Reported in the Rocky Mountain Outlook

It validates hard work, as seven Bow Valley students showcase musical talent at provincials. Bow Valley music students took home top spots at the recent Alberta Music Festival provincial competition.

Held by the Alberta Music Festival Association, the competition took place in Edmonton from May 26 to 29 this year, showcasing the musical excellence of hundreds of youth across the province “[Provincials] validates the hard work that they put in because it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of practice and a lot of dedication to get to this level,” said Vicki Perkins, chairperson of the Bow Valley Music Festival (BVMF). “They’re all just amazing performers.”

Vasylisa Nikolenko placed first in Grade 10 piano, with Rowan Dial in third place for Grade 9 piano. Sonora Inageda (viola) took third in the 17 and under upper strings category, and Ranveer Panesar received an award of distinction in speech arts.

For Grade 10, Vasylisa Nikolenko, it was her second year in a row taking home a first-place finish in piano. “I felt quite excited, and I’m just very thankful to all my teachers,” said Nikolenko. Playing since she was five, Nikolenko, who moved to the Bow Valley from Ukraine in March 2022, is taught by Susan Ruberg Gordon, as well as her teacher of 11 years from Ukraine, whom she meets with remotely. Performing pieces by Bach and Chopin, she looks forward to further improving her craft.  “There’s no real limit in music or art,” she said. “I’m levelling up a bit each year.”

Rosalee Manning and Opal Diemer also represented the Valley in contemporary singing.

As one of only a few speech arts students in the Valley, Panesar attended provincials for the first time, performing a monologue from I Hate Hamlet by Paul Rudnick and the poem How One Winter Came in the Lake Region by Wilfred Campbell. “These involve advanced speaking skills since you need a high voice and you’re not given a microphone,” said Panesar. He said the experience has helped him in his academic life, giving him confidence in various leadership roles and speaking events. 

For the students, the journey to provincials started back in March at the BVMF. Developed by local teachers 15 years ago, the BVMF serves as a non-competitive environment for youth to grow musically through performance experience and feedback from adjudicators. “I think that’s why I’m so passionate about this festival, because it celebrates all our youth. But for those youth who have a passion for music and a drive for music, it’s an avenue to go to provincials and potentially nationals,” said Perkins.

For Dial, it was his third time on the bench at provincials.  “I was happy, really excited when I heard my name called just because of all the work I had put in and the time I’d sacrificed … it all paid off,” he said. Playing pieces by Baroque and Alexander Scriabin, Dial hopes to continue improving as he learns from every performance experience. “The goal for next year is to take home first place. It’s going to take a lot of work, but I think I have what it takes,” he said.

This was the first time BVMF had students nominated to provincials in the contemporary vocal category and the first time a band performed in the March festival, according to Perkins. “It’s a celebration of our teachers because it’s not just the youth … These students can perform well because we have great teachers in this valley,” she said.

Perkins noted the value of the competition opportunities for Bow Valley students. “Being able to go to these festivals and to play amongst youth from across the country or through the province … I think it does help support you in your career because you need opportunities to hear, not just to play, but to hear other people playing, that’s part of the process,” she said.

As a low-budget, volunteer-driven organisation, Perkins expressed gratitude to the many sponsors and community members who help bring the Bow Valley Music Festival to life each year. “We really couldn’t do without our community sponsors.