Charlotte Koopman-Gough will be performing at the inaugural Canada West Performing Arts Festival along with other competitors from BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
During the 2022 Powell River Festival of the Performing Arts, the 13-year-old sang “Quiet” from Matilda and “Home” from Beauty and the Beast in the Junior Musical Theatre category. She was recommended by the voice adjudicator to the Performing Arts BC provincial festival.
“I’m excited and honoured to have been chosen for the Canada West festival,” said Charlotte in an interview for the Peak.
The festival takes place July 21 to 23 in Saskatoon at the University of Saskatchewan.
“Our festival committee is thrilled that Charlotte will be attending this very first Canada West competition,” said Joyce Carlson, chair of the qathet region festival that has been sponsored by The Rotary Club of Powell River for the past 19 years. It has been held annually since 1945 and is supported by local Rotarians as well as members of the community who come to assist in a variety of areas.
“Singing seems to run in the family; my family is very musical,” said Charlotte. “My dad sings all the time, and my older brother Tyler also sang for several years. He has stopped singing and I wish he would sing again.”
Charlotte’s mother Rachel Koopman-Gough explained that her daughter’s grandfather Hans Koopman played the piano and accordion.
Charlotte began singing at Powell River Academy of Music with the apprentice choir and then with the girls choir. She stopped choir when she began taking solo lessons with vocal teacher Megan Skidmore.
“I love Megan,” said Charlotte. “Lessons with her aren’t too serious and we have a lot of fun.”
Her mother sang in choirs as a young person but not as an adult. “It’s something I’d like to get back to someday,” said Gough.
Charlotte’s father Jeff is the lead singer in an Ozzie Osbourne tribute band in which academy music director Walter Martella plays the keyboard. The band will take part in the Nostalgia Music Festival in Ottawa in late August. A variety of tribute bands will play in front of 7,000 to 8,000 people.
Charlotte, who enters grade eight at Brooks Secondary School in September, also dances with Laszlo Tamasik Dance Academy in a multitude of genres. At the recent Evolve Dance competition, she received one of 10 scholarships to DancerPalooza. Unfortunately, it is scheduled for around the same time as the Canada West festival so she will not be able to attend.
“This community is so, so wonderful with so many great mentors in the artistic community,” said Rachel. “We’re just so grateful for all the opportunities our children have had through the academy.”
