[ad_1]
A musician from P.E.I. is included on CBC Music’s classical “30 under 30” list for the first time.
While it’s not the first time tuba player Olive McPhail has been featured at a national level, McPhail says the news was hard to believe.
“I really didn’t expect to be featured among some of the best musicians in Canada,” McPhail said.
Once their sense of “imposter syndrome” passed, McPhail, 23, was thrilled to tell everyone.
“It’s really been nice to receive recognition for an instrument that isn’t always in the spotlight,” McPhail said.
Marking its 10th anniversary this year, the list celebrates the accomplishments of Canada’s top young classical musicians.
The artists recognized are winning big prizes, making exciting debuts, releasing new albums and graduating from top music schools.
MacPhail won first prize (brass) at the 2022 FCMF National Music Festival and first prize at the University of P.E.I.’s 2023 Dr. Frances Gray Music Performance Competition.
‘That’s really what hooked me’
McPhail first picked up the tuba during Grade 7 band camp after trying roughly a half dozen other instruments.
“I started to really fall in love with it,” McPhail said.
The instrument’s low notes, warm tones and full-bodied sound resonated with McPhail. “It’s kind of an unconventional instrument in that way.”
More than a decade later, McPhail has made their commitment to the tuba skin deep.
The planet Jupiter is tattooed on the back of McPhail’s neck. Its inspiration — an arrangement of Gustav Holst’s Jupiter from his orchestral suite The Planets.
“I was so attached to that song and that’s really what hooked me into tuba,” McPhail said.
That love has since blossomed.
In December, McPhail played a section of Edward Gregson’s Tuba Concerto with the UPEI Wind Symphony. In June, McPhail performed at Under the Spire, a music festival held at Saint Mary’s Church in Indian River.
McPhail is playing this summer with the Confederation Brass, a brass quintet that performs free midday concerts outdoors at the Confederation Centre.
But the next stop is Memorial University in St. John’s to begin a master’s in pedagogy and performance.
While McPhail is excited to learn from new people and play in a new province, they plan to come back to P.E.I. after graduating to build something for young brass players.
Becoming a music educator is a lifelong dream, MacPhail said.
“I don’t want to stay away from P.E.I. for too long.”
A full list of CBC Music’s classical “30 under 30” list is available online.
[ad_2]
