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Take a Peak: Daniel Chow

Pianist looks back on roots in Powell River
take a peak daniel chow
Daniel Chow

Accomplished pianist Daniel Chow was a familiar face in the Powell River music community when he was growing up. A prominent student at Powell River Academy of Music in the 1990s, Chow participated in pretty much every music festival in the area during his youth. Now the chief financial officer for an award-winning Vancouver law firm, Chow still finds time to play at least two concerts per year. This year, one of those is in Powell River, the place he grew up, first discovered his love for music and always enjoys returning to. Chow’s concert on Tuesday, February 14, at the academy’s James Hall, will include works from Bach and Tchaikovsky and has “date night” written all over it. It is also a chance for Chow to give back to the community that birthed his musical talent.

Do you remember when you were exposed to music for the first time?
My parents moved into a house on Quadra Avenue and there was an upright piano in the parlour. I was playing around on it as a kid, so my parents thought to enrol me in lessons. I started off taking piano lessons with Karen Yare until I was in my early teens, then I moved over to academy and participated in the music program there. I was lucky enough to participate in local music festivals and always go to provincials.

How did growing up in Powell River influence the direction your music took?
Powell River is a community very rich in music, whatever the genre may be. So, in that regard, I was very lucky. There were so many great opportunities with all of the music festivals.

What has it been like to put music aside a little bit for your job as a chief financial officer?
I’ve never really put it aside. I’ve only split my time, versus doing it full time, so I was quite lucky that I was able to do music on the side. I typically do one or two concerts a year, sometimes it’s international.

How is it coming back to Powell River now, as an accomplished musician?
I love going back; it’s a great community. It was at my request to donate all proceeds from the concert back to the academy. I’m paying for all of my own travel arrangements.

What advice would you give to young musicians in Powell River?
It depends. Everyone is really different. You can’t give generic advice. The only thing I can say is that I was cautioned not to go into music for the wrong reasons, and in this day and age young people have so many choices, and perhaps they are always worried about making the wrong choice. You want to make the best choice for yourself. It may not always work out financially, but you want to do something you believe 100 per cent in. Looking back, I won’t have that question of “what if I hadn’t done this?” So I would tell young musicians, and young adults in general, to make sure they are fully committed and don’t go into something they aren’t sure about.

For more information, go to powellriveracademy.org.