2024 FESTIVAL ARTISTS

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_1372ff3a157948bf80bef2ec9e0ba32a~mv2.jpg Hailing from Victoria BC, cellist Ethan Allers’ 17-year career has been shaped by teachers from across Canada. Allers has been involved in collaborative projects with Canadian composer Vincent Ho, and with National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra principals in Strauss’ Metamorphosen. He has won the University of Ottawa concerto competition and has performed with the uOttawa Orchestra and at the NAC’s Fourth Stage uOttawa concert series, both as a soloist and in chamber groups. He completed his Masters of Music at the University of Ottawa and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts at Western University.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_2943b81d2894431b94365b24528f6a20~mv2.jpg Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Chris Anstey performs with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) as Principal Second Violin. Frequently featured as a soloist with the WSO, he also performs and records regularly with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. He is an award-winning fiddler and a founding member of The neWSOunds, a celtic/folk/bluegrass band of symphony musicians who premiered their own pops show with the WSO in 2021. Anstey is in demand as a pedagogue, giving masterclasses, coaching or teaching with the University of Manitoba, Manitoba Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Youth Orchestras, and Rosamunde Summer Music Academy.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_1a2ef8ee500645f097b8e708841460fd~mv2.jpg Jodi Baker Contin is an energetic anishinaabekwe (Ojibwe woman), singer, drummer, and drum-maker from Wasauksing First Nation near Parry Sound, Ontario. She lifts others up while encouraging them on their path to healing. Contin has earned the trust of many people and her community and was nominated for the Order of Parry Sound (2021). Her Anishinabek roots and cultural ethical principles shine through in all she does. She is a singer, songwriter, and co-narrator in Sounding Thunder, and a co-writer (with Keenan Keeshig) in The Spirit Horse Returns. She is a mother to three sons and Nookomis to Little Joe.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_0ab20b1502f846aca68000c71e2cb429~mv2.jpg Larry Beckwith is a Canadian conductor, violinist, singer, writer, educator, and programmer. In the summer of 2018, he conducted the successful world premiere and subsequent Ontario tour of Sounding Thunder. He runs a highly regarded voice and strings program at the arts-intensive Unionville High School and conducts the Mooredale Senior Youth Orchestra in Toronto. Beckwith has lectured on music history at the University of Toronto and University of Guelph, and has been a music producer for CBC Radio, general manager of Choirs Ontario, and Director of Programming for the 2002 Joy of Singing Festival in Toronto.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_ea627a4a6c534c869b322471593d842e~mv2.jpg Winner of the 2022 JUNO Award for Jazz Album of the Year (Solo), and the 2022 Western Canadian Music Award for Jazz Artist of the Year, Will Bonness has been called “one of the finest jazz pianists of his generation” by Monk Competition winner Jon Gordon. Bonness has performed with the WSO, the MCO, and the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, at major jazz festivals in Canada and the US, and at prestigious venues worldwide. He has released three albums, including his critically acclaimed Change of Plans, and has performed on nearly 30 more. Bonness teaches full time at the University of Manitoba.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_724b75b4b6434486be1b1d9e0e485c66~mv2.jpg Clarinetist James Campbell has collaborated with Glenn Gould, Aaron Copland and others, toured widely as a soloist and chamber musician, and recorded more than 40 albums. The BBC and the Times of London rated his Brahms Clarinet Quintet recording as the best available. Stolen Gems, won a JUNO for Best Classical Album (1986). Other awards include Canada’s Artist of the Year (1989) and the Order of Canada (1997). Campbell was Professor of Music at the Jacobs School of Music (Indiana University, 1988-2019) and today gives masterclasses worldwide. He is Artistic Director of the Festival of the Sound (Parry Sound, ON).

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_23fb6612e5384315baf520c4ea80c5e5~mv2.jpg Korean-American cellist Minna Rose Chung is Professor of Cello at the University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music, and Director and Founder of Project Rio, a collaborative program that supports the Rio International Cello Encounter in Brazil. Chung received the University of Manitoba Rh Award for Outstanding Contributions to Scholarship and Research in Creative Works for her book, CelloMind: Intonation and Technique, which she co-authored with Hans J. Jensen (Northwestern University). Featured in Strad Magazine, “Teaching & Playing” (April 2018), Chung has received much national recognition for her creativity. She plays a French 1776 Chappuy cello.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_7e1e96a1e6fe4586a4ca5a4685f6f568~mv2.jpg Timothy Corlis is a JUNO-nominated Canadian composer known for his interest in the meditative and restorative power of music, which he sees as a tool for social change and for bridging cultures. As a child, Corlis sang in a boys choir in Toronto. Today, Wholenote Magazine calls him “a composer of great depth and passion” whose compositions have been performed to critical acclaim on six continents, including the 2018 premiere of Sounding Thunder: The Stories of Francis Pegahmagabow. New York Concert Review described the performance as: “the highlight of the evening… driving energy, brilliance, spine-tingling moments, sublime beauty…”

