Sarah Hagen performs “Perk Up, Pianist” on June 9th
By Mallory Cawthra
On June 9th at 7:30 pm, award-winning concert pianist Sarah Hagen will be performing “Perk up, Pianist!” at the Leader Community Centre. Presented by the Leader and District Arts Council, “Perk up, Pianist!” is a one-woman, sit-down musical comedy created, written and performed by Sarah Hagen herself. Her website explains that it “tells the tale of a touring classical musician remaining optimistic in the midst of challenging and ridiculous situations” while showcasing her dry wit and deadpan humour.
Sarah Hagen had been slated to perform “Perk up, Pianist!” in February of this year, but her tour was postponed. Sarah Hagen first premiered “Perk up, Pianist!” in the summer of 2016, performing the musical comedy show at various Canadian Fringe Festivals like the Toronto Fringe Festival. Montreal Rampage [blog] wrote about the performance: “Hagen reminds us the beauty of how an honest solo performance can make you so easily fall in love with its performer.”
As a Canadian pianist, Sarah has performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, been heard nationally on CBC Radio 2’s In Concert in a live recording with violinist Joan Blackman and cellist Ariel Barnes, toured throughout Sweden numerous times, and has appeared as a soloist with the Victoria Symphony, to highlight a few of her many performances and collaborations. Sarah was also awarded Artist of the Year by both Ontario Contact in 2017 and the British Columbia Touring Council in 2015.
Sarah grew up on the West Coast of Canada as the youngest of five children and was enrolled in piano lessons from a young age. She took to playing the piano and found learning it relatively easy; the piano became an extension of herself.
“Perk up, Pianist!” will be the last of the 2021/2022 season for the Leader and District Arts Council. The 2022/2023 Season will be announced at this performance, including some new surprises, and season tickets will be available for purchase, with the chance to win a season ticket if purchased this night.
