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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