The seed for the Architecture of Music Festival was planted when our collaborator pianist Carl Petersson introduced an idea to merge architecture and music together: an international piano competition in collaboration with the Westbank Piano Program. In 2021, we held the first Oakridge Park Piano Competition and awarded the “Architecture of Music Prize” to the most outstanding pianist. In 2022, we built on are this concept further, hosting the Architecture of Music Festival with a concert series of outstanding musicians in the Oakridge Park Gallery and Shaw Tower Lobby. For 2023, we plan to elevate the musical experience to include more diverse programming for all audiences to enjoy the harmony of music and architecture, a melting pot for creativity, energy and inspiration.

With the Architecture of Music, our long-term goal is to create a celebration of the arts which will put Vancouver on the global cultural map. We will present international musical talent in settings designed by leading global architects and designers, merging aesthetics, visual art and music. The festival will showcase pianos from the Westbank Piano Program with Fazioli, each of which have been custom designed to respond to the typology of one of our buildings. The venues will reflect and complement the design of the instruments, just as the pianos and musicians will embrace their environment to bring added layers and visual depth to each performance.

The international piano competition started at Oakridge Park will continue to be at the core of the Architecture of Music. Serving as a platform for young aspiring pianists to perform and earn recognition on a larger stage, it will allow the festival to contribute to the growth of the next generation of musicians.

This year we look forward to welcoming new competitors, performers, and guests to blend together the worlds of music and architecture. The artistic nuances of these different yet parallel mediums provokes the senses, brings communities together, and ignites the imagination.