Finlay Peterson came back from the provincial performing arts competitions a champion. The teen opera singer headlines a recital this Thursday night alongside some of Prince George's other top voices.
Peterson, 14, captured top honours in the Junior Classical Voice category at this year's Performing Arts BC championships held in Penticton. It was the fifth time she had represented Prince George at the provincials, and this was her best results to date. For her efforts and talents, she was also selected to perform at the provincial honours concert, where those judged the best of the best culminate in a variety show.
"It is great to see the other performers, notice what they do well and what you do, what you can improve on, attend all the workshops you can, pay attention to the adjudications, and learn from everything," she said.
Her local vocal teacher Lyn Vernon said "I think I was more nervous than she was" during the provincials pressures. She called Peterson a well-grounded teenager who puts in the effort to succeed at the vocal profession.
"Finlay does her homework, as well as having the talent," Vernon said. "Self-discipline is a rare thing to see these days but Finlay has it, and the strong support of her mom Kerstin who is also a big help to me."
Peterson added the tip of her hat to her grandfather who has faithfully attended all her provincial competitions no matter where the host city has been, and took her and her mom to New York to attend some musical theatre shows as professional research.
Peterson began her self-directed journey into singing starting eight years ago with the Bel Canto Children's Choir. She played the role of Hansel in the opera Hansel and Gretel staged by Vernon this past December. She has attained her Grade 6 level of piano playing and Grade 7 vocal level. In 2012 she won the Royal Conservatory of Music's gold medal for highest mark in the province at that grade.
Peterson sang three numbers during the Penticton event: Bizet's Chanson d'Avril, Scarlatti's O Cessate Di Piargarmi, and Leoni's A Little China Figure.
She will reprise Chanson d'Avril on Thursday night when Vernon presents a night of vocal recital entitled Singers, Singers, Singers.
Catherine McCarthy will be another guest vocalist, along with a number of Vernon's students including: Wil Fundal, Barry Booth, Jim Brinkman, Neyve Egger, Gary Fettis, Justin Frey, Courtney Hayhurst, Shandra Murphy, Ronald Prochot and Tracy Summerville with accompanying musicians Blaine Powel and Eric Tompkins.
The Thursday concert is at Art Space at 7 p.m., admission by donation.
