For our eighth concert experience of the season, Voilà Viola, we will shine a light on the sometimes-forgotten yet always exquisitely beautiful member of the string family: the viola. This performance will be available to view online starting Friday, April 23, remaining available to watch on-demand until Saturday, May 22.

Both intimate and beguiling, the viola is tragically under-utilized as a solo instrument. Joining the KSO to showcase the magnificence of this delightful instrument is highly sought-after Canadian soloist, Marina Thibeault. Named Radio-Canada’s classical “Revelation" for 2016-17, Marina has delighted audiences across Canada, the United States, and Europe with her elegant, spellbinding performances and engaging presence. Marina holds numerous honours and distinctions, including prizes from the Père-Lindsay Foundation, first prize in the string category of Prix d’Europe, the Radio-Canada “Young Artist” prize, and a special prize at the Beethoven Hradec International Viola Competition. She has studied at the Curtis Institute of Music, the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana, and McGill University. She is currently completing her doctoral degree with Women in Music as a primary topic, and Sports Psychology Applied to elite musicians as a secondary topic. Marina’s first album Toquade was released in 2017 and was nominated by the ADISQ (Québec Association for the Recording, Concert and Video Industries) and Prix Opus for Album of the Year. Her 2020 JUNO Award-nominated album ELLES honours groundbreaking women composers from Clara Schumann to the present day. A certified Sivananda yoga instructor, she integrates mindfulness techniques into her teaching and playing.

Marina will be joining the orchestra to perform the ethereal and folkloric Viola Concerto by Latvian composer Peteris Vasks. Rounding out the program for this adventurous concert experience is Concerto for Strings by Nino Rota, best known for his award-winning soundtrack to The Godfather, and Norweigan composer Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite, a collection of delightfully fresh baroque-style dances with a Romantic twist.

Tickets for Voilà Viola are $15 for an Individual and $25 for a Household Pass, with a special $5 CVOID price also available. All tickets can be purchased from Kamloops Live! Box Office at 250-374-5483 or www.kamloopslive.ca.

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