He is only 15 years old, but his talents have wowed audiences and judges in musical competitions, enough to win the Chrysler Concerto Competition held in April, 2013.
Keaton Ollech performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Opus 15 winning first prize in the yearly competition which showcases and celebrates the talents of young musical students.
Ollech is a Victoria native who started lessons with May Ling Kwok at age eight. He has already won gold and silver medals from the Royal Conservatory, as well as securing first place in solo piano in the B.C. music festival provincials.
Ollech will be performing Opus 15 with the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Norman Nelson on October 26 and 27.
Beethoven’s Opus 15 was written between 1796 and 1797 and was his first published piano concerto. He dedicated it to his pupil Countess Anna Louise Barbara (Babette) Keglevic and Beethoven himself played the piano in the first performance in Prague in 1798. This C major concerto reflects Beethoven’s assimilation of the styles of Mozart and Haydn, while its abrupt harmonic shifts demonstrate Beethoven’s musical personality.
The Sooke Phil program, which has a youth theme, also presents Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Symphonic Suite based on Les Miserables, and includes the well-known musical hits At the End of the Day, I Dreamed A Dream, Master of the House, On My Own, and Do You Hear The People Sing. The orchestra will be joined by music students from School Districts 61 and 62 for this piece.
The Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra under maestro Norman Nelson play Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8, Op.93.
The final piece on the program is Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony, a strong, enjoyable work well known to most of us, performed with Maestro Norman Nelson’s own particular touch.
“The 8th is one of Beethoven’s more joyous and, for him, lighthearted symphonies which is an enormous pleasure to play. The last movement is a challenge to see just who can finish first,” said Nelson.
A portion of every ticket sold will go towards music programs in SD 61 and SD 62.
The Don Chrysler Concerto Compeition is part of the Sooke Philharmonic Society’s commitment to support and encourage youth in their musical development.
The performances take place in Sooke on Saturday, October 26 at the Edward Milne Community Theatre at 6218 Sooke Road at 7:30 p.m. and in Victoria at Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Street on Sunday, October 27 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are available in Sooke at Shoppers Drug Mart, Wood Travel & Cruise, the South Shore Gallery and Little Vienna Bakery. Tickets can also be ordered online at: www.sookephil.ca and full season, four concert series tickets can be purchased as well.
For more information on the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra and the upcoming concerts go to www.sookephil.ca or call 250-415-0999. Follow the Sooke Philharmonic on Facebook.