The Forza Quartet, an outstanding young classical ensemble that includes local violinist Simon Gidora, was recently awarded first prize in the chamber music category at Canada’s National Music Festival, held at the UBC Okanagan Campus in Kelowna.
The other musicians in the ensemble are Ester Hwang, violin, Alina Khvatova, viola, and Albert Seo, cello.
This is an important achievement for these wonderful young musicians.
The Forza Quartet is coached by the eminent Canadian violinist Andrew Dawes.
They performed at the Grand Awards Concert at the Mary Irwin Performance Hall in Kelowna together with all the first place winners of the eight disciplines. They were honoured to represent B.C. in the chamber music category. The other B.C. winner was pianist Paul Williamson.
The National Music Festival is an annual competition that brings together Canada’s finest young musicians. This year the competition featured 53 young performers, aged 14 to 28, in eight disciplines: piano, strings, voice, woodwinds, brass, guitar, chamber groups and music theatre. The Festival is part of the Canadian Federation of Music Festivals whose primary objective is the development and encouragement of Canadian talent in the performance and knowledge of classical music.
