Kamloops Festival of the Performing Arts comes in two parts this year.

“This year is different,” explained KFPA president Helen Newmarch. “Normally we have three weeks going up to spring break, but spring break is so darned early this year.”

Rather than start the festival earlier, they will take a week-long pause for spring break after the second week of the event.

A regional arts competition involving hundreds of youth performers from across the province, the festival begins Feb. 22 with its piano and string adjudication. From the regional events, qualifying students can advance to provincial and national festivals.

“We are fortunate to have Heilwig von Koengisloew, a Vancouver adjudicator, for the strings, so we’re quite looking forward to it.”

Von Koenigsloew teaches at Trinity Western University and is a member of the CBC Radio Orchestra and the Vancouver Opera Orchestra.

Other adjudicators include: Adele Clark (voice); Ashley Miller (ballet/modern dance); Liane Litven (stage dance); Joe Berarducci (junior piano); Meijane Quong (senior piano); Wayne Jeffery (instrumental) and Shirley Konrad (speech).

Registration in the 77th annual festival has increased slightly over last year with stronger interest shown in dance and speech categories. Voice entries are down while piano and strings are holding their own.

Newmarch encourages the public to attend the various venues to experience “rising stars” performing and to provide the students an audience. Festival programs, available in advance from local music stores for $10, serve as venue passes. They can also be purchased at venues once the festival is underway. Without a program, admission is $2 at each venue.

“We have a lot of concertos in the strings program, so the kids are really getting to that level.”

A choral night, when many local choruses sing for adjudication, takes place March 4 at Calvary Community Church.

The festival culminates with its Honours Concert, featuring highlights of top performances and presentation of awards, on March 21 at Sagebrush Theatre.

Festival organizers, as always, are in need of volunteer support, particularly for the dance venue at the Sagebrush. Anyone interested can contact Sue Reedman at 372-9339.