“My mom forced me to” may not sound like the most auspicious beginning for a singing career.
But that’s exactly how Kiel Magis starts his story – and it seems to have worked for him.
Magis is releasing his debut album with a concert on Saturday, April 9 at the Anvil Centre Theatre.
The young bari-tenor will be performing mostly contemporary music, with classical and some original works by Juno Award-winning producer Robbie Buchanan.
It’s been a long journey for the kid who loved basketball, soccer and track and field and who had to be forced into singing by his mother – who was also his first music teacher. But, with a little help from a crush on a girl with whom he was going to sing a duet (thanks, Maria Bamford), he quickly found a love of singing.
“With my newfound excitement for singing and my profound crush on this girl, it was easy to get on stage and perform,” he says in a press release.
His fledgling performing career quickly took off, as he performed as Caesar Augustus in the Christmas musical in Grade 5 and then performed the national anthem at a school talent show in Grade 7. From there, he moved on to St. Patrick’s Regional Secondary School, where he performed with the concert and chamber choirs under the direction of Tony Araujo and was cast in school plays in his later high school years.
He went on to study music at Douglas College and transferred to UBC, where he finished his bachelor of music degree in vocal performance in May 2014.
He has an extensive resume of choral singing experience – including several years with Phoenix Chamber Choir and performing with the Vancouver Bach Choir, Vancouver Chamber Choir, Amabilis Singers and B.C. Boys’ Choir - and has performed in backup choirs with Andrea Bocelli at Rogers Arena and The Tenors at Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
Magis also sings for weddings and private and corporate events.
He’s hoping his debut album will help him to launch a career in the solo world, admitting he’s “shooting for the stars.”
“The journey will be long, but the end result will be worth it,” he says.
The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Anvil Centre Theatre, 777 Columbia St. Tickets are available through www.ticketsnw.ca, and more information can be found at www.kielmagis.com.
