This April, the Shuswap Music Festival celebrates 25 years of bringing thousands of talented amateur musicians to local stages through the annual event.
The goal of the festival is to encourage, support, challenge and celebrate young musicians by providing the opportunity to learn and perform.
"Over the years, thousands of talented musicians have taken to the stage at the festival, including choirs, school bands, solo vocalists pianists and string players," board director Susan Wolff said in a media release. "The festival encourages young musicians to learn and be inspired to excel."
She added that it's also a competition with adjudicators, and six different awards and scholarships available to support further studies.
The 2025 Anniversary Festival opens with strings on Monday, April 7, and will have a special evening starting at 6 p.m. featuring the Cantabile String Ensemble, followed by violin performances at the ARCT (associate diploma) level with Autumn Sunderland, winner of several previous Best of the Fest awards.
Adjudicated sessions are Strings on April 7 and 8, Vocals April 14-16, Choral on April 14 and Piano April 22-25. On April 14 at 6 p.m., the Shuswap Singers will take the stage, while piano ensembles, which Wolff said are always popular, will be on April 23 at 6 p.m.
The festival will close with a Gala concert on Friday, May 2 at 7 p.m.
Full programs are available online at shuswapfestival.com. All performances and the gala will be held at Nexus at First, with admission by donation for the adjudicated sessions, and $10 per person or $20 per family for the gala.
Everyone is welcome.
