MH Rotary Festival/Facebook

By Chris Brown

A night to remember

All smiles for 2021 Rotary Music Festival Rose Bowl winner Josie Hoffarth

Mar 26, 2021 | 4:19 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – It’s been nearly a week since she was named the Rose Bowl winner at the Medicine Hat Rotary Music Festival and Josie Hoffarth is smiling as big as ever.

“I keep on replaying the night in my head and whenever I think back to it I just can’t stop smiling because it was so special and exciting,” she says.

This year’s festival ran March 7-21 and was entirely virtual. Performers recorded their performances and submitted them to adjudicators who then gave feedback.

“It was definitely different having to record yourself instead of having live classes but the adjudicators were great in making our adjudications feel very meaningful and I got great advice from them,” says the 17-year-old.

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Hoffarth was one of five people to perform at the Rose Bowl concert on March 19. A pianist, Hoffarth performed Clair de lune by Debussy and Rhapsody in G Minor by Brahms.

Also performing at the Rose Bowl were Debasri Jena (Speech), Lucas Semrau (Musical Theatre and Vocal), Denis Kim (Chamber and Violin/Viola) and Laec Lorentzen (Chamber). Semrau was runner-up for his Musical Theatre performance.

MH Rotary Festival/Facebook

“For the Rose Bowl, it was definitely different not having a full crowd but making a live stream for people to watch was awesome because I felt a lot of support from friends and family and saw the messages they would put on the live stream,” Hoffarth says.

She says the experience of playing in the Rose Bowl already was already incredible and winning made it more exciting.

“Performing with all the other performers that night was super awesome and special and I’ll always remember it.”

Hoffarth praised festival director Delynne Lorentzen for setting everything up this year.

“We are so lucky to have Delynne this probably wouldn’t have been possible without her. I appreciate all the work she put into it and making it still feel special.”

A senior at Crescent Heights High School, Hoffarth says she hopes to always play the piano and music will always be a part of her life.

You can watch the Rose Bowl performances and the March 21 Stars of the Festival concert on the MH Rotary Festival Facebook page.

Provincial Recommendations

10/under Vocal – Jillian Stodalka (Alternate: Kinsey Heninger)

12/under Vocal – Sarah Herter (Alternate: Jeeya Gupta)

12/under Contemporary Vocal – Avery Lavigne (Alternate: Ayla Johnson)

14/under Vocal – Hannah Ziebart (Alternate: Hana Fenwick)

16/under Vocal – Emma Lavigne (Alternate: Lucas Semrau)

Senior Vocal – Eryk McKenzie (Alternate: Hannah Christie)

16/under Contemporary Vocal – Carlie OConnor (Alternate: Macey Marshall)

Senior Contemporary Vocal – Dayne Rice (Alternate: Hannah Christie)

12/under Speech – Jeeya Gupta (Alternate: Sarah Herter)

16/under Speech – Debasri Jena (Alternate: Sukanya Datta)

16/under Piano Plan I – Stirling Clark

Senior Piano Plan I – Rachael Thompson (Alternate: Rylan Warkentin)

Grades 2/3 Piano Plan II – Shaoni Datta (Alternate: Avery Regher)

Grades 4/5 Piano Plan II – Kunaal Pareek (Alternate: Anders Currah)

Grades 6/7 Piano Plan II – Ayla Wikjord (Alternate: Sukanya Datta)

Grades 8/9 Piano Plan II – Ella Hoffarth (Alternate: Adam Suezle)

Grades 10/ARCT Piano Plan II – Josie Hoffarth (Alternate: Ella Lahey)

16/under Violin – Emma Lavigne

Senior Viola – Soren Lorentzen (Alternate: Seanachie Clark)

16/under Cello – Laec Lorentzen

String & Keyboard Sonata Upper Strings – Denis Kim (Alternate: Seanachie Clark)

String & Keyboard Sonata Lower Strings – Laec Lorentzen

16/under Chamber – Denis Kim & Laec Lorentzen

6-9 Musical Theatre – Amelia-Layne Stigter

12/under Musical Theatre Ballad – Sarah Herter (Alternate: Avery Lavigne)

12/under Musical Theatre UpTempo – Avery Lavigne (Alternate: Sarah Herter)

16/under Musical Theatre Ballad – Lucas Semrau (Alternate: Macey Marshall)

16/under Musical Theatre UpTempo – Lucas Semrau (Alternate: Abby Bacon)

Senior Musical Theatre Ballad – Eryk McKenzie (Alternate: Gabrielle Campbell)

Senior Musical Theatre UpTempo – Amelia Armstrong (Alternate: Eryk McKenzie)

AB Excellence Musical Theatre – Gabrielle Campbell (Alternate: Lucas Semrau)