Weeklong Musicfest kicks off Sunday

Thu., May 11, 2006

William Berry Correspondent

Musicfest Northwest celebrates its 61st year starting Sunday at Gonzaga University with enough pianos gathered in one place to set off an earthquake.

If you aren’t the parent of a budding musician or dancer, or a past participant, you may not be familiar with Musicfest (formerly the Greater Spokane Music and Allied Arts Festival).

Musicfest is a weeklong, judged event for young people in the performing arts. There are 10 divisions, which include the classical musical instruments, voice and ballet.

Fifteen renowned adjudicators are brought in to critique and offer advice to young performers ranging from the first grade through age 25. (Since voices mature more slowly, singers may participate until they are 29.)

Close to 1,000 participants will attend this year, said Musicfest spokeswoman Gail Belanger, accounting for more than 1,400 entries – about 900 of those in the piano classes. Students may enter in more than one class, so there are more entries than participants.

Performers are divided by age and type of music being performed, which keeps graduate students from going head-to-head with the youngest performers. The most advanced entrants compete in the Young Artist Section, with division winners receiving scholarships.

Previous Young Artist winners include opera singers Thomas Hampson and Frank Hernandez, pianist Stephen Drury, violinist Jason Moody and Spokane Symphony concertmaster Kelly Farris.

The public is welcome to wander over to the Gonzaga campus and listen in. There will be rooms filled with young people and their music from Sunday through May 19, with organists playing at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 316 E. 24th Ave., all day Tuesday. Admission is free; programs are available for $5.

For those wanting to hear the creme de la creme of this year’s crop of young performers, there are two free performances worth checking out at The Met, 901 W. Sprague Ave.

The first is the Young Artist Concert, on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., where winners have the opportunity to play their solos with the Spokane Symphony as a back-up band.

On May 19 at 7:30 p.m. is the Festival Highlights Concert. Participants in this program are selected based on their compelling performances earlier in the week.

Outside of these major events, Belanger said one of the best times for the public to check out Musicfest would be next Thursday afternoon. Many of the pianists who have already won in their class will be participating in a play-off to determine who will perform in the following night’s concert. It begins at 1 p.m. at Gonzaga’s Russell Theatre.

KPBX-FM (91.1) will broadcast a parade of performers live in the studio Monday through May 19 from 10 a.m. to noon.

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