Thanks to new partnerships with local arts organizations, Kelowna resid ents and visitors will enjoy two very special free concert events this month featuring world class JUNO nominees and Order of Canada recipients as part of the ongoing Sesquicentennial celebrations in our community.
Wednesday, August 16 will feature the Order of Canada 150 Jazz Concert with Jens Lindemann and Tommy Banks, presented in partnership with Chamber Music Kelowna, while Wednesday, August 23 will feature world renowned “Canadian Brass” presented in partnership with the Kelowna Community Concerts Association as part of the annual Parks Alive! program.
“When we were approached last year by these groups with the idea to partner on concerts featuring world class performing artists as their gift to the community, we were delighted, absolutely delighted,” says Renata Mills, Executive Director, Festivals Kelowna. “One of our key goals with Parks Alive! is to expose our audiences to artists they might not otherwise have the privilege to see, often due to financial limitations. Through the tremendous generosity of Chamber Music Kelowna, and the Kelowna Community Concerts Association, that barrier has been removed and everyone can enjoy these stellar musicians.”
The “Order of Canada 150 Jazz Concert” features Order of Canada recipients and Juno nominees Jens Lindemann on trumpet and Tommy Banks on the piano. The program from the Legacy (Live) recording will encompass a wide range of standards and styles including Duke Ellington, Astor Piazzolla, and the jazz concerto ‘Dreaming of the Masters’. The “Canadian Brass” concert will show the full range of the troupe from their trademark Baroque and Dixieland tunes to new compositions and arrangements created especially for them – from formal classical presentation to music served up with lively dialogue and theatrical effects.
Showcasing Kelowna’s incredible local music scene, “The Craig Thomson Quartet with Kinga Heming” will open the August 16 show, while “The Neville Bowman Trio” will open the August 23 concert. Both concerts are free to attend, and will be held at the Island Stage in Waterfront Park from 6:00 – 9:00 pm as part of the annual Parks Alive! program.
Parks Alive! is a production of Festivals Kelowna and supported by the City of Kelowna, champions of accessible, community-focused arts and culture in our city.
