On May 23, two renowned musicians will be coming to the Comox Valley for an extraordinary performance.
North Island native Carter Johnson, who now has a blossoming international piano career, returns again to delight local audiences—but this time along with an equally accomplished violinist.
Violinist Gregory Lewis has established himself as one of central Canada’s most prominent rising musicians.
A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Lewis recently completed his BMus in Violin Performance at the University of Manitoba, and in September he will be continuing graduate violin studies at Yale University on full scholarship.
Lewis is in demand across Canada as a concertmaster, he has soloed with the Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestras, and he has been a finalist and prizewinner in many national and international competitions, including the Enkor International Piano and Violin Competition, the Canadian Music Competition, and the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition.
Pianist Carter Johnson, noted for his profound artistry and captivating stage presence, was born on Vancouver Island, recently completed his third year in piano performance at the University of British Columbia, and has resided for multiple years in Maple Ridge.
Though he has established a formidable solo career, distinguishing himself in competitions such as the Julia Crane International Competition, OSM Manulife Competition, and Hilton Head International Competition, he is equally at home in the ensemble repertoire, and he works for UBC Opera as a vocal coach and is in demand in Vancouver for his work in chamber music and art song.
In June, he will be travelling to China to compete in the Shenzhen International Piano Competition.
Their concert will include works by Ravel, Franck, Debussy, and Saint-Saëns, and will be held at the Stan Hagen Theatre (North Island College, 2300 Ryan Rd.) on May 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $20 (students $10) and can be purchased at the door, or reserved by phoning (250) 202-2288 or emailing carterjohnson1@hotmail.ca.