Eight local teens will compete on stage this weekend to determine who will be the next Delta Idol.
The city’s premiere youth singing contest returns this Saturday (Nov. 18) after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will be held at the North Delta Centre for the Arts, located at 11425 84th Ave., after years of being hosted at the Tsawwassen Arts Centre.
“I am thrilled that Delta Idol is returning this year to showcase the incredible talent we have in our community. The courage and commitment of these young individuals who will take centre stage to perform in front of family, friends and our entire community is inspiring. I encourage everyone to keep an ear out for the singers taking the stage — you never know when you’ll see the next superstar,” Mayor George Harvie said in a statement provided to the Reporter.
The eight finalists — Elizabeth Graham, Kristie Lind, Mateo Mazari, Sophia McPherson, Maddi Morettin, Teaghan Papadopoulos, Zoe Rapos and Eric Sun — are all 16-18 years of age and Delta residents; three are from North Delta, two from Ladner and three from Tsawwassen. (The city declined to say which competitors are from where, citing privacy concerns.)
Beginning at 7 p.m., each will perform a roughly four-minute song of their choosing, some to a backing track and others wile playing an instrument, and a panel of three judges will provide constructive feedback. One of the judges will also do a number at the half-way point of the evening, followed by a short intermission.
Once all eight finalist have sung, the judges will deliberate backstage and select the first-, second- and third-place winners.
Prizes will be awarded to all three, with first place receiving a $500 certificate for Studio Cloud 30, a boutique talent development agency in Tsawwassen.
The judges this year are a trio of working artists: Dan Lonsdale, Jordy Matheson and Rani Reddy. Lonsdale currently tours as a solo guitarist, playing his original music and cover songs. Matheson, a former Delta Idol emcee, is a theatre artist and improviser working primarily in Vancouver. Reddy has been singing since she was 13 and has performed alongside Michael Bublé and Maya Angelou.
Tickets for Delta Idol are $12 and can be purchased at delta.ca/deltaidol.
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