Musician’s 80th birthday gives local music group a big event to celebrate
Chamber Music Kelowna has had to postpone the rest of its 40th season, but the music organization still has something to celebrate.
One of its most frequent and favourite performers, pianist Arnold Draper, is turning 80 on Saturday.
“Originally from the United Kingdom, Draper was working as a professor of music and professional accompanist at the University of Cardiff in Wales before emigrating to the Okanagan in 1989,” wrote Denise Griswold, chairperson of Chamber Music Kelowna.
“It was music as well as a love interest, whom he would later marry, that brought him to Kelowna.
“His first performance for Chamber Music Kelowna, then known as the ‘Concert Series,’ came in 1990 and he has since become the most frequent performer in the CMK series with 10 main concerts and numerous fundraisers to his credit.
“According to Eileen Powell, a founding member of CMK, Arnold Draper was ‘the catalyst that elevated the quality of the music scene in the valley to a new level.’”
“His impressive body of work also includes composing original pieces, recording the works of some of his favourite composers, and performing with Ballet Kelowna, Opera Kelowna, Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, and the opera ensemble, Candesca,” Griswold wrote.
“Draper continues to prepare new chamber music for a local string quartet group with which he plays regularly.”
He also works numerous other groups and performers, especially the up and comers. He is said to enjoy collaborating with the renowned Borealis String Quartet from Vancouver. He and various members of the group have for the past 15 years conducted training workshops for amateur chamber music players on Gabriola Island.
Chamber Music Kelowna will establish an award in his honour that will assist young musicians who may wish to pursue a career in music.
More information about the award will be made public after the announcement of the upcoming 2020-21 concert schedule.