Dorothy Buchsein Prize in Piano
The oldest girl in a family of nine, Dorothy was determined to build a better life for herself and help others in her family to do the same. After years of hard work and struggle, she and her husband purchased eleven acres on Quadra Island, and built a house full of light that looked out to the sea. Here she nurtured family, took long walks on the beach, created and tended her orchard and roses, and provided a haven for animals, wild and tame. One of her most cherished ambitions, long delayed, was to retire, and during her retirement, learn how to play the piano and especially two pieces: Fur Elise, and the Moonlight Sonata. With great enthusiasm, she bought a piano and began lessons – naturally talented, she progressed rapidly. Tragically, her piano fell silent when, at the age of 46 and on the verge of retirement, she was killed instantly in a head-on collision on the Island Highway at Black Creek. The good die young. She would be enormously pleased to know that an award in her name was established to encourage young pianists. Congratulations for winning this award and for keeping her memory alive. Please play Fur Elise or the Moonlight Sonata in her honour.