A passion

PROFILE

for music

North Vancouver violinist t Ryan K Karchut performing at APEC gala event

IMAGINE knowing
your goal in life since
you were a toddler.

For Ryan Karchut it
was to play the violin.

Karchut was 2 4 when
he decided his career path.

Recalls his mom,
Cheryl: “We were watch-
ing Sesame Street, and
Itzhak Perlman was on.”

“He said to me: Pm
going to do that, mom-
mic.”

Mother and son are
seated in the living room
of the family’s Capilano
Highlands home. Ryan
can’t recall the moment
that defined his career
course but he does
remember performing -
Bach at age nine at the

_ Vancouver Playhouse.

- When Ryan was 3 4,
the Karchuts enrolled him
in the Suzuki Sirings pro-
gram at Capilano College.

‘Cheryl and her hus-

_ band, Bob, are not musi-
cal. ;

“We didn’t know any -

thing about the violin ..

but we found out,” she

says and laughs..

At six, Ryan began his
studies with Vivienne
Waters, who schooled him
in the Royal Conservatory
of Music program. He
completed six years of
studies in three, receiving
three consecutive silver
medals for the highest
grades in the province.

At nine, he began
studying with John Loban
at the OBC School of
Music. Loban, who has
since retired from the
school, continues to tutor
Karchut, now 17. Loban
also taught the celebrated

tayne ch ristertsen

young violinist Corey
Cerovsek, whose success as
a solo performer inspires
Karchut to follow a similar
path.

He has hundreds of
awards, scholarships and
trophies. There are
enough framed certificates

_and photographs of the

young Ryan in pertor-
mance to completely cover
the walls of his practice
room. But they don’t.
“That would be gaudy,”
says Ryan, so they're in a
box in the basement.

How is it to be the par-
ent of a gifted child?

Sometimes it’s difficult,
his mom admits. However,
“It’s certainly a great plea-
sure to have somebody (in
the family) who can pro-
duce such beautiful
music.”

And to be the gifted
one? There are sacrifices.

Skiing is out, so is ten-
nis, SO are contact sports
like hockey and football.
Bur Ryan is a young man
who doesn’t moan the
loss.

He writes poetry and
reads English literature.
“Shakespeare is my pas-
sion,” he says in a quict
voice.

To relax, he plays the
piano. (Sister Adria, 14,

also plays.) Though he
stopped taking lessons
several years ago, he has a
natural aptitude and is
currently fingering his way
through a Chopin concer-
to, says his mom.

English and French are
his strongest subjects at
school. He is in his final
year at Sentinel, a school
he attends because enroll-
ment in the Super
Achievers program affords
only half-days of classes.
That means afternoons are
free to attend lessons,
practice and perform. He
is invited 10 play dozens of
tree concerts a year. He
performs in seniors’ cen-
tres, schools, churches,
arts centres and communi-
fy functions to promote
the appreciation of classical
music.

He practices three to
four hours every day. His
violin is an 1812
Picciati, which is on
loan to him from a
teacher, who he refers
to as a “great friend.”

He plays a passage
trom Massenet’s The
Meditation, from the
French opera Thais.

The sound is big and
round.

It’s what he'll play
for Prime Minister Jean
Chretien, President Bill
Clinton and other
heads of state ava
grand event Monday at
BC Place. The event is
the highlight of APEC
°97 cultural program-
ming. The Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra,
under the baton of
Clyde Mitchel, will
accompany him.

Sure he’s “kind of

CALENDAR

From page 24

Centennial Theatre: Lean On Me. A
musical revue in conjunction with
Together Against Violence. Nov. 21
at 8 p.m. For tickets, $22 or $17 in
advance, call 988-2422. Georges

Moustaki, one of France’s most .

acclaimed “chansonnier.” Nov, 22 at
8 p.m. 984-4484. Borrowed Black.
Black light puppet show by Nova
Scotia’s Mermaid Theatre. Nov. 23
at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Mount Seymour United Church:
Northshore Youth Symphony in its first
concert of the season Nov. 24 at 7:30
pan.

