Latest news with #VSO
Vancouver Sun
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Seven-year-old musician to conduct VSO at special Barbie: The Movie live music event
Vancouver violinist Lauryn Press is setting down her bow and taking up the baton to conduct the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for a special event on July 16. Here's the hook: Press is just seven years old. A student at the VSO School of Music and the daughter of VSO second assistant concertmaster and school faculty instructor Jennie Press, the young musician will conduct the orchestra at the Barbie: The Movie Live In Concert event. Tickets are available at . 'It's not something that I expected to be happening, with Lauryn to be performing in front of the VSO. Although I have always hoped that, one day, she would play alongside me onstage,' said Press. 'I never imagined she would be on the podium!' Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Press describes her daughter as 'a courageous and open-hearted little girl.' 'And I am so proud of her,' she adds. Lauryn will conduct the orchestra during the performance of Billie Eilish's song What Was I Made For? The tune won the best original song Oscar at the 96th Academy Awards. Barbie: The Movie Live in Concert is a special presentation by the VSO where the film is shown on the Orpheum Theatre's large screen while the score is performed live. The family-friendly event is intended for all-ages and attendees are encouraged to don their finest pink clothing or dress up as their favourite characters from the film. We caught up with Lauryn Press in advance of her conducting gig: Q: When did you start playing violin, Lauryn? A : I took up the violin at age four. It was my mother's decision to play it. She also plays violin and piano. Q: What is it like studying at the VSO School of Music? A : I study with Ashley Plout one lesson a week. Then there is daily practice. ('Hopefully daily,' says her mother.) Q: You made you stage debut at the school's Strings Festival recently. What did you perform? A : I performed something by Schumann (the Two Grenadiers) and a waltz by Brahms. I haven't ever conducted before, and I'm a little nervous. After this, I don't have any other concerts coming up. Q: Did you see the Barbie movie before this show? A : Of course I saw it. And I really, really loved it. Q: Was the moment when What Was I Made For? plays your favourite scene in the film? A : No. My favourite part was where Barbie flipped over in her car and they were screaming 'Aahhhh!' sderdeyn@ Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances.
CTV News
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Khatsahlano, Symphony at Sunset and more events happening in Vancouver this weekend
Thousands of people took to the street on Vancouver's West Side for the 2024 Khatsahlano Street Party. (CTV News) Concerts, outdoor markets and 'Vancouver's largest free music and arts festival' are all on offer this weekend. Here are some things to do in Metro Vancouver for the first weekend of July. Khatsahlano Street Party More than 50 local performers will take to multiple stages along West 4th Avenue in Kitsilano Saturday for the annual Khatsahlano Street Party. Organized by the local business improvement association, the free festival aims to be 'bigger and more exciting than ever,' celebrating music, art, food, shopping and community from Burrard Street to MacDonald Street. The festivities run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and much more information can be found on the Khatsahlano website. VSO's Symphony at Sunset Head to Sunset Beach on Saturday night for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's annual 'Symphony at Sunset' performance. The free program features classical favourites and selections from popular film scores, all performed with the scenic backdrop of English Bay in the setting sun. The full orchestra's performance starts at 8 p.m., while a prelude performance by the VSO School of Music begins at 6:40. The concert program can be found on the VSO website. VSO Symphony at Sunset A previous year's edition of VSO's Symphony at Sunset is seen in this photo from the orchestra's website. ( Queen's Park Summer Concert Series This weekend also marks the start of Arts New West's free Queen's Park Summer Concert Series, which will feature performances on Thursdays and Sundays throughout the month of July. The schedule features 'a variety of musical styles from a wide range of artists from the Metro Vancouver region,' according to organizers. Thursday shows run from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Bandshell, and Sunday shows run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Habitat. The full lineup can be found on the Arts New West website. Indian Summer Festival Also kicking off this weekend is the Indian Summer Festival, an annual exploration of contemporary South Asian arts and cultures. The theme of this year's festival is 'Borderless Solidarities,' and events at venues around Vancouver and Surrey will aim to 'invoke an audacious and unfashionable idea – an insurgent solidarity that refuses the inertias of this troubled time,' according to organizers. The first event will be held Friday, and the festival will continue through July 13. A full schedule of events and ticket information can be found online. Big Marché in Coquitlam Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday this month, the park and ride at Guildford and Pinetree ways in Coquitlam, across from city hall, will transform into a summer craft market. The 'Big Marché' is organized by Uniquely Vancouver and will feature food trucks, artisan vendors, a farmers market, a beer garden, a library bus, yard games, craft activities and performances. Hours are 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. Summer Market at the Met Metrotown is also hosting a summer market this weekend, with vendors and entertainment outside the mall in its South Plaza, where the dolphin fountain is located. "Summer Market at the Met" runs from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. With files from MOVE 103.5's Leanne McLaren
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- The Guardian
Letter: June Walker obituary
When June Walker arrived at the school in Zomba, Malawi, where I was a 21-year-old VSO teacher in 1970-71, she brought a welcome freshness, contrasting with the reserved Marist Brothers in charge. In the late 1980s, on a trip with my wife, Christine (also ex-VSO), and our two young children, we visited June at her Lake Malawi home. Although we arrived unannounced, the 'bush telegraph' had alerted her in advance. We were generously entertained, with the children allowed to gather custard apples. When we left, she give us a copy of The Malawi Cookbook, which she had written to make the most of local foodstuffs – a gesture typical of a considerate lady.
