2007

Home

Concert Series
2007-2008


Archives:
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002

History

Focus on Youth

The Concert Grand Piano

Subscription

Contact Us

The Sanderson Centre-
how to get there

Young Artists’ Recital


Friday, February 15, 2008

Brieonna Locche - Musical Theatre


At the age of fourteen, Brieonna found her true passion in music with the dream of performing theatrically. With vocal guidance from Irena and José Hernàndez and the opportunity to perform at The Brantford Kiwanis Music Festival, Brieonna was rewarded with confidence and a clearer view of her dream. In 2005, at the St. John’s College graduation, Brieonna was honoured with the award for The Student who shows the most Promise in Music and the Arts. In the same year, she was also delighted to win The Brantford Idol singing competition. Brieonna was the recipient of The Wolves In Song Trophy for vocal excellence in both the 2006 and 2007 Brantford Kiwanis Music Festivals and was selected to represent Brantford at The Provincial Level Kiwanis Music Festival. Brieonna’s theatre credits include Little Shop of Horrors (St. John’s College), Fame (St. John’s College), The Gilbert and Sullivan Review (Paris Cobblestone Festival), My Fair Lady (Ancaster Theatre) and The Sounds of The 70’s (Ancaster Theatre).
Brieonna is currently enrolled in the Musical Theatre program at St. Lawrence College in Brockville, Ontario and can’t wait to see what the future has to offer.

Lydia Lane-Smith, Lindsay Hamilton : piano - four hands

Lydia Lane-Smith began her piano studies at the age of 5 and RCM studies with Sylvia Skomorowski at age 12. She is currently studying with Naomi Morrison and will pursue her A.R.C.T. in piano performance this June.
Lydia has participated in the Brantford Kiwanis Music Festival for the past five years, winning many awards. She represented Brantford at the provincials, in 2005, for grade 10 piano. In November 2007 she participated in the Canadian Contemporary Showcase at the Mississauga Centre and was awarded the Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects Scholarship. Lydia and her duet partner Lindsay Hamilton have been playing together for the past two years.
In addition to her own studies, Lydia has also taught piano and piano theory in her home studio for the past four years. Lydia and some of her piano friends have organized an annual recital in support of the MS Society in Brantford.
Formerly a home-schooled student, Lydia entered PDHS in grade 12 and graduated in June 2007. She plans to pursue post-secondary education in engineering in the coming fall. To help balance her busy academic life, Lydia regularly attends karate and will attempt her black belt designation in the summer. She also has been known to watch action movies to relax between piano practice sessions.

Lindsay Hamilton is finishing her grade twelve year at North Park Collegiate, after being home schooled for all other grades. She began piano lessons at the age of eight, and is presently completing her Performers ARCT. She has studied with Sylvia Skomorowski and is currently taking lessons from Naomi Morrison.
In 2005 and 2007 Lindsay won awards from the Brantford Kiwanis Music Festival, and the Norfolk Musical Arts Festival in 2007. She was recommended by the mayor of Brantford in 2007 and played at the Festival of the Stars in Brantford with her duet partner, Lydia Lane-Smith. Lindsay has had the opportunity to attend master classes with Dr. E.G. Butler and Joel Hastings. For the past two years she has played at a Multiple Sclerosis Benefit Concert along with a few of her other contemporaries. Lindsay also plays occasionally at her church, St. Basils, as part of a youth choir and has played at several weddings.
In her spare time Lindsay enjoys gardening, reading, and skiing. She presently maintains a private studio with nine students. In March, Lindsay will be auditioning for the music programs of various universities in her pursuit of a career in music.

Laila Haight - violin



Laila began playing the violin at the age of four with the Suzuki String School of Kitchener. She has played with the Kitchener-Waterloo Youth Symphonies, Little String Orchestra, Brantford Youth Symphony and most recently the Young Artist Senior Academy Orchestra of Toronto.
Laila is in her second year as a scholarship student with the Glen Gould School’s Young Artists Performance Academy of Toronto where she is studying privately with Mark Skazinetsky, associate concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Her previous teachers have included Lance Ouellette and Atis Bankas . Her piano teacher for the past several years has been Naomi Morrison who has been a great inspiration.
Last April Laila was honoured to receive the Dr. Grant Honeyman Memorial Trophy and scholarship. She has competed at the Ontario Music Festival Provincial Competition for the last several years and in July, 2007 was awarded Honourable Mention for Grade 10 violin as well as Grade 8 piano. She is currently working on her ARCT requirements for violin and Grade 9 requirements for piano.
For the past 4 years Laila has been teaching both violin and piano and is an active member of the Forward Baptist Church worship team. She is currently 15 years old, and achieving Honours in her Gr. 11 courses which she is studying from home through the Virtual Learning Centre. When not practising, she enjoys the companionship of her many animals and competing at Karate.
Laila’s future plans include studying music at a university level and she would like to thank everyone who has helped with her musical advancements. Laila extends a special thanks to Lance Oullette for his coaching and also to Justyna Szajna for accompanying her.

Natalie and Samantha Colaiacovo : piano - four hands


Sisters Natalie and Samantha Colaiacovo have studied with Naomi Morrison for their whole piano careers.
After completing her Grade 10 piano earlier this year, Natalie began working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree at Queen’s University in Kingston. In addition to music, she loves to read and plans to major in English. In her spare time, Natalie is always up for a good movie starring your friendly neighbourhood Spiderman.
Samantha’s piano lessons inspired her to get involved in the music program at St. John’s College, where she is in Grade 11. She has played piano in the St. John’s stage band and accompanied the vocal ensemble. She now plays the alto saxophone in the concert band. Samantha hopes to complete her Performer’s ARCT in 2009 and plans to pursue music as a career. Her musical tastes range from Kabalevsky to Kanye. When not practising the piano, Samantha can be found reading a good book, or watching her favourite TV shows.
Natalie and Samantha played their first duet, Ludwig’s Donkey Jig, 10 years ago at the Brantford Kiwanis Music Festival. Since then, each has gone through numerous duet partners, neither finding one that suited them quite like their sister.
They would like to thank the Brantford Music Club for the amazing opportunity to be playing on the Sanderson Centre stage. The Young Artists’ Concert is not only a wonderful challenge, but the perfect way to close a chapter of Natalie’s life and, hopefully, to open doors to many more similar opportunities in Samantha’s future.