed in North Battleford in an earlier Music For Your Soul concert.
Lin has had an active and successful private teaching studio for over 20 years collectively in Florida and Arizona.
She holds Bachelor and Masters degrees in violin performance from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Her major teachers include Eudice Shapiro, Joyce Robbins, Leonard Felberg and Milton Thomas (viola). She has performed in the masterclasses of Nathan Milstein, Joseph Silverstein, Alberto Lizy, Yehudi Menuhin and Dorothy Delay.
She is also a composer and has premiered several of her own works.
In 1991, Lin was made a Cultural Ambassador for the United States travelling to Bangalore, India to give several concerts as well as masterclasses and private instruction. She performed in one of the earlier concerts in the Music For Your Soul series, and was able to provide coaching for some local students. Her return to North Battleford was eagerly awaited and enjoyed.
Hoy began playing the piano at the age of three. She studied with Dr. Lyell Gustin from the age of 12 until receiving her ARCT (certification as an Associate of The Royal Conservatory of Music) in performance at the age of 17. She attended Master Classes at the Banff School of Fine Arts as a violinist with Thomas Rolston and and pianist with Boris Roubakine. She also participated in violin master classes with Albert Pratz at the University of Brandon.
Her piano studies continued in Europe with Bruno Seidlehofer in Vienna, Austria at the Academy for Music, and with the renowned teacher, Maria Curcio and her assistant Christopher Elton in London, England. In recent years she attended Master Classes in collaborative performance with Julius Drake, Rudolph Jansen, Rudolf Piernay and Elly Ameling.
She has performed in Canada, Europe and the U.S. as a soloist, chamber musician (including the Sirius Trio), and collaborative pianist with many singers, including Lisa Hornung (mezzo-soprano), Charles Taylor (baritone), and violinist, Myra Lin.
She recently returned to North Battleford to care for her mother, Dr. Mary McPhail, and has since been encouraging, facilitating, promoting and performing in musical concerts in the Battlefords.
The final recital in the Music For Your Soul series will take place Sunday, June 12 at 7 p.m., The Dynamic Duo, consisting of Christina Bakanec and Katie Finch, join Hoy in a recital for two cellos and piano.
The Dynamic Duo met in 2005 at a music camp in Calgary. From 2006-2009, they not only attended the University of Calgary together but were also roommates. Living and studying together, they quickly became best friends. Practicing in neighbouring bedrooms at the same time soon blossomed into intense and enjoyable rehearsals when the two joined forces in 2008 as "The Dynamic Duo." They have performed numerous times in Calgary and in British Columbia with internationally acclaimed pianist Susanne Ruberg - Gordon. Their close friendship and mutual love of sound create an exciting dynamic between them which results in stirring and exhilarating performances.
Originally from British Columbia, Christina Bakanec has had the privilege of working with renowned teachers including Paul Marleyn, Lynn Harrell, Des Hoebig, Hans Jensen, Ron Leonard, Paul Katz, Laurence Lesser, Bonnie Hampton, John Kadz, Judy Fraser and Andres Diaz. Her music has taken her to Bremen, Germany where she was the principal cellist of the Bremen International Youth Orchestra in 2005 and to Shanghai, China with Morningside Musicbridge in 2006.
In 2008, after winning the University of Calgary Concerto Competition, Bakanec debuted with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra performing Schelomo by Ernest Bloch. She also placed first in the national round of the Canadian Music Competition. In 2009,
Bakanec graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Music in Performance with distinction. She also received the Faculty of Fine Arts Gold Medal for graduating at the top of the Fine Arts class.
Bakanec debuted with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra performing Schelomo by Ernest Bloch. She also placed first in the national round of the Canadian Music Competition.
In 2009, Bakanec graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Music in Performance with distinction. She also received the Faculty of Fine Arts Gold Medal for graduating at the top of the fine arts class. Even after moving to Saskatchewan, she continued collaborating with the Rolling Stone Ensemble in Calgary, recording new works by Canadian composer David Eagle.
In 2009, she won a position with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. Since then she has enjoyed performing with the Elixir Ensemble, Prairie Virtuosi and was also featured in a concert at Gustin House. Christina currently resides in Kerrobert where she enjoys teaching, being a mom to 7-month old Eliana, and performing at every opportunity.
Born in Ontario, Katie Finch began playing the cello when she was three years old. She was a scholarship student at the Young Artists Performance Academy of the Glenn Gould School, where she studied with Simon Fryer for 7 years. In 2010 Finch graduated with distinction from the University of Calgary. In April of 2011, she also completed an Advanced Performers Program at Mount Royal University under the tutelage of John Kadz.
During the last four years she has participated in master classes with many of North America's leading cellists including: Laurence Lesser, Ron Leonard, Lynn Harrell, Andres Diaz, Desmond Hoebig, Norman Fischer, Timothy Eddy, Hans Jorgen Jensen, Carole Sirois and Johanne Perron.
Finch has twice been a national finalist in the Canadian Music Competition, and has also been a national finalist in the TD Canada Trust Young Performers Competition.
In April 2010, Finch had the privilege of performing the Vivaldi Double Cello Concerto with Alyssa Ramsay and the University of Calgary Chamber Orchestra. She is very passionate about teaching and was the cello and theory teacher of the Calgary chapter of the El Sistema Program, which provides after school music lessons to underprivileged children throughout Calgary. This fall, she will be pursuing a Master's Degree in performance with Johanne Perron at the University of Montreal.
Tickets are available through the Third Avenue United Church office or at the door. All profit from these recitals is donated to the Third Avenue United Church roof fund.
