Quadra Island has a world class Festival of Chamber Music. The festival’s Co-founder and Artistic Director, Phillip Hansen, is currently the principal cellist with the Orquestra Filarmonica de Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and has been featured in concert halls throughout Europe, the Far East and Americas. The other musician’s resumes are just as impressive. Glancing through them, I found myself continually exclaiming in disbelief, “On Quadra Island!” According to Catherine Smith, President of the Quadra Island Chamber Music Society, our rural lifestyle is part of the appeal that draws talent of this calibre. The Quadra Island Festival of Chamber Music could also be a poster child for grants-in-aid.
What Makes The Festival Happen
As happens so often, the festival’s backbone is its many devoted volunteers. Smith explained:
“The success of the Quadra Island Chamber Music Festival is largely due to the dedication of the island volunteers. Individuals such as Jill Ogasawara and Ben McGuffie are so dedicated to the festival, they close shop for an evening and donate their space and time for an enchanting evening performance at SouthEndFarm and Winery. The generosity of Quadra Islanders is reflected in their willingness to offer venues, billet musicians, bake, set up venues, fund raise, photograph events, as well as a myriad of other essential contributions which make the festival a growing success.”
There are many generous sponsors: Taku Resort, SouthEnd Farm Winery, BC Arts Council and BC Ferries. Coupled with Hansen’s determination, they provide sufficient financial support support to ensure there is a festival.
A $2,000 Grant-In-Aid From SRD
The thing that drew my attention to this story is a $2,000 grant in aid from the Strathcona Regional District. Smith said that while there would still be a festival, it would be substantially smaller without this funding. As she pointed out in her recent grant application:
“Financially, [the Festival] has improved steadily from accumulating a large deficit in 2011 to a positive balance in 2019, thanks in no small part to the Grant-in-Aid received from the Strathcona Regional District in past years.”
Beginnings
The Festival began in 2011 when:
“Phil Hansen, then principal cellist for the Calgary Philharmonic was on a road trip on Vancouver Island. He was so enamoured with the coast, he decided he wanted to hold a chamber music festival somewhere in the region. But where? So Phil took out a map and flipped a coin. It landed on Quadra Island and that’s where the group headed. They met Lois Taylor of the Heriot Bay Inn who offered to help them organize a three day concert series. As a result, the seeds of the festival were planted. Now in its 10th year, it attracts musicians from across the globe for a week of world class concerts.”
Two Testimonials
In the course of our conversation, Smith mentioned two anecdotes that illustrate the Festival’s calibre.
“A couple from Austria attending a concert at the winery remarked that they had to come from a centre of musical excellence to the backwoods of Canada to experience an event that they could not find in their own backyard. “
“An individual from Los Angeles who works with international musicians remarked that she came to the Quadra Island Festival because it offers the purest form of music she has ever experienced.”
Ten Years Of Island Magic
This year’s performance, “TEN YEARS OF ISLAND MAGIC,” will consist of six performances at venues across the island.
7:00 PM, Monday, July 20th – at Gowlland Harbour Resort
- program from Marc Destrubé Baroque pieces TBA
11 AM, Tuesday, July 21st – Children’s Concert
- Village Green Dancers
7 PM Tuesday, July 21st – Quadra Island Community Centre
- Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata for violin and piano, opus 12 no. 3
- Antonin Dvořák: Quintet for string quartet and piano, opus 81
7:00 PM, Wednesday, July 22nd – at Cape Mudge Village Church
- Konstantin solo TBD.
- Manuel de Falla: Suite Populaire Espagnole
- Franz Schubert: Quintet for two violins, viola, and two cellos, D. 956
6:30 PM Friday, July 24th – at South End Farm and Winery
- Duet for cello and violin composed by Phil
- Celtic works – by Turlough O’Carolan et al
- Tangos – by Piazzolla et al
- Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet opus 18 no. 1
7:00 PM Saturday, July 25th- at Quadra Island Community Centre
- Our youth musician Julie Matsuzawa, piano – work(s) TBA
- Gioacchino Rossini: Duetto for cello and bass (1824)
- Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Trio opus 97, “Archduke”
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