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the Medicine Hat College Choir, just to name a few.
Rotary Music Festival
The Festival has junior and senior competition classes
in speech, piano, vocal, choral, musical theatre, brass-
woodwinds, guitar, strings and more. Carrier, who’s
Zoe Szuch
been the executive director of the festival for the last four
zszuch@medicinehatnews.com
years, said vocal and junior piano are two classes which
have expanded rapidly in the last few years.
Each year, the Medicine Hat Rotary Music Festival attracts
Adults of any age can participate in the city’s Rotary
more than 1,300 musicians, hundreds of volunteers and
Festival, although any performer older than 28 years of
13 high calibre adjudicators for two weeks in March.
age can not advance on to the provincial competition.
The musical extravaganza is, according to Executive
“So this is music appreciation for any age group,” Carrier
Director Anne Carrier, about promoting talent in the city
said.
of Medicine Hat and in its surrounding areas.
Local piano teacher Lindy Steiner gives her students the
“It’s known throughout the province as one of the best
choice to compete in the Medicine Hat Rotary Music
organized festivals,” Carrier said.
Festival and she says most are more than eager to step
up to the stage.
Each year she receives countless requests from
NEWS PHOTO IAN SORENSEN
adjudicators across North America who want to take part
Steiner usually has about a dozen junior level piano
Katie Evasechko competes in the lyric poetry solo portion
in the Medicine Hat festival.
students compete in the festival each year. of the 2009 Rotary Music Festival. For two weeks each
“Adjudicators are very glad to come here because we offer
She said most participants take performing at the festival
year, the festival attracts more than 1,300 musicians,
hundreds of volunteers and 13 high calibre adjudicators
them great talent and great opportunities for them to
very seriously because they know they are going to be
and is geared towards promoting talent in the city and its
share their expertise with the students.”
judged on it.
surrounding areas.
Carrier said she often hears adjudicators say how amazed
“As a teacher I find that it gives them that extra reason to
they are at the sheer talent of the Medicine Hat Rotary
work a little harder to polish their pieces to a performance
provincial level. If the musicians place well at provincials
Music Festival participants and at the support and
standard,” Steiner said.
they move on to compete at the national level and Carrier
says the Gas City is becoming known throughout the
commitment of teachers and parents.
“They want to do well and be as well prepared as they
country because we’ve produced some national winners
The city-wide festival first started in 1935 but went on
can.”
in the last few years.
hiatus shortly thereafter due to the Second World War.
Carrier said the festival is growing in size and in number
“The Rotary Music Festival is a big part of the tradition
In 1956, the festival returned under the direction of the
of participants each year and its budget is reflective of that.
in Medicine Hat.”
Medicine Hat Rotary Club and has continued on strong
The annual festival budget has surpassed $90,000 in 2009
ever since.
and this includes $13,000 worth of scholarships, trophies
The Medicine Hat Rotary Festival is affiliated with the
The Medicine Hat Rotary Music Festival has seen
and awards which are handed out at the conclusion of
Alberta Music Festival Association and the Federation of
a plethora of talented musicians work through the
the event.
Canadian Music Festivals.
competition classes including Canadian Idol Season
Every year, Medicine Hat Rotary Festival participants who
For more information on the Medicine Hat Rotary Music
2 winner Kalan Porter, the van der Sloot family, the
win their class may be recommended to compete at the
Festival visit:
www.rotarymusicfestival.com
Schaufele family, several Adele Armstrong’s choirs, and
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