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CDMF reps do well at BC fest

Awards for young musicians, performers from the Coquitlam District Music Festival

A few performers who were chosen in March to represent the Coquitlam District Music Festival (CDMF) Performing Arts Festival at the provincials returned home last month with top honours.

Markus Masaites was named the winner of the intermediate piano category while Eric Xi Xin Liang was picked as a runner-up in the national Canadian piano division.

In junior classical voice, Sophia Strang won that competition and Roshaan Saulnier earned an honourable mention for intermediate classical voice.

Madison Simmons also clinched an honourable mention for intermediate musical theatre while a mention was also awarded to Darren Sayson.

The Performing Arts BC festival was held May 26 to May 30 in Powell River.

Next year’s gathering will be from May 31 to June 4 in Fort St. John.

The Coquitlam District Music Festival was founded more than 60 years ago by Beryl MacLeod, then a Port Coquitlam music teacher.

Over the years, thousands of competitors have performed at the fest including some who have achieved international fame. Among them, Canada’s first Rockette Betty McHardy; concert pianist Jon Kumura Parker; and Kim Cattrall (Sex and the City).

Today, the regional fest is run out of the Hyde Creek community chuch in PoCo with Harold Peters at the helm.
jwarren@tricitynews.com