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Stettler Hotel’s Christmas Concert promises something different

For Stettler and area residents looking for a holiday event that's a bit different from the norm, the Stettler Hotel's Christmas...
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Kimberly Ko

For Stettler and area residents looking for a holiday event that's a bit different from the norm, the Stettler Hotel's Christmas Concert may be just the thing.

Coming up on Sunday, Nov. 27, the second annual event features classical musicians Olga Kotova on the violin, Dmitry Nesterov on the piano, and Olena Kilchyk on the cello.

"The trio has played with orchestras in Europe, Asia and North America," hotel owner Kimberly Ko said.

The three are friends of Ko's from her days running a music school in Calgary, she explained, and last year came out to help her kick off the inaugural Christmas Concert. Last year, they were joined by vocalist Tatiana Ilyna, who unfortunately was not able to join this year.

"It's a very unique event," Ko said. She said it's unusual to have a classical music event in a bar setting, where food and drinks are available. Usually, when enjoying a concert of this type, people are in an auditorium of some sort where drinks and food aren't an option.

The event's unique atmosphere, which remains small not only due to the space available in The Beat, the hotel's bar area, but because Ko wants to keep the feeling of the night cozy and intimate, brings people in from well beyond the county's borders.

"I have people coming in from Calgary because they can't find this sort of event in the city," she said.

The quality of the musicians is also a draw. Kotova is currently a member of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, while Nesterov and Kilchyk are members of the Mount Royal University faculty of music.

Ko had a chance to know them when Kotova and Kilchyk taught music at her school in Calgary, and when she herself took lessons from Nesterov.

"You never stop improving," Ko said.

For the cost of the $65 ticket, people are able to enjoy the concert, appetizers and a meal. The price is up from last year, as Ko – uncertain the event would find traction – kept the prices low.

She was additionally helped by her musician friends, who performed at bottom, best-friend rates to help her launch what she hoped would become an annual tradition.

"I'd like to pay them this year," Ko said with a chuckle.

Last year, tickets to the event sold out quickly, and at the beginning of November were nearly half sold out.

"We had a company reserve a bunch of tickets for their staff Christmas party," Ko revealed.

The event also starts early, not only to provide an opportunity for the musicians to travel back to Calgary, but also to let concert-goers get home at an earlier hour. With cocktails starting at 3 p.m., the concert at 4 p.m., and the meal at 6 p.m., the event should be over by 8-9 p.m., Ko noted.

The concert itself is broken into two sets, which are separated by the meal.

The event is important to Ko, who said she is striving to restore the Stettler Hotel to its classical, elegant roots.

Since purchasing the hotel two years ago, Ko has faced an uphill battle restoring the building, which was in neglected shape. Since taking over, she's renovated most of the hotel guest rooms, had electrical and plumbing repaired, and has rebuilt the bar's menu to feature a unique fusion of global tastes.

The hotel, which was rebuilt in the mid-20th century after a fire burned down the original, opened with great fanfare.

One of three hotels built by the railway at that time, only the Stettler Hotel remains standing. It opened with hundreds of people attending the celebration, marveling at the cutting-edge design, technology and the elegant finishes.

While that day is long past, Ko dreams of restoring the building to that standard. And the Christmas Concert, with its unique sound and atmosphere, is just the start of that mission.