2012 chamber music festival includes Golden

Aug 10-19, Invermere / Golden –

This year marks the second year for an exciting arts and culture event in the Columbia River Valley. The Columbia Valley Chamber Music Festival will present concerts in both Invermere and Golden this year. The festival runs from August 10 – 19, 2012. Started in 2011 by horn player Lauren Robinson and her husband, bassist Jeffrey White, the festival will present four concerts of chamber music and a free family concert presented in conjunction with the Invermere Library’s summer reading program.

The first program will be a free family concert at Christ Church Trinity in Invermere on Friday, August 10 at 1:30 pm. This concert is titled Sounds and Stories and is presented in conjuction with the Invermere Public Library’s summer reading program. The concert will explore how music can bring literature to life. Led by Philadelphia Orchestra teaching artist Lauren Robinson, this concert will be interactive and appropriate for kids of all ages. All donations received at this concert will be split between the Invermere Public Library and the Festival.

The first mainstage program of the season will take place in Golden on Sunday, August 12 at 7:00 pm at the Golden Civic Center. This concert is presented by Kicking Horse Culture as part of their Summer Kicks series and is free to the public. The same music will be presented at Christ Church Trinity in Invermere on Monday, August 13 at 7:30 pm. Tickets for the Invermere concert are $20 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, and will be available at the door. There will be a free pre-concert talk at 6:30 with trumpet player Adam Zinatelli. Music on this concert will include works by Richard Strauss, Bohuslav Martinu, Alberto Ginastera, and Antonin Dvorak.

The second program of the festival will take place in Invermere at Christ Church Trinity on Saturday, August 18 at 7:30 pm. Tickets for the Invermere concert are $20 for adults, $10 for students and seniors. The same concert will be repeated in Golden at the Civic Center on Sunday, August 19 at 3:00 pm. The Golden concert has a suggested donation of $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. This program will feature three quintets by three famous composers: Antonin Dvorak, Johannes Brahms, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The 2012 Columbia Valley Chamber Music Festival will feature some of North America’s most prominent young musicians, including the return of Calgary Philharmonic members Laura Reid (violin), Adam Zinatelli (principal trumpet), Michael Bursey (viola), and Jeff White (bass). New festival participants include CPO bassoonist Michael Hope and Calgary based pianist Esther Bing. Eckhardt-Grammatte winner violinist Carissa Klopoushak, Frye Street Quartet violist Brad Ottesen, and Calgary native and Utah Symphony cellist Anne Lee will also join the festival this year.

Brenna Hartmann is the 2012 fellowship recipient of the Columbia Valley Chamber Music Festival. She will receive lessons and instruction from festival artists and perform along side them at concerts in Invermere and Golden.

This year also marks the beginning of an exciting fellowship opportunity for a young Canadian pursuing a career in music at the university level. This year’s recipient is violinist Brenna Hartmann, a native of Bergen, Alberta. She is pursuing a degree in violin performance at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. She will receive coachings and lessons and will perform alongside festival participants in all of the concerts. The festival is very excited to welcome Brenna as our first festival fellow.

Horn player/artistic director Lauren Robinson and her husband, bassist Jeffrey White, have been coming to Invermere for many years and have always dreamed of starting a chamber music festival. In 2011, the Columbia Valley Chamber Music Festival was born. Ms. Robinson hopes to expand the festival in coming years to incorporate even more of the vibrant communities in the Columbia Valley, as well as provide more opportunities for students, amateur musicians, and community members.

Locations -

• Christ Church Trinity is located at 110 – 7th Avenue, Invermere, BC.
• Invermere Public Library is located at 201 – 7th Avenue, Invermere, BC.
• The Golden Civic Center is located at 810 10th Ave. S. (Highway 95 S.), Golden, BC.

For more information on Kicking Horse Culture and their Summer Kicks series, please visit their website: http://kickinghorseculture.ca.

For more information about the Columbia Valley Chamber Music Festival, please visit our website at http://www.cvchambermusic.org, or find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cvchambermusic. For any other information or inquiries or to make a donation to the festival, please contact Artistic Director Lauren Robinson at lrobinson@cvchambermusic.org or 267-980-0278.