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_329e0865f2d44d7b92f99c97cca02e38~mv2.jpg One of Scandinavia’s most versatile cellists, John Ehde has premiered more than 50 solo and chamber works and collaborated with the Danish jazz elite. His solo CD, Sonatas & Scenes (2013), was named Recording of the Year (Music Web International). Ehde has been Principal Cellist with the Helsingborg (Sweden), Trondheim (Norway) and Zealand (Denmark) symphony orchestras. Since 2019, he has played with Rudersdal Chamber Players, performing new and old music with poetry in themed concerts. As a soloist and chamber musician, Ehde is a prolific recording artist who has toured extensively throughout Europe, Canada, the US, and East Asia.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_5f28f5150b43478c978417301c7ded1d~mv2.jpg A staple of the Winnipeg jazz scene, Karly Epp is known for her soulful voice. She is also an accomplished teacher, choral director, conductor, arranger, and clinician. A University of Manitoba graduate (B Mus, B Ed), she earned her Master’s degree in Jazz Studies from the Manhattan School of Music in New York. In the summer of 2018, Epp came back to Winnipeg, where she accepted the position of Jazz Vocal Instructor at the University of Manitoba. She is often a featured performer at the TD International Winnipeg Jazz Festival, and founder of the U of M Jazz Vocal Ensembles.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_7005169d24aa4204b2501a5e049883bf~mv2.jpg Manuel Esperilla is an active, in-demand pianist in Denmark’s classical and contemporary music scenes. He has worked with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Arctic Philharmonic, SCENATET, Dygong, Ekkozone, Superflex and Percurama, and has performed at KLANG Festival, Tage für Neue Musik, Festival Musica and Sound Ways International New Music Festival. An accompanist at the Royal Danish Academy of Music since 2009, Esperilla also tours with the Rudersdal Chamber Players, an instrumentally and stylistically flexible quartet dedicated to collaborating with composers such as Elena Firsova, Dmitri Smirnov, Lera Auerbach, Jexper Holmen, and Poul Ruders.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_d31fe2b5bead475183162f932990868b~mv2.jpg A student at Fort Richmond Collegiate in Winnipeg, Sam Ferguson performs in senior ensembles, plays solo cornet with the Rupertsland Brass Band, and plays trumpet with the Winnipeg Wind Ensemble and Winnipeg Youth Orchestra. In 2023, he was co-winner of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Most Outstanding Instrumental Performance at the Winnipeg Music Festival. He attended the 2022 Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) Trumpet Workshop and participated in the 2023 BUTI Young Artists’ Orchestra. Ferguson has presented recitals with proceeds going to CancerBlows. He plans to study orchestral trumpet performance at university after graduating from high school.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_c6cb8beec3cb40eb8e963117936f49d7~mv2.jpg Guy Few’s instrumental versatility and fearless interpretations are described by the international press as “outrageous… simply phenomenal” (Le Devoir, Montreal) and as “sheer brilliance” (LA Times). He has performed with Canadian and US orchestras as trumpet and piano soloist while remaining a committed chamber artist in ensembles that include Few Mara Duo, Spirit 20, Sounding Thunder, and HEAT. Few has performed at renowned international music festivals, has released CDs on numerous labels, and appeared on national and international television broadcasts. He is currently Artistic Director of NUMUS Concerts (Kitchener, ON) and teaches at Wilfrid Laurier University (Waterloo, ON).

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_6aa6388ac0324f21b34f868ae3bba880~mv2.jpg Angela Golubeva is a violinist who plays with the Swiss Piano Trio, which has been performing since 1998. Successful in competitions early on, the trio began performing at concerts worldwide. They are strongly committed to performing contemporary works by Swiss composers and have awarded commissions to Martin Wettstein, Daniel Schnyder, Freancesco Hoch, Florian Walser, Martin Schlumpf, Richard Dubugnon, and Matthias Roth.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_6e94216beacf49f5a1dd3489fa52dd8d~mv2.jpg David Harding has performed at prestigious venues and festivals around the world. Former Assistant Principal Viola of the Canadian Opera Company, and former member of the renowned Tafelmusik ensemble, Harding graduated from The Juilliard School (NYC) and is currently Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh). He has played with the Toronto String Quartet, Chester String Quartet, Triskelion, and Chester Quartet. Today, he plays in Trio Verlaine—with wife Lorna McGhee (flute) and Heidi Krutzen (harp)—which has recorded two CDs. Harding performs on violas made by Nicolas Gilles (France) and Pietro Antonio Della Costa (Italy).

