McKenna Family Five - "Music Art & Nature "- Free Lunchtime Concert

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Saturday, June 11th, 2016
12:00 PM to 12:50 PM

The McKenna Family String Quintet performs a light-hearted free noon hour “mini concert” at the Robert Bateman Centre.

The award- winning quintet of talented young musicians travels from Alberta to participate in the Lafayette String Quartet’s prestigious Quartet Fest West chamber music workshop. This is a great opportunity to hear beautiful music in the galleries located in the historic Steamship Terminal building on Victoria’s inner harbour.

The Victoria Summer Music Festival has partnered with the Robert Bateman Centre and Quartet Fest West to present this free outreach program for the public. The VSMF- Bateman outreach partnership has plans for a second free public outreach program in July. The Robert Bateman Centre has generously offered free entry for this event from 11:50 am until 12:30.Space is limited. See the Gallery and Give yourself a musical break !The McKenna Family Five, from Calgary, Alberta, is a group of musical brothers and sisters who inspire children and adults alike with their love of music. Their mother is Finnish, and their father is Irish, so they call themselves 'Firish'.

They are each students at the Mount Royal University Conservatory, either in the Academy for Gifted Youth, or in the Advanced Performance Program.

This family ensemble has been performing together for the last seven years, and is comprised of twenty-two-year-old violinist/violist, Minja, who also serves as the group's artistic director, nineteen-year-old violist, Matthew, eighteen-year-old cellist, Michael, sixteen-year-old violinist/violist, Markus, and fourteen-year-old violinist/cellist, Marja. Each sibling also sings and plays piano. They often perform in and around their home city, Calgary, but have also had the privilege to share their talents in neighbouring provinces. This past year, they've had many opportunities. At Mount Royal University's Conservatory, they were coached as a chamber group by Nicholas Pulos.

They also worked with other artists, including Ian Swensen, Peter Jancewicz, Joan Barrett, Diana Cohen, and the Ziemlinsky Quartet from Prague. The group performs at various corporate and private events, as well as retirement homes, school assemblies, fundraisers, home concerts, and various community events. Along with classical music, they enjoy performing jazz, celtic, pop, and fiddle tunes, recitations, and the odd comedy sketch. Currently they are here in Victoria for Quartet Fest West, under the tutelage of the esteemed Lafayette String Quartet.