SweetWater's Next Wave program showcases talented youth
By Rob Gowan · Originally published in the Owen Sound Sun Times, September 15, 2024.
SweetWater Music Festival composer-in-residence Matthias McIntire, left, works with Next Wave Showcase program participant Yusuf Tajbakhsh, 15, during a master class at the Harmony Centre in Owen Sound on Saturday, September 14, 2024. Photo by Rob Gowan The Sun Times.
A unique program of the annual SweetWater Music Festival aims to both provide experience for young artists and build the classical music community in the area.
While the festival’s Next Wave program is providing performance opportunities for young artists, program advisor Bridget Walsh said Saturday it is also about inviting and welcoming others into the fold.
“We are all about helping the students on their own journeys, but also building the community as well,” said Walsh, an alumnus of the program herself. “Building community is a big part of SweetWater and the best place they have for that is the classical jam sessions where everyone is invited to come out and play along.”
Walsh said they are fortunate enough to have talented artists and teachers participating at SweetWater, so the Next Wave is an opportunity to provide a “scaled-down” version of what other large music programs like Domain Forget do to educate and encourage young and upcoming artists.
“We provide private lessons/masterclass, and performance opportunity and chamber experience,” said Walsh. “For their concert on Sunday they each play a solo piece to show off their skills. As well, I picked out a program where they each have two collaborative pieces, so they get to work with other young artists on a short time scale.”
Walsh said the short time scale is also a key part of the experience for the youth, because in real-world professional experience you don’t always have a long time to prepare.
“You prepare your pieces and then you collaborate on the spot,” said Walsh. “We figure it out and we are prepared for the professional world because of that.”
Walsh said the Next Wave program has grown since she was a student of it, and she said the plan is to continue to make it bigger.
“Eventually one of our goals to have a local program running at the same time as more of an out-of-region program,” said Walsh. “We want to have a younger targeted audience of high school students from this area or that play at the local symphony who can stay at their own homes, but also just come out and take part.
“We just really want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to participate and get the most out of it.”
The Next Wave participants are invited to take part in as many events as they are able to during the festival, including the various concerts, jam sessions, talks and more.
SweetWater Music Festival Next Wave Showcase program advisor Bridget Walsh plays the violin along with composer-in-residence Matthias McIntire during a master class at the Harmony Centre in Owen Sound on Saturday, September 14, 2024. (Rob Gowan The Sun Times) Photo by Rob Gowan The Sun Times
“There is also a dinner with the artists for them so they have a chance to come out, communicate with them and get connections,” said Walsh, 21, a violinist who is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience. “As an alumni of the program I tried to schedule my favourite parts from when I was a student and definitely connecting with the artists who are world renowned and just fantastic was great.
“You get to pick their brain and learn so much.”
On Saturday morning, 15-year-old violinist Yusuk Tajbakhsh and Walsh were enjoying a master class with composer-in-residence and violinist Matthias McIntire. The young violinists performed for the decorated composer, performer and educator, who then gave them some pointers.
Tajbakhsh said his teacher in Toronto recommended he apply to the Next Wave program and he was feeling very fortunate to be accepted.
“I have taken in a little bit of the festival already and it was really quite nice,” said Tajbakhsh. “I am excited for the next two days.”
The teen said he was hoping to just learn from the experience and get a better feeling of what life is like for a professional musician.
“Instead of being able to prepare three months in advance, you get a much shorter time here,” Tajbakhsh, a student at the prestigious Taylor Performance Academy. “I am looking forward to it.”
Tajbakhsh has been playing violin since he was six years old and said he really loves making music.
“You have to work to get to where you want to be,” said Tajbakhsh, who upon graduation after two more years hopes to apply to a U.S. university or the Glenn Gould School to further his music. “And I feel like the work you put in always pays off. I just love doing that.”
On Saturday, McIntire, who just finished a two-year term as composer-in-residence at Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance, was very impressed with Tajbakhsh’ abilities at such a young age.
He described him as a strong and excellent performer who was very well prepared.
McIntire said he loves working with the young people, especially because at one time he was in the same place they are now.
“We all came up through these connections with the people ahead of us and we all get to learn from our mentors and people who have the experience and have the knowledge,” McIntire said. “At a certain point you get to start to pay it forward.”
McIntire, currently teaching composition at Dalhousie University, said working with such talented youth is also very inspiring.
“You realize how much you know and how much you don’t know and it is always a process of continuing to learn,” said McIntire. “Everyone is doing really cool things that are important to where they are and the time they are growing up in. It is very exciting.”
McIntire, who was participating in SweetWater for the first time but knows many of the other artists there, said it had been a great experience for him.
“It has been really fun and it is such a collegial, friendly vibe,” said McIntire. “Edwin (Huizinga, artistic director) really has a way of getting people together who are just the greatest individuals, not just the musicians, but all the support staff, the people managing and running the marketing. They are all amazing.”
The highlight of the Next Wave program was the showcase concert on Sunday at noon at the Harmony Centre. Tajbakhsh was being joined Sunday by the two other Young Wave performers, pianists Theadora Koski and Evelyn Tao.
The SweetWater festival marked its 21st season with five days of classical music performances, workshops, exhibits and talks and more at venues in Owen Sound and Meaford.
It kicked off with the SweetWater Gala chamber music concert at Grey Roots on Wednesday.
Other events – both paid-admission and free — were held at the Harmony Centre, Leith Church, Grey Gallery, Kelso Beach at Nawash Park, and Heartwood Hall.
The festival was to close out on Sunday with the SweetWater Jamboree finale at 3pm at Meaford Hall.