August Newsletter

August Newsletter

August 19, 2022 | - Newsletters

Hello Festival Family!

Welcome to the August edition of our monthly newsletter! In this issue, you will find a message from Board President Cathy Ballantyne, some exciting news about our Lobby Fundraiser, a note from our gift shop, and a video interview with Bruce Liu and Janina Fialkowska!

From the President

A year ago, after two years away and with a rampant COVID variant on the loose, the Festival of the Sound Board of Directors discussed the many risks of hosting a live 2022 summer Festival. Would our patrons return? Would our musicians stay healthy? Did we still have enough volunteers ready to re-engage? So, we proceeded with caution, taking an extra-careful approach to health protocols and budgeting for lower ticket revenues. A leap of faith? Absolutely, but we had confidence in all our production partners: performers, staff, Artistic Director, volunteers, Stockey Centre staff and other community partners, advertisers, sponsors, and in you, our incredible audience.

Today the success of Festival of the Sound’s 2022 season leaves no doubt that our faith in our community was well placed.

Most importantly, the musical delights were many and diverse, and our audiences’ positive response is a true measure of success.

Here are just a few of the additional factors that members of the Board are celebrating these days:

  • 34 concerts were presented over 15 days in five different Parry Sound venues: only one concert was cancelled due to COVID
  • Our Floating Festival set sail on the Island Queen for five evening cruises during July
  • We hosted audience favourites and introduced exciting new performers
  • Volunteers served 172 meals to musicians backstage
  • Volunteers appeared daily to fill any gaps: covering the bar, welcoming patrons, staffing the gift shop, and more
  • Our youth pricing initiative gained traction and we introduced youngsters to classical music and instruments at free concerts presented alongside the library
  • We featured two of the Festival’s visual artists: Sara Tyson, creator of the 2022 poster art, and Mark Rash, the Festival’s photographer
  • We ran out of piano keys on our fundraising graphic when your generosity took our Lobby Fundraiser over the top on the very last day
  • By providing grants, Provincial and Federal Government agencies have recognised publicly that our vision is important. This allowed us to provide a safe attendance experience by compensating for decreased ticket revenues, allowing patrons to socially distance within the concert hall 

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am thrilled so many of you were able to join us at the Stockey Centre to share the joy of classical music performance once again. Thank you for your role in this Festival’s success. I leave you with assurance that the Board and staff are already consulting with Artistic Director James Campbell with all eyes focused on Festival 2023.

P.S. I’ve heard rumours of virtual concert viewing opportunities which may pop up throughout the year. Stay tuned!

First Annual Festival of the Sound Lobby Fundraiser

We did it! Thanks to your generosity and support, we surpassed our fundraising goal of $52,000. We are so grateful for your continued contributions that allow us to bring you the musical experiences we know and love and to serve our community by presenting opportunities that are not often found in rural areas. We can’t wait to share how your gift will positively impact the work we do!

Gift Shop Update

With the Festival season complete, we have closed down our online gift shop. Should you wish to purchase any merchandise, please come to the Festival Office at 1 Avenue Road in Parry Sound to do so. If you are unable to make your way to the office but would still like to purchase something, please let us know what that item is and we will reserve it for you to be picked up when possible. 

An Interview with Bruce Liu and Janina Fialkowska

For this month’s musician interview, Education & Outreach Coordinator Chloe Weston had the honour of speaking with Bruce Liu, the winner of the XVIII International Chopin Piano Competition, and the ever-lovely Janina Fialkowska. Watch their conversation below.