Pianist returns to give concert and tutors
After a month of working with one of Belize’s best pianists, the youths who participated in the Institute of Creative Arts’ Summer Arts Institute program are ready to take center stage. Francis Reneau, a Belizean pianist, composer and teacher who currently lives in London, returns home every year to share his talents in the summer program. Reneau says he’s seen much improvement in the youths and that’s what keeps him coming back. News Five went to the Bliss this morning where theatre director, Karen Vernon, told us more about the concert, which comes up on September fourth. But first, a preview of Reneau’s talents.
Francis Reneau, Composer/Pianist
“I’ve been here over the last four weeks doing master classes that’s really working with a range of students—adults and children particularly—giving guidance to enhance the good work that’s being done already by the teachers here and just giving a general idea, a different perspective on how to perform better, if you like. And the show is a culmination of these efforts that have gone in and will feature all the students really playing the piano in some form or another. Most of the works that I play and the style of music, which is classical, on the piano are of the great masters from before. I also do compose my own pieces too, as you know, and I usually at this time of year, being September, perform my variations on the National Anthem.”
Karen Vernon, Theatre Director, Bliss Institute
“Apart from Frankie and the students from the Summer Arts Institute, we will also have Nelita Castillo, Belize Choral Society doing some music arranged by Frankie just for the Choral Society and the Pallotti Chamber Group as well as a Jazz ensemble that Frankie put together. He has been talking about doing a musical, which he will definitely needs more time than we do for the regular summer classes because this is a four week training classes that he does. So he will need, I figure, maybe two months to do that. So we’d have to plan that and maybe next year or the following year we get that together.”
Delahnie Bain
“How important do you feel it is to have these programs and these opportunities for the kids in the musical field?”
Karen Vernon
“It is very important because we have very talented kids here in Belize and we see that in the Festival of Arts. Once they leave primary school, there is no outlet for them to get that professional training.”
Tickets are available at the Bliss for twenty dollars reserve and ten dollars general admission.
