Two local instrumentalists are putting Okotoks in the limelight.
Alberta High School of Fine Arts students Nolan Asplund and Madeleine Ryan are among the top-tier talent playing for the Calgary Youth Orchestra, an internationally-renowned group and the flagship ensemble of the Mount Royal University Conservatory.
"It's just a wonderful experience in general, having that privilege to play among so many talented musicians," said Ryan, principal double bassist. "All those hours put into that progress in the orchestra, it just makes you a better musician in general, and it's really, really fun."
Dubbed "Mount Royal University Conservatory's music ambassadors to the world" by director and conductor Edmond Agopian, the Calgary Youth Orchestra has played across Canada and the world. The orchestra performed for Queen Elizabeth II and for the Dalai Lama during their visits to Calgary in 2005 and 2009, respectively.
As members of the Calgary Youth Orchestra, the two have played with prominent names in the instrumental scene such as Agopian, violonist Chanan Ngo, winner of the Frank Simpson Concerto Competition, and former principal oboist Nick Pomares, a fellow Okotokian who departed the group after enroling at the University of Toronto.
"A lot of these musicians within the orchestra perform with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, among other ensembles, so it's just such a huge honour, and it's so much fun," said Asplund, the orchestra's second chair French horn player.
The Calgary Youth Orchestra has around 80 members from the Calgary area between the ages of 14 and 24. Asplund and Ryan, 16 and 15 respectively, are currently the only members from Okotoks.
"It's such an honour to represent not only our school, but also youth in Okotoks, representing them in such an ensemble," said Asplund.
The two young musicians have played their respective instruments for nearly four years. Both plan to stay with the orchestra for the next few years as they continue to hone their skills. Ryan hopes to continue studying double bass and reach the level of acclaim enjoyed by her father, Colin Ryan, who was principal cello player of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra for over four decades. Asplund aims to earn a PhD in French horn studies and go on to become a professor and performance-based French hornist.
"I always knew about the Calgary Youth Orchestra, but I never really thought I would be able to do it," said Asplund. "But then after hearing it, and after being immediately inspired... there's hours and hours and hours of hard work put into it, but it 100 per cent paid off."
Learn more about the Calgary Youth Orchestra here.
