VSO returns to Deer Lake Park for annual outdoor concert
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra hits the stage at Deer Lake Park on July 12 for its annual free outdoor concert.
Now in its 26th year, the two-hour event features many classical favourites, including Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6: I. Allegro ma non troppoe, Raiders of the Lost Ark: March from Indiana Jones and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.
“This is a special concert for us every year, and one that I personally look forward to very much each season,” VSO associate conductor Gordon Gerrard said in a press release. “There’s something magical about an outdoor concert on a summer evening, and it’s a wonderful feeling to look out into the crowd and see so many people of all ages who have made this concert a family tradition year after year.”
Part of the VSO tradition is to shine the spotlight on a young up-and-coming musician. This year, 13-year-old Colleen Venables – a pianist and violinist – will be performing Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons: Summer.
New for 2015 is a family area, where parents and their kids can stop by and participate in art activities, see a theatre performance and get their face painted before the show starts.
The concert runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Don’t forget to bring a blanket, a chair and maybe a picnic. Since parking in the area is limited, organizers suggest finding alternate transportation.
Jazz pianist comes to Michael J. Fox Theatre
To celebrate the five decades Burnaby and Kushiro, Japan have been sister cities, a special 50th anniversary concert is being held at the Michael J. Fox Theatre on July 10.
Japanese jazz pianist Kentaro Kihara and guitarist Yuji Nakahjima will serenade the crowd with “fluid melodies and renowned compositions,” according to a press release.
Kihara, who was born in Kushiro, began playing the keys at the age of four and composing at age five. His music has been featured in J-POP, theatre, animation, film and television, while his albums have been sold across the U.S. and Japan.
The concert is being put on by the City of Burnaby and The Japan Foundation. Tickets are $22 and are available at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the curtain rising at 7:30. The Michael J. Fox Theatre is located at 7373 MacPherson Ave.
Return of summer mini-camps
Get your kids out of the house by enrolling them in one of the city’s mini-camps.
Whether they’re five years old or 11, there’s something for everyone. How does learning how to tell stories in comic format sound? What about acting?
The full camp guide can be found by visiting www.burnaby.ca. Mini-camps run until Aug. 14 and are for ages up to 12 years old. Don’t wait to register, as spaces fill up fast.
Local actor nabs nomination
Burnaby star Ryan Erwin has been nominated for best performance by an actor in a leading role. The nomination, done through the Community Theatre Coalition of British Columbia, comes after the local played Max in Lend Me A Tenor with the Vagabond Players this summer. The 352nd production was presented at the Bernie Legge Theatre in New Westminster throughout June. Good luck, Ryan!
