Hui Wen is the Arts & Culture Junior Editor for Youth Are Awesome. She is a passionate advocate of the arts, and plays both the piano and clarinet. You can often find her at the Jack Singer Concert Hall for Calgary Philharmonic concerts, or in the band room of her school. Hui Wen loves the city of Calgary and enjoys using the blog as a platform to share her thoughts and inform other youth of the interesting things going on around the city. Hui Wen is a recipient of the LORAN Scholarship and a Grade 12 student at Western Canada High School.
It’s classical music like you’ve never heard before. Featuring instruments such as the theorbo, harpsichord, 5-string cello, and baroque violin, Montreal’s Pallade Musica is one of Canada’s utmost leaders in Early Music. The talented quartet is comprised of Esteban La Rotta, Mylène Bélanger, Elinor Frey, and Tanya LaPerrière (in the order of their respective instruments listed…
The Mount Royal University Conservatory’s long awaited Bella Concert Hall and new facilities opened its doors to the public for the first time last Saturday in a lively open house that featured performances by members of their various choir programs, the Calgary Youth Orchestra, chamber groups from the Advanced Performance Program, and much more. Among the…
Over the years, Calgary has slowly shaped itself to be a Canadian hub that has captured the attention of various organizations and, in turn, many new and exciting events are now held here. Last year, some of my favourite events included the Comic Expo, Beakerhead, and the Holt Renfrew: Lock into Paris Fashion Show. This…
2014 marked a big year for fashion. From the return of turtlenecks to the evolution of menswear-inspired outfits, the range of trends that were birthed, and a lot of them rebirthed with modern spins, were innovative and definitely sparked discussion in the fashion community. There will be mixed reviews to everything, and when it comes…
Out of all the other holidays that take place in a year, New Year’s Eve seems to be the one most exclusive to adults. The often romanticized image of the glamorous night probably includes sipping champagne in a renowned city; probably at a bar situated at the top of a landmark tower. As Hollywood as…
Are you interested in photography and advocating youth culture? If so, then you may have heard about the Youth of YYC Facebook page; an initiative designed to celebrate young individuals whilst promoting Youth Week Calgary. Since the start of this facebook page, we at the Youth Week Steering Committee (the six-person group includes three YAA…
If you’ve been exposed to the news lately, then you have probably heard about the controversial Bill 10, a bill that, if initiated, would almost certainly have detrimental effects on the rights of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning) students in Alberta. Last Thursday, Premier Jim Prentice put the bill on hold indefinitely…
I don’t know about you, but I’m the type to get hyped up about Christmas months in advance. I tend to spend half the year wondering when the appropriate time is to start listening to Michael Buble’s holiday album and to put up the tree. Whether it’s the festive cheer that spreads in everyone, or…
What comes to mind when you think about Calgary? Sure, we have a booming oil and gas industry and host the annual Calgary Stampede, but that only touches the surface of what our city has to offer. From numerous productions of plays and ballets to art exhibits featuring works by Dali and Turner, the arts are…
Sure, most people have heard of the Calgary Philharmonic; but what about the Calgary Wind Symphony (CWS)? Many people may wonder the difference between the two, and the most distinct is the fact that the CWS does not employ the use of strings (with the exception of the double bass). In many ways, the symphony…
A few weeks back I had the absolute privilege of seeing classical pianist Jan Lisiecki perform alongside the Calgary Philharmonic in a dazzling display of ability and virtuosity. If you’re a classical pianist residing in Calgary, then you’ve probably heard a thing or two about Jan Lisiecki, the local Polish-Canadian pianist who captured the attention of the…
Is it just me, or does it get harder and harder every year to find something to dress up as for Halloween? Sure, you could go as something generic, or you dress up as a character from your favourite TV show and risk no one recognizing who you are suppose to be. That was the…
Iridescent fabrics, daring cut-outs, and elaborate sequins. We saw all these trends and more at this year’s September fashion month, where the world’s top designers showcased their works in the major fashion-capitals of the world; New York, London, Paris, and Milan. This season was filled with shocking new looks, which in turn gave us a sense…
Last weekend saw the conclusion of the second year of Beakerhead, an often explosive festival that celebrates art, engineering, and science. I was lucky enough to have had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer through Youth Central at Little Big Street, just one of the several venues that Beakerhead employs to hold its wide array of…
Though it doesn’t technically start until the Sept 23, fall (or with the snow… actually, winter) is evidently upon us in Calgary. The glorious two months of freedom we all know as summer is over. Most of us are back to school, and as the weather begins to get nippy, we may find that the…