The Canadian fiddle player of the year will help spread the word that the Prince George Conservatory of Music doesn't just teach classical violin, it teaches fiddle, too.
Mike Sanyshyn, Canada Country Music and British Columbia Country Music Fiddle Player of the Year and four-time B.C. Old Time Fiddle champion, will take to the stage at the Days Inn Saturday night as part of a fundraiser, The Conservatory Plays Fiddle, and offer lessons this weekend.
"It's going to be a busy weekend," said Sanyshyn, who will also be part of the Lederhosers band who is entertaining at Oktoberfest at CN Centre Friday night.
Saturday morning Sanyshyn will conduct private lessons and a masters' workshop at the Conservatory of Music, and youth band Suspended Strings will be opening the The Conservatory Plays Fiddle show.
"There will be special guests throughout the show as well, including Charlotte Lapp, a piano player, who is with the Old Time Fiddlers' Association. She's fabulous. She's been in the scene for years, so we're going to have fun with her."
The Prince George Conservatory of Music youth fiddle players, along with musical director Jose Delgado, will offer up a grand finale to end the concert.
"This is really exciting for us," said Sanyshyn. "It's going to be a great thing."
Sanyshyn started playing fiddle when he was eight years old. Both his father and grandfather are fiddlers as well, making him a proud third generation fiddler, he said.
"I grew up listening to all kinds of old time fiddlers and then my dad recognized that I had an interest so he put me in lessons," said Sanyshyn. "I had about five years of classical training and learned how to play fiddle music on the side. I started entering fiddle contests when I was about nine years old and have continued for years. I have been playing at all kinds of different competitions."
Sanyshyn has three recordings he's released and he has quite a few original songs.
He has been back up fiddle player for artists like Aaron Pritchett, who Sanyshyn has toured with, as well as One More Girl who he plays for right now. One More Girl just won the Rising Star award at the Canadian Country Music Awards. He also contributes his skill to artists' recordings as he is also a studio musician.
His musical career has taken him all over the world.
"There have been some great perks that came along with this career, you know," said Sanyshyn. "I have gotten to travel and tour all across Canada and part of the States and into Japan."
Tickets for The Conservatory Plays Fiddle Saturday at 8 p.m. are available at the Days Inn, the Prince George Conservatory of Music, 3555 Fifth Avenue and the Violin Shop, 2095 McBride Crescent. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors. There is also a raffle for an electric violin worth $450.
