Message from the Artistic Executive Director

"For many years it has been an abiding vision of mine—a place for a life-changing experience, where the most promising talented young musicians from around the world would have the opportunity to perform and study with some of the world’s finest musicians in a natural setting that has no equal—the bold and mystic beauty of the West Coast of Canada’s Vancouver Island.

During a concentrated period in the summer musicians would take in the powerful inspiration this stunning part of the world elicits— and it would focus the muse. And as the years passed, the music would draw audiences to a region which is ascendant— which is growing , culturally and economically—the Pacific Northwest.   I invite you to share in this vision."

I wrote the above two paragraphs back in 2006 and we are now embarked upon our 7th season toward realizing that vision! 2011 saw the implementation of a full-time office in Bamfield for MBTS on the campus of the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre and this heralds the next phase of permanence and sustainability. 

In 2012 we are initiating a winter artist-residency and a summer Mentoring School just prior to the summer festival.  We now have in place all three of the elements (albeit at a modest scale) of the full performing arts centre that we have envisioned from the outset.

Our artistic reputation continues to grow and resonate throughout the arts community in Canada and I invite you to peruse past programmes and artist-rosters...I continue to marvel at them.

All of this progress to date could not be possible without the support of all of our sponsors, donors, volunteers, artists, audiences, Members of the Board of Directors, and a host of other MBTS friends — and I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to them all.

Christopher Donison,
Founder and Executive Artistic Director,
Music by the Sea at Bamfield British Columbia