We had yet another busy musical weekend!
The boys took part in the Concours de la Capitale which is held in Sillery each year near Quebec city.
They both had to prepare two contrasting pieces and worked very hard these past few months and especially more so in the last month with extra lessons and rehearsals with the pianist.
We started the weekend on Friday at Université Laval with Jean-François, our favourite pianist in Quebec city for a rehearsal to prepare for the competition. We had a great time! Thank you to Justin, our favourite pianist in Montreal, for preparing them so well. Jean-François mentioned how they were giving clear signals which is something Justin worked quite hard on.
On Saturday morning, daddy, grandma and Dmitry, our cello teacher, left very early (4am!) and drove to Quebec city to encourage our young cellist. Elliott played his two pieces, a Vivaldi concerto and a Beethoven Kontredanz very well. He was first to go in a group of 12 musicians, aged 7 to 12. Elliott was the youngest of the group and he was also the only cellist. Despite his young age and very little experience, he finished with a score of 89.5%, placing him 4th overall. His score fell into the silver medal range and he has been wearing his medal ever since!
On Sunday afternoon it was Ben's turn to perform. He played a Vivaldi concerto as well as a very interesting Polish dance. He started with a solid performance but half way through his first piece, his bow got caught in his strings and he lost of bit of confidence towards the end. He managed to get back on his feet and played his second piece quite well although we have seen and heard him do better in the past few weeks. He was a bit disappointed by the outcome but is in no way discouraged about his upcoming performances. I believe it will only make him stronger! Ben's category, the Classe Défi, is reserved for the more advanced musicians. The 9 participants, aged 9 to 13, played a beautiful repertoire that gave us ideas for the upcoming years! Ben was the youngest but still showed to everyone that he is a strong player and will only get better with the years. He got a final score of 87% placing him 6th overall. His score also put him in the silver medal range. Let's hope this year he won't lose his medal!
Thank you to everyone involved in our little musicians' lives, Jean, Dmitry, Justin, Meiying and Jean-François and to everyone who came to encourage our little string players. It really meant a lot to see you all there.
Next weekend we will be at Victoria Hall for the end of the year concert of the String Ensemble. Yes, I will be performing as well so I better get to my bow and my cello!