PRISMA announces academy expansion in partnership with Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and VSO School of Music
Emerging artists will get to hone their craft alongside seasoned professionals
Henry Shapard. Photo courtesy PRISMA
THE PACIFIC REGION International Summer Music Association (PRISMA) has just announced the expansion of its orchestra academy program through a collaboration with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) and the VSO School of Music (VSO SoM).
The PRISMA Academy draws up to 80 post-secondary music students from more than a dozen countries to its Powell River home every June. The musicians rehearse and perform symphonic and chamber music and also take in lessons, masterclasses, and audition training.
Under the new, expanded model, PRISMA students will now spend three days in Vancouver (June 13 to 15, 2024) to be alongside artists from the VSO and VSO SoM before making their way to rural Powell River (June 16 to 29, 2024). Highlights will include rehearsals in the Orpheum theatre and sectional rehearsals at the VSO SoM’s state-of-the-art facilities downtown.
According to PRISMA, the project bridges the academic and professional music realms, offering a rare opportunity for emerging artists to hone their craft alongside seasoned professionals.
“I am thrilled to witness the fusion of our talented students with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and VSO School of Music in this groundbreaking collaboration,” Arthur Arnold co-founder and artistic director of PRISMA says in a release. “This partnership is not just a meeting of three organizations; it is a convergence of aspirations, talent, and a shared passion for musical excellence.
“The partnership also reflects PRISMA’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of musical talent, ensuring that the rich legacy of orchestral music continues to thrive and inspire,” Arnold adds. “I look forward to the possibilities it will enable as a pipeline for emerging artists, and for the orchestral community at large.”
Angela Elster, president and CEO of VSO and VSO School of Music, says that the initiative aligns with VSO’s commitment to quality musical education.
“We firmly believe that music is vital and essential to a well-rounded education,” Elster says in the release. “The VSO is committed to connecting community to the joy of symphonic music by engaging all ages with interactive, educational programming through ‘Connects’, ‘Symphonic Encounters’ and ‘School concerts’. That commitment deepened when the VSO launched the VSO School of Music which now serves almost 2,500 students thereby supporting the next generations of aspiring musicians as well as music lovers. This PRISMA partnership is a natural next step in fostering artistic excellence.”
Although this is the first official collaboration between PRISMA and the VSO and VSO SoM, the organizations have collaborated in various ways over the years.
Since 2013, VSO musicians have mentored PRISMA students alongside other international guest artists, while recent PRISMA alumni include VSO assistant conductor David Bui and violist Jacob van der Sloot.
There’s a related fun fact, too: Arnold and Otto Tausk, VSO music director and VSO SoM artistic advisor, grew up in the same village in the Netherlands.
“The amazing VSO musicians are always eager to mentor, teach and advise students,” Tausk says in the release. “They have an incredible amount of knowledge and experience to share. We look forward to hosting PRISMA students at the VSO School of Music’s acoustically brilliant Pyatt Hall, and with us on stage at the Orpheum.”
After their inaugural rehearsal as the PRISMA Festival Orchestra at the Orpheum on June 13, students will spend the afternoon observing a VSO rehearsal. Ten students will be invited into the VSO as guest musicians for the day, providing a coveted hands-on learning experience that will culminate in a performance that evening as part of The Path Forward.
The Path Forward is a concert curated by the VSO Indigenous Council, with performances by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with Indigenous artists from Coast Salish and other First Nations territories. Combining new orchestrations of traditional Indigenous music and contemporary Indigenous musicians and dancers, the concert aligns with and honours National Indigenous People’s Day, while acknowledging the role that organizations like the VSO must play in Truth and Reconciliation.
“This new legacy will further our students’ career aspirations and a growing international awareness of Reconciliation, as well as the artistic partnering of the qathet Regional District and the City of Vancouver,” says Mike Robinson, President of PRISMA’s Board of Directors. “The combination of astounding Salish Sea beauty and urban sophistication demonstrates that rural/ urban partnerships can be both culturally au courant and visionary.”
For more information, visit prismafestival.com.
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