Presentation House Theatre:
Solomon’s Echo, Seven local musicians
playing the original folk-rock music
of Morgan Pendictoh. Opening
band is Mark and Jorden and in the
gallery the arr work of Mark Nyberg
and Jonathon Holland. Nov. 28 at
7:30 p.m. Doors open 6:30 p.ni. $8.
Silk Purse Gallery: Music and
Maffinsconcert featuring Brian Mix,
cello and Brenda Campbell, piano,
Nov. 27 at 10:30 a.m. $8/6.

clubs

Avalon Hotel: Live jazz every
Thursday §:30-11:30 p.m. fea-
turing Mark Hasselbach.

Bagga Beans Coffee House:
Singles Night every Thursday, 6-
9 p.m. Debate opinions on
books, movies, plays or your’
own topic. 3711 Delbrook.
Jack Lonsdale’s Pub: Live
music Tuesday, Wednesday,
Saturday and Sunday. Info: 986-
7333.

Lynnwood Pub: Live music
Thursday to Sunday from 9:30
p.m. No cover.

Maplewood Pub: Live music
featuring, Silverload every
Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. Info:
924-1834.

Portside Room, Seven Seas
Restaurant: Last Family Now.
21. Wickham Porteous Nov, 2
Leslic Alexander, Nov, 23. ink
Rock the Boar hosted by Suzsaue
Wilson every Tuesday. Musician
Drop Lt hosted by Derek Nyberg
every Wednesday. Big Tail
Garden, Nov, 27/28. For live
music information call 987-
3344.

Sailor Hagar’s: Onion Heat
and the Tear Drops every Sunday
night. 984-3087.

Savary Island Pie Company:
From Winnipeye folk/blues sinner
Hal Broland, Nov. 21 and 22.
Open mike Sunday, Nov. 23. Shel
Neufeld, Nov. 25. Adam

Woodall et al Nov, 26. Berma
Skill and Chad Chill Nov, 27.
The Jase Tellers Nov. 28, 1533
Marine Dr., West Vancouver,
926-4021,

Waterfront Bistro: Saturday
Night Live Comedy, Nov. 22
Kevin Fox. Nov. 29 Andrew
Carr, Doors open 8 p.m., show-
time 9 p.m.

il Capo: Sibel Trasher and Fran
Jar. Nov. 28, 8-11 p.m. 2666
Granville.

evenis 4

Capilano Library: Doreen
Armitage, author of Around the
Sound will be presenting a
slideshow and signing copies
Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
The Beach House at
Dundarave Pier: Festival of
Lights. Sixth annw “lighting cer-
emony. Collingwoouw Choir and
celebs that inchide David
Burnham trom Joseph and the
Amasing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
dec. bar 3:15 pam.
The Gallery, Artisan Square,
Bowen Island: Tibetan Stories.
Hrian Harris and Palden Gyatso
present a slide show and talk, and
testify to torture and 33 years
spent in Chinese prisons,

— Compiled by Martin Millerchip

nervous” but this is the
path he’s chosen. And
there will be more con-
certs.

At Centennial Theatre
in March, he performs the
Mendelssohn Violin
Concerto with the
Vancouver Symphony
Orchestra, again under
Clyde Mitchell. In April he
performs the Mendelssohn
again, this time at the
Clark Theatre in Mission.

in January he’ti per-
form a selection of works

- by Paganini, Kabalevsky

and Bach for members of
the Vancouver Women’s
Musical Club, which hon-
ored him earlier this year
with a $2,000 scholarship.
The money will come
in handy. Karchut has
already begun the lengthy
and costly process of
applying to music acade-
mies in the United States.

Friday, November 21, :997 — North Shore News — 33

NEWS photo Paut McGrath

RYAN Karchut will perform for heads of state at BC |
Place Monday. The gala is an APEC '97 cultural event.

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