Three talented young Kitimat residents have been awarded scholarships after participating in the Pacific Northwest Music Festival held in Terrace.
The festival, which ended on May 6, saw nearly 5,000 performers take part in over 1,400 performances at three different locations in Terrace.
Madison Sommerfeld was awarded the Rio Tinto Scholarship for her piano performance in the 13 to 15 year old category, while Kevin Eastman and Nicole Hepting were jointly awarded the Knights of Columbus scholarship for speech arts and piano respectively in the 16 to 20 year old category.
Over 130 trophies and awards were handed out to the performers at the event, which draws entries from all over the northwest.
Program co-ordinator and festival committee member, Ken Juniper, said the festival, now in its 52nd year, is the longest-running and largest multi-disciplinary festival in the province.
“While the festival classes as a competitive event, it’s more about the artists learning and being supported,” said Juniper.
“The adjudicators tell the artists how to improve their pieces and everyone gets a hi-five after completing their performances.”
Sommerfeld said the $500 scholarship will go towards paying for studying fine arts, probably at a musical school in Victoria.
“My big dream, though, is to one day go and study music at Juilliard School in New York,” said Sommerfeld.
The full results of the Kitimat competition winners are as follows:
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE:
Terrace Academy of Music Award; Piano Junior: Camryn Oliveira
Al Lehmann Award; Piano Senior: Jeremy Baker
Acadia Northwest Mechanical Award; Piano Senior: Jeremy Baker
AWARD WINNERS:
Band
Terrace Community Band Trophy: Grades 6-8 Band, Mount Elizabeth Middle School Concert Band
McDonalds Restaurant Trophy : B100 - Mount Elizabeth Middle School Band- Placing Superior in their category and an invitation to Music Fest Canada
B300 - Mount Elizabeth High School Band - Placing Excellent Plus in their category
Speech Arts
Mike and Joan Brady Award - Poetry: Highest Mark Spoken Poetry (Lyric) Senior - Iris Striker
Terrace Concert Society Award: Highest Mark Prose - Kevin Eastman
Terrace Little Theatre Trophy: Highest Mark Dramatic Arts - Kevin Eastman
Royal Bank Trophy: Highest Mark Choral Speaking (Grades 4-Open) - Kildala Elementary Grade 5
Vocal
Theatre Alive Society Award: Highest Mark Senior Musical Theatre - Katherine Ocsovai
Woodwind
Acadia Northwest Mechanical Award: Highest Mark Woodwind Conservatory Solo - Nicole Hepting
Terrace and District Arts Council Award: Highest Mark Woodwind Solo, Intermediate: Rosie Reschke
Piano
Carlyle Shepherd & Co. Award: Highest Mark Senior Pianoforte Solo - Nicole Hepting
Eugene H. Thomas Award: Highest Mark Senior Bach- Jeremy Baker
J. Coosemans Award: Highest Mark Romantics- Madison Sommerfeld
Jean and Frank Froese Memorial Award: Highest Mark Junior Bach - Camryn Oliveira
Park Avenue Medical Clinic Award: Highest Mark Chopin - Madison Sommerfeld
Pizza Hut Award: Highest Mark French Impressionists - Lyndsay Silvestre
Royal Canadian Legion Branch #13 Award: Highest Mark Intermediate Piano Conservatory - Dominic Schmidt
Terrace Kinsmen Award: Highest Mark Junior 20th & 21st Century Composers - Kate Byrne
Warner Bandstra Brown Award: Highest Mark German Romantics - Nicole Hepting
Westlund Insurance Award: Highest Mark Mozart and Haydn - Madison Sommerfeld
Nenninger Family Award: Highest Mark Older Beginners - Emily Gunn