The RMOW has announced the remaining summer concerts for its free Whistler Presents program at Whistler Olympic Plaza
A performance two years in the making The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra will perform two free concerts at Whistler Olympic Plaza on July 20 and 21. Each night will have a different repertoire performed. On the Friday they will perform the Classic Summer Celebration with excerpts from music by Dvor?‡k, Bizet's Carmen and Strauss Sr. The show will last about 70 minutes.
On Saturday the VSO will perform Beethoven and Tchaikovsky in the Mountains with a little Brahms thrown in for good measure. This show will last about 80 minutes.
Both performances are full orchestra with conductor John Morris Russell and violinist Karen Gomyo. Some preferred seating is available. Go to www.whistler.com to find out more details for these concerts.
The following Friday, July 27, will feature The Mocking Bird and Wil - who was commissioned by the Calgary Stampede to compose a song for its100th Anniversary commercial campaign. Wil has toured with Colin James, Matthew Good, Joel Plaskett Emergency and Xavier Rudd among others and has earned four nominations at the 2005 WCMA's including Producer and Entertainer of the Year.
The following night, July 28, will feature famed Canadian singer songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk. Kreviazuk, a classically trained pianist, first burst on the international music stage in 1998, thanks to her soulful cover of the John Denver ballad "Leaving on a Jet Plane," for the Michael Bay film Armageddon.
On Aug. 3, Canadian country music performer and songwriter Jason McCoy will headline Whistler Olympic Plaza. He has won many awards including the 2001 Male Vocalist of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards, three Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers of Canada's, Song of the Year awards, 19 CCMA nominations and five Juno nominations (all for Best Country Male Vocalist). In 2006, he was awarded with the Global Artist Award at the CMA Awards in Nashville. McCoy is also one of the three members of the group The Road Hammers, which has released two studio albums, in addition to charting four singles in Canada and one in the United States.
On Aug. 4 Spirit of the West will return to Whistler to perform. Group members Geoffrey Kelly, John Mann, High McMillan, Vince Ditrich and Tobin Frank are favourites here and always get the Plaza rocking. In 2010 they were awarded the Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers of Canada's, National Achievement Award.
The Great Lake Swimmers take to the stage on Aug. 5. A word-of-mouth favourite in Canada their timeless melodies tell undiscovered stories, maintaining an acute respect for the folk tradition, while at the same time transforming it for new listeners everywhere. They have been both Polaris Music Prize shortlisted and Juno nominated.
The Vince Vaccaro Band and the Juno award winning Rodeo Kings will play Aug. 31, followed by The Boom Booms and Kytami on Sept. 1.
The Boom Booms are a Vancouver based six-piece rock-pop band with strong Latin and reggae influences. They placed second in the 2011 Peak Performance Project.
Emmanual Jal will play the final concert of the summer on Sept. 2. Born a child soldier in the war-torn region of Southern Sudan he struggled to survive and has emerged as a world-famous recording artist with a hit record under his belt. Called an artist "with the potential of a young Bob Marley" he has performed at Live 8 and Nelson Mandela's 90th b-day concert.
All the shows are free except for the VIP seating area of the VSO performance and all will begin at 8:30 p.m.
Two children's concerts are slated for the July 13 weekend with The Monkey Bunch at Village Square and Locarno playing the following day.
Wide Mouth Mason will play Whistler Olympic Plaza this Friday, followed by Pacifika and Jill Barber on Saturday.
