Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Victoria mom selling house for son’s musical dream

A Victoria teen’s mother is selling her house to help him achieve his dream of becoming a concert violinist. Fifteen-year-old Ryan Howland’s mother, Michelle Yen-Howland, put her house up for sale last April.
VKA howland 0045.jpg
Tuesday: Violinist Ryan Howland, 15, is raising money to get to an international contest in Europe by busking on Government Street. His mother, Michelle Yen-Howland, is selling the house to help fund his studies.

A Victoria teen’s mother is selling her house to help him achieve his dream of becoming a concert violinist.

Fifteen-year-old Ryan Howland’s mother, Michelle Yen-Howland, put her house up for sale last April. The house, which she has owned for 12 years, is near Hillside Centre in Victoria and is listed at $399,000.

The single mother said the proceeds will help cover not only Ryan’s violin studies, but those of her 18-year-old son, Ian, who is studying film animation in Paris.

“It’s only for the future of my sons,” said Michelle, a piano teacher who once taught at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. “Seeing them not being able to pursue their dreams and goals would be more of a shame for me than losing a house.”

Ryan’s immediate goal is to raise money to compete at the International Boris Goldstein Violin Competition, running Jan. 21 to 31 in Bern, Switzerland. With this in mind, he hopes to garner at least $700 at a fundraising concert at James Bay United Church on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Ryan learned in November he had passed the audition to participate in the Goldstein competition, which carries a prize of about $17,500.

The competition was founded by Goldstein’s student, Zakhar Bron, who has taught such noted violinists as Vadim Repin and Maxim Vengerov.

The competition is open to international applicants under 30. This year, there are 30 participants. Four of them, including Ryan, are teenagers. The others are between 20 and 30.

“The jury consists of some of the most renowned pedagogues and teachers in Europe and the world,” said Ryan, a Grade 10 student at Oak Bay High School.

He will play in three rounds of competitions. Ryan said the most challenging piece is Paganini’s Caprice No. 4, a compulsory selection.

Last year, he took time off school to take master classes in Switzerland with Bron. He has also studied at the International Piano Academy in Imola, Italy.

For his last trip to Switzerland in November, Ryan raised most of the $2,000 cost by busking on Government Street. “Pretty much since last summer, I’ve been busking almost every day. During the winter, even. Even though it’s so cold, I’m still trying to busk a bit.”

Ryan usually busks on Government Street for one or two hours, as well as practising five hours a day. He hopes to raise more money for the competition by busking.

Michelle plans to “rent a little apartment” after her house is sold. She said she removed her listing just before Christmas but will show her home to interested parties this weekend.

If no acceptable offer is made then, she’ll relist the property this month.

“I don’t want to pay [the mortgage] anymore,” Michelle said. “I’d rather pay for my sons.”

achamberlain@timescolonist.com

• Tickets for Ryan Howland’s concert are $15 at Long & McQuade, Ivy’s Bookshop or michellehowland@shaw.ca