Bermuda Philharmonic Returning To The Stage
[Written by Laure Marshall and Cheresa Lemaire]
The Bermuda Philharmonic Society [BPS] is excited to announce its return to the stage for its upcoming spring concert, Strings Serenade. The strings-only concert will be held on Sunday, May 15 from 4 to 6pm at St John’s Church in Hamilton.
The philharmonic is currently looking for professional and amateur musicians to participate in the upcoming concert. If you are interested in joining, contact the BPS team at philharmonicBDA@gmail.com.
While the philharmonic could not take to the stage during the pandemic, the BPS team used the off-stage time to reorganize, rebrand and modernize its communication tools. The community can now follow the Bermuda Philharmonic Society on Facebook and Instagram.
The organization also launched a new website to allow the community to keep track of upcoming events, purchase event tickets and make donations online.
The website also outlines the philharmonic’s new membership model, designed to compensate professional musicians who choose to participate in concerts. Ticket sales from concerts then fund the scholarship and bursaries awarded to local students and the organization of further concerts.
Crucially, the philharmonic also continued to hold scholarship and bursary auditions during the pandemic to allow local students to further their music education. In 2020 and 2021, the Philharmonic Bursary Fund awarded $20,000 in scholarships and bursaries to 26 dedicated young musicians. 2020 scholarship recipient Daina Babeckas – pianist, saxophonist and vocalist – began teaching herself to play the organ during the pandemic.
Daina feels that Bermuda is uniquely able to offer young people access to a variety of new experiences whereas elsewhere in the world students face fierce competition and limited opportunities. Sari Smith and Salayah Stange were both awarded the 2021 scholarship for their remarkable talent and contribution to Bermudian music culture. Sari, violinist, performs for the elderly at nursing homes and Salayah, vocalist and songwriter, supports drama productions at her school. Both young ladies plan to pursue a Minor in Music in their post-secondary education.
Tickets for the May 15 Strings Serenade concert are $50 for adults and $35 for students 5 to 18 years old and can be purchased on the website by following this link. Children under five can attend for free.
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