The first adjudicator has been named for the 47th Sunshine Coast Festival of the Performing Arts, which takes place from April 14 to May 1 with the Highlights Concert on Mother’s Day, May 10.
Piano adjudicator Janice Fehlauer will be at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre from April 20 to 22.
Fehlauer began her musical training in her home town in B.C., where she attended the Chilliwack Academy of Music and received the associate diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in both piano and violin. She holds degrees in music from UBC and the University of North Texas, and a doctorate from the University of Houston.
Fehlauer was the gold medalist of the Wideman International Piano Competition and the winner of the University of North Texas Concerto Competition. She won second prize in the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition and the Hodges Competition for 20th century music. She has appeared as a concerto soloist with orchestras across the U.S. and Canada. She has also performed solo recitals for the Philips Gallery in Washington, D.C. and the Myra Hess Memorial Concerts Series at the Chicago Cultural Center, broadcast live on WFMT. She recently completed a solo recital tour of the U.K., including a performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
In addition to her solo performances, Fehlauer is a sought-after collaborative pianist who was on the staff of the American Institute of Musical Studies in Austria for two summers. She served as assistant chorus master at The Dallas Opera; a highlight of her time there included preparing the soloists and chorus for the premiere of Jake Heggie’s acclaimed opera, Moby Dick.
Promoting performing arts excellence on the Sunshine Coast is the festival’s mandate and organizers are proud to be associated with the longest running festival on the Sunshine Coast. During this festival, awards, certificates and scholarships are given to encourage and assist performers in the pursuit of excellence in the performing arts. Awards are based solely on adjudicators’ decisions.
For more information on the festival, to become a member or to volunteer, see www.coastfestival.com
– Submitted by Lynn Grossutti
