ARTS & CULTURE REVIEWS

Jessie Rivest reviews an OSO performance in Kelowna Friday, November 14, 2025 I slipped into the tail end of the pre-concert chat just in time to hear guest conductor and featured composer Dinuk Wijeratne pose a question to the room: “What is music?” The audience answered, “the depth of the soul,” “a journey,” “the colour of life.” It was the kind of question that doesn’t ask for accuracy, but for honesty—and it framed the entire evening ahead. Under Wijeratne’s direction, th

Jessie Rivest reviews an OSO performance in Kelowna Friday, April 4, 2025 I walked down Water St. with my partner, who was about to hear the OSO play for the first time. As I attempted to bring him up-to-speed on the previous candidate conductors, and the season thus far, I became more excited to get to the show and meet Julian Pellicano, the fourth and final candidate conductor with a broad and unique musical background. What unfolded was an evening rich with connection—betw

Jessie Rivest reviews an OSO performance in Kelowna Friday, Feb 7, 2025 Just before the concert began, I was in the washroom and overheard two ladies run into one another. One asked, “What are you looking forward to the most tonight?”, the other replied, “I heard Rachmaninoff is going to be awesome!” I had a moment of gratitude for being in a place where people share excitement for classical music in the most casual of settings, then made my way to my seat, smack dab in the

Jessie Rivest reviews an OSO performance in Kelowna Friday, Nov 15, 2024  There’s No Place Like Home The OSO’s recent concert explored the theme of “home” through nostalgia, the thrill of exploring elsewhere, and even the desire to escape it altogether. It was the second of four performances showcasing candidate conductors for the orchestra’s next Music Director. James Sommerville brought a unique combination of relaxed expertise, wise insights, creative humour,  and embodied

Jessie Rivest reviews an OSO performance in Kelowna Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 I hurried into the theatre after setting up for Elections BC as a Voting Equipment Officer. It had been a busy night of preparation, organizing everything for smooth voter flow. Excited to leave the intensity behind, I was ready to enjoy the OSO’s first concert of their 65th season—unaware they were holding a sort of election of their own. The Search is On We were introduced to Candidate Conductor Nadèg

Jessie Rivest reviews an OSO performance in Kelowna Friday, Feb. 9 Kicking off the night with a lively discussion on the intricacies of local performance art alongside fellow artists, followed by a stellar pizza at Curious Café, I found myself in a state of gratitude as I made my way to the concert. Despite occasional frustrations with the perceived undervaluing of the arts in our city, tonight, I chose to embrace the talent and creativity surrounding me. Under the baton of g

— Sunday, November 27, 2022 I was one of the last to be seated in the nearly sold out theatre. Betty, beside me, asked what I knew about Winnipeg. I said “ Well, I know they have the most restaurants per capita, and they’re the front-runner to be named a Music City, ahead of Toronto and Vancouver.” We discussed how the Winnipeg arts scene is flourishingly with talent and is highly underrated. We shouldn't have been surprised when Pat Wray, Executive Director of the Winnipeg S

My ears shifted gears from 4th to 5th with the addition of Nancy DiNovo (violin). I squinted to discern whether or not she may have been gifted with an extra finger somewhere. Indeed, she has the standard number of fingers. The quartet mastered the frolicking arpeggios of Opus 18, no 4. *Fun fact: publishers only respected works that were submitted in groups of 6, double the trinity.