PRISMA Festival

Every summer in Powell River, the Pacific Region International Summer Music Association (PRISMA) hosts a two-week festival and academy for top international music students. 

Their instructors are esteemed guest artists, members of some of the world’s leading orchestras—the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, LA Phil, Montreal Symphony, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and more.

The PRISMA Festival draws over 5,000 concertgoers from B.C. and beyond to daily musical events, symphony and chamber music concerts, masterclasses, and student recitals. 

The PRISMA Festival Orchestra—a rare gem for such an isolated community—performs five symphony concerts. Audiences also get the opportunity to hear guest artists perform chamber music together in new and exciting configurations.

PRISMA is charismatically led by Arthur Arnold, former music director of the Moscow Symphony.

Since its first event held in 2013, PRISMA has mentored over 500 students from 32 countries. Some have gone on to win principal positions in professional orchestras around the world, while others enjoy impactful careers as soloists, guest artists, and instructors.

In summer 2020 and 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, PRISMA produced a series of livestream video broadcasts entitled PRISMA on the Couch. Viewers can enjoy interviews with alumni and guest artists, go behind the scenes in a virtual classroom, and watch never-before-seen concert footage from the PRISMA archives.

The PRISMA Festival & Academy will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2022—back in person with a full 80-piece orchestra once again. Join the event June 13 to 25 in beautiful Powell River, B.C., just two ferries or a 30-minute flight away from the Lower Mainland.

PRISMA is a registered charity that relies on the generosity of members, donors, sponsors, volunteers, and attendees to maintain and grow a world-class program that invigorates artists and audiences through a shared love of classical music. Its Musical Merit Fund is the key to making the academy accessible to deserving students who meet or exceed the competitive enrolment requirements but cannot afford the cost of tuition, meals, and lodging.