Vancouver Sun
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Listen to classical music and opera outdoors (and for free!) this summer
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Where: Sunset Beach When: Saturday, July 5 at 8 p.m. Info: Where: Deer Lake Park, Burnaby When: Saturday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. Info: Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Where: Deer Lake Park, Burnaby When: Sunday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m. Info: Summer is here and Vancouver's two classical home teams are offering you music — free and outdoors. You can think of this as an end-of-the-season dividend, if you like. Both the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Vancouver Opera toil indoors from September to June. How wonderful it would be if Vancouver possessed an outdoor venue like Ravinia, the summer home of the Chicago Symphony, or like Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl. Wishing won't make it so, and the unpredictability of weather during our short summer renders such ideas mere pie in the sky. But we do get two mega concerts by the VSO and a sampler from VO during July, the best meteorological bet of summer months in the Pacific Northwest. The VSO kicks things off with Symphony at Sunset, which takes place at Sunset Beach, where sea, mountains and cityscape combine in a spectacular if ephemeral space for music. This year, the program is July 5 with VSO music director Otto Tausk conducting. Each summer, the orchestra tries to produce a something-for-everyone, no-intermission mix of this and that. 2025's version will start with William Rowson's arrangement of The Coast Salish Anthem. Rossini's Overture to the Barber of Seville is next up, followed by a snippet from Bizet, then an excerpt from Michael Conway Baker's music for Vancouver, Through the Lions Gate. Sibelius's Finlandia follows, and then comes a real treat, the first movement of Dvořák's cello concerto with the VSO's wonderful Henry Shapard as soloist. The evening ends with selections from the Harry Potter and Star Wars franchises by Hollywood legend John Williams, then the electrifying final moments of Stravinsky's Firebird — music the composer himself conducted here many, many decades ago. The orchestra will reappear on July 12 in Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, on the grand, gently sloping lawn in front of the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Conductor Andrew Crust's program is similar but not identical to the Sunset Beach affair, starting once again with Rowson and Rossini. There's selections from Bizet's Carmen, then former Burnaby resident Jared Miller's Buzzer Beater. Miller's got a strong repertoire of more serious works, but his little orchestral sparkler has become that real rarity: a contemporary work everyone loves to hear. Selections from John Williams's, this time from Star Wars and Jurassic Park, end the first half of the program. The second half begins with more music from French opera, the (in)famous Bachanale from Saint-Saens' Samson and Delilah, then music by Joe Hisaishi and more John Williams. A day later at the same site, Vancouver Opera offers its fourth Opera in the Park extravaganza. Here, the practice is just a bit different: Where the VSO offers audiences samples of a whole range of music — soundtracks, pops numbers and, of course, standard classical rep — VO has opted for a sampler of its season to come. With three extraordinarily popular operas slated for production next season, Deer Lake 2025 is devoted to Verdi, Mozart and Puccini. Though the final playlist isn't set at the time of this writing, music director Jacques Lacombe, singers and the Vancouver Opera Orchestra plan to showcase music from Rigoletto, Così fan tutte, and La Bohème. There is, of course, no reserved seating at either outdoor venue, so come early with blankets and cushions and your own selection of food and drink. Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arrested Volusia County deputy resigns from department
An off-duty Volusia Sheriff's Office deputy who was arrested overnight for riding a motorcycle with a fictitious tag has resigned in lieu of termination from employment, according to VSO. Former deputy Erica Muzzy was stopped on I-4 West near Deltona around 11:07 p.m. on May 31, 2025, riding a motorcycle with a tag that was flipped up and not visible. Earlier in the evening Muzzy was involved in an incident in Deltona. Around 8:51 p.m., a deputy spotted a motorcycle rider at Wawa on 3400 Howland Blvd. who had fled from an attempted traffic stop. While being detained, that rider called out to Muzzy, who was with his group of riders, and who became argumentative with the deputy conducting the investigation. After his arrest, Muzzy left the Wawa riding her motorcycle with a fictitious tag. Muzzy was arrested and charged with possession of a counterfit license plate and was transported to the Volusia County jail. Muzzy had been a deputy since 2021. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
