In the last two Festival Fanfare columns, I introduced the speech arts adjudicator, Gaye-Lynn Kern, and the strings adjudicator, Kim de Laforest. This week, meet our piano adjudicator, Mark Turner.
Turner grew up in a musical family in small town Saskatchewan. Turner was self-taught at the piano and began his musical studies at the age of 15, driving two hours each way to Saskatoon for lessons every week. His teachers have included Janet McGonigle, Penny Joynt and friend and mentor Sheila Shinkewski.
Tuner holds an associate with the RCM in performance, and a licentiate in recital performance with great distinction, from London College. Turner has been a winner at both the Wallis and Florence Bowes piano competitions, was the recipient of the Dorothy Bee Scholarship and a recipient of the Governor General's Millennium Award.
Tuner has performed extensively across Canada and is in demand as collaborative pianist, having studied with famed baritone Allen Monk, Russian violinist Valery Gergiev and soprano Dawn Upshaw. Mark has had the privilege to work with such talented performers as dramatic soprano Sarah Vardy, tenor Michael Harris and soprano Maureen Brown. He is currently the collaborative pianist for soprano Danika Loren.
Tuner is currently the president of the Saskatoon Registered Music Teachers Association, and is the co-artistic director of Saskatoon Youth Music Theatre. He brings his passion for music and his sense of humour to his private piano studio in Saskatoon, a group of students doing everything from five finger works to ARCT studies.
As mentioned last week, we are impressed with the schools that have entered choral speech performances. EMBM, Bready and St. Vital Catholic School have all entered enough groups of students to justify bringing the speech arts adjudicator into their school. Have fun preparing and sharing your creative expressions of the written word. Then look forward to sharing your work with and celebrating performances of other students from your school.
Congratulations to all the young people who submitted art work ideas for considered use on this year's festival program. There were so many wonderful entries we have not finalized with the printer which design will work best for the cover. The cover winner will be announced in next week's column.
Look for a variety of entries to be featured within the pages of the program. Many entries will be used to decorate the festival venues. Make sure to take the time to view all the wonderful images created by Battlefords youth when you attend festival sessions.
The $7 printed program will be available at Sobeys after Feb. 24. Shortly before that date keep your eyes open around town for posters summarizing the festival schedule's dates, disciplines, times and locations.
"If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music." - Gustav Mahler
