We will be showcasing several of our students in a virtual recital which will be broadcasted live from the KSO’s YouTube channel on Sunday, June 14 at 2:00 pm. This concert is a fundraiser for the Peter Collins Memorial Fund, which provides the money for a bursary to help struggling and deserving youth be able to take music lessons and has recently seen the creation of an annual scholarship for a student who is studying music in university.
Peter Collins started singing at a very young age, and although his tastes shifted from the heavy metal that he favoured in high school to the beautiful arias and operatic pieces that he became known for as an adult, music had been in his blood since birth. He took his love of music and turned it into a new career when he returned to Kamloops and became a music teacher and voice coach in 2008. Peter loved teaching voice and guitar students and would always brag about how well each student was doing each week. Whenever Peter encountered a student who struggled make lessons happen financially, he would do whatever he could to help them out – whether that was repairing a used instrument and passing it along or adding minutes on to a lesson for free. He knew what it was like to love music so much and to struggle to learn the craft, and he wanted to help any willing student to make their dreams happen. And so, when Peter passed away, the Peter Collins Memorial Fund was born to be able to help other struggling and deserving youth be able to pursue their passion for music like he did.
This performance will highlight several of the school’s most advanced students, including some who have followed in Peter’s footsteps and gone on to post-secondary music training. The students are all recording their performances in isolation, due to the current physical distancing requirements. Tune in to the KSO’s YouTube channel at 2:00 pm on Sunday, June 14 to see the live broadcast. There is no cost to watch the recital, however we will be very gratefully accepting donations to the Peter Collins Memorial Fund.
watch the virtual recital