Cascade Symphony Orchestra to present annual Children’s Concert – online – Saturday, Feb. 6

The annual Children’s Concert by Cascade Symphony Orchestra will be at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6. This year’s event, Discover Your Passion, will be presented virtually. The event, which is great for kids from ages 5 to 12, will be online and free of charge through the generosity of orchestra donors and patrons.

The top entries from Cascade Symphony Orchestra’s Rising Star competition will be introduced at the event. They are 15-year-old cellist William Miguel Johnson of Issaquah, 9-year-old pianist Jimmy Huang of Woodway and 14-year-old flutist Joseph Jeon of Mukilteo. Johnson, who is the winner of the competition, will perform the Gigue from Cello Suite No. 3, BWV 1009, by composer Johann Sebastian Bach. A student at Apex Virtual High School, Johnson is a member of the Seattle Youth Symphony and has won several awards, including a national prize as a composer.

The first runner-up, Jimmy Huang, will perform the 3rd Movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s piano sonata Pathetique in C minor Op. 13 No. 8. Jimmy is a third-grade student at Evergreen School who actively participates in piano festivals and has been awarded several medals including the gold medal at the Pacific Northwest Piano Competition in 2019.

The second runner-up, Joseph Jeon, is in the eighth grade at Harbour Pointe Middle School. He will perform the flute transcription of Caprice No. 24 by composer Niccolo Paganini. Joseph is a member of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and has participated in many festivals, winning four awards.

Cascade Symphony Orchestra is Edmonds-based and has been sponsoring the Rising Star competition since 2009. This year’s event can be found here.

Month-long “Art View” replacing the Third Thursday Art Walk

Coming this March, the monthly Art Walk will become a month-long event called Art View.Businesses are encouraged to hang local art at their locations starting the first of the month so visitors can explore all month long. Art can be hung in windows for enjoyment if your business is not open to foot traffic right now.

Art Walk Edmonds will provide an online map for the Art View, an artist bio to hang alongside the art and a QR code for businesses to put in windows. Businesses interested in participating can click here to learn more about being part of the new event. The deadline for participation is Feb. 24.

Cascadia Art Museum – Trivia and Cocktails

Cascadia Art Museum’s Art After Hours program launches this February with a Virtual Valentine’s Trivia Night. It’s a perfect blend of art trivia and local cocktails. Scratch Distillery is offering a to-go Hibiscus Gimlet cocktail made just for this event. The cocktail is $25 plus tax (375ml cocktail – contains three to four drinks). Join the event for free; more details can be found here.

Free screening of poignant, insightful and topical films on themes related to diversity, inclusion and equity

On the third Sundays from February through May, the Edmonds Diversit Commission is hosting its 2021 Virtual Film Series with Q&A discussions afterward. The screenings via Zoom start at 4 p.m. More information about the individual screenings can be found here. The event is sponsored by Rick Steves’ Europe, My Edmonds News, Edmonds Center for the Arts, Edmonds Theatre and the Edmonds Diversity Commission.

Call for artists!

A note from Art Beat writer Rachel Gardner.

One of my favorite parts about writing this article is getting to highlight artists in our community. If there is an artist that you think should be featured or if you are an artist interested in telling your story, please email me here.

— By Rachel Gardner

Rachel Gardner has a heartfelt appreciation for art in all forms and believes everyone is an artist, some just don’t know it yet. A dedicated and involved Edmonds resident, she can often be spotted onstage cracking jokes between sets or in the audience enjoying local live performances. She enjoys being playful with her art and finding unique ways of expression, like forming a boho-grunge-folk ukulele trio with local Edmonds moms.