The music of Frederic Chopin was celebrated in an evening of fine performances during the Ruth Scott Memorial Piano Competition.
It was held at Trinity Presbyterian Church during Campbell River Music Week, an annual music festival organized by the Campbell River Friends of Music. The Chopin piano competition is held annually and entrants must be from within Comox Valley School District 71 and the Campbell River School District 72 boundaries.
The adjudicator for the 2013 competition was acclaimed performer Sarah Hagen, who is also the director of the piano program at CYMC, where she has been a faculty member for over 10 years.
The winner of this year's competition is Dean Sanchez, piano student of Cindy Taylor at Motif Music Studios on Rosewall Crescent in Courtenay.
He is completing his Royal Conservatory of Music Performer's Level in Piano. Sanchez is a former runner up of the Virginia Graczak Piano Competition and has also represented the local North Island Festival of the Performing Arts as piano Alternate, Observer and Competitor throughout the past years at the BC Provincial Festival of the Performing Arts.
As winner of the Chopin Competition, Sanchez was also invited to perform in this year's Rotary Honours Concert which was created and organized by Susie Moscovich.
Sanchez is 21 years old and graduated from GP Vanier Secondary School in 2010. He recently completed his second year of Sciences at North Island College in Courtenay while continuing to pursue his love of music.
In addition to participating in formal piano competitions and concerts, he has shared his musical talents at fundraising concerts since he was a student at Huband Elementary School.
When Dean was a baby, he would tap his rattle to the beat of the music coming out of the stereo player. His early love of music and rhythm is evident in the deep understanding of the emotion that he brings to his piano performances. In addition to the piano, he plays acoustic and electric guitar and drums.
The family and friends of Ruth Scott created the Ruth Scott Memorial Piano Competition annual scholarship as a legacy to Ruth's love of Chopin's music.
Ruth was a member of the North Island Branch of the Registered Music Teachers' Association and the Campbell River Friends of Music. She was a well-loved and respected music teacher, colleague and friend to many throughout our community and beyond.
— Campbell River Friends of Music