Grade 12 Duchess Park Secondary Student Owen Engstrom has been selected to join the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra

By Tommy Osborne

Arts and Culture

Local student selected for band featuring country’s best

Apr 10, 2024 | 1:52 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Grade 12 Duchess Park Secondary student Owen Engstrom will soon be joining the Denis Wick Canadian Wind Orchestra (DWCWO), an orchestra which features some of the country’s top young musicians.

Comprised of musicians aged 16-24, the DWCWO showcases musicians all across the country, and Engstrom was one of only four tenor trombonists selected to be a part of the ensemble.

“It’s probably going to be the highest level of musicianship that I’ve been around, at least in my demographic. I definitely won’t be the best there, I hope not to be the worst, but I’m looking forward to it and the growth that comes with it,” he said.

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The DWCWO will perform at Musicfest Nationals in Toronto on May 18, with rehearsals beginning May 12. Musicfest is an annual festival hosted by the University of Toronto to not only celebrate our country’s up and coming musicians, but also give them a great learning experience.

“The conductors there are like the best in their field and I think that learning from them is going to be pretty valuable for me. I really see it as a huge opportunity for me right now. I’ve done other stuff, the Duchess Park concert band has gone to Whistler in previous years, they’ve gone to even China and Sun Peaks and all that, but for me, this is probably the biggest opportunity that I’ve had,” he said.

Engstrom’s audition tape was sent close to the deadline, as he initially heard of the opportunity from his band teacher Jon Campbell. While Engstrom didn’t expect much at the start, he said it was quite the pleasant surprise to learn he was selected, although he joked that he would now have to worry about getting to Toronto.

“When I got accepted, I realized that I kind of had to learn some more about this because I don’t really know much about it. But it was definitely fun, it was a good 10 minutes until I realized I had to book flights, hotels, and all that stuff,” he said with a laugh.

As for Campbell, he’s been teaching Engstrom since he first joined the Duchess Park Secondary band in grade eight, and as both his teacher and a trombonist himself, he says it’s quite special

“I remember back when he walked in the door in grade eight, much shorter, and to see now where he’s looking towards the future and looking into post-secondary with music and with continuing to better himself, it’s really inspiring to see,” Campbell said.

As a grade 12 student, Engstrom will soon be graduating, but he’s recently been accepted to the University of Victoria for a Bachelor of Music, and he looks forward to continuing to hone his skills and hopefully continue to represent Prince George on national stages like Musicfest.

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