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_570761c4577e49cdbc41cf5b53541e7a~mv2.jpg Described as “a superbly gifted musician” (Winnipeg Free Press), Meredith Johnson began his double bass training in Nashville, studying under Edgar Meyer at Vanderbilt University. He earned his Master’s degree in Bass Studies at Boston University and has performed across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Since 2004, Johnson has been Principal Bass with the WSO. He teaches at the University of Manitoba and also maintains a private studio. He is currently spearheading a project to commission new chamber and solo works for the double bass. He lives in Winnipeg with his wife, violinist Susan McCallum and their three children.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_f793dd1433404b1aa73d01c98f86ea20~mv2.jpg One of Canada’s leading percussionists, Beverley Johnston has commissioned and performed many works by Canadian composers, some of which have become a staple of the percussion repertory worldwide. This led to her being named Canadian Music Centre Ambassador in 2009. In 2022, she was inducted into the CBC Hall of Fame. Her exceptional stage presence, remarkable virtuosity, and musicianship have established her reputation internationally. She has recorded seven solo albums and is a featured soloist and chamber musician on many other recordings. Johnston currently teaches at the University of Toronto and is a Marimba One and Paiste Artist.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_b01b59d8c1c243e6b7144db1496eaa95~mv2.jpg Karl Kohut is Assistant Professor of Jazz Bass at the University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music. He lived in New York City for four years, where he performed at many top jazz clubs with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Rossano Sportiello, and Ralph Peterson Jr. He toured the US and Europe with Joseph Doubleday and Felix Peikli’s Showtime Band, culminating in the album, It’s Showtime: Live! (2017). Kohut has a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School (NYC). As an educator, he has worked with high-school students throughout the US and taught at the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Youth Programs.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_dcc03a21c84e4a569b4d1003398a3d34~mv2.jpg Keenan Keeshig is also called by his spirit name Buzzwaywii Giizhik, which means “Echo in the Sky.” He comes from the Thunderbird Family and Maaiingun Indodem of the Wolf Clan. Originally from Neyaashiinigmiing Reserve No. 27 (Chippewas of Nawash, Cape Croker), he grew up in Shawanaga First Nation, like Francis Pegahmagabow. Kishig is also an Indigenous activist, and an 8th generation descendant of Tecumapease—sister of iconic warrior and diplomat Tecumseh. Keenan is best known for his acting roles on Future History TV and The Rez. He previously portrayed Francis Pegahmagabow in the film, The Ace and the Scout (2022).

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_46d3c551a1a14c479c7f5febde718c6d~mv2.jpg Elise Lavallée has studied at Le Conservatoire de Musique de Québec, in New York, and at McGIll University. She joined the WSO in 1997 and is currently Acting Principal Viola. She has appeared with numerous orchestras in Canada and the US. A viola instructor and chamber music coach at the University of Manitoba Désautel Faculty of Music, Lavallée has also been active for the past 15 years as a Radio-Canada (CBC) columnist and host of the WSO podcast, The Silence Between. She is also founder of Les Grands Concerts de la Cathédrale St-Boniface and Les Café-Concerts (Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre).

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_9e3ceb2828ef4f25b6a6dadf600eeea5~mv2.jpg Canadian violinist Gregory Lewis has been praised for his “brilliant technique and control” (Chronicle Journal) and “wonderful musical personality” (Winnipeg Free Press). Since making his debut with Consortium Aurora Borealis at age 15, Lewis has performed as a soloist with orchestras in Manitoba and Ontario as well as the Colburn Academy Virtuosi in Los Angeles. Lewis has won First Prize at the American Protégé International Piano & Strings Competition, Canadian National Music Festival, and Yale Chamber Music Competition. Pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts at Yale University (CT) under Ani Kavafian, he is a George W. Miles fellowship recipient.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_0e85a7f8f6d640f6be7206507ab3e343~mv2.jpg A versatile collaborative pianist, Dr. Laura Loewen has performed extensively with singers, instrumentalists, and chamber ensembles. Associate Professor of Collaborative Piano and a vocal coach at University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music, Loewen is also active as a performer—working with duo partner Allen Harrington on saxophone, The Galileo Trio (Kerry duWors, violin, and Mark Rudoff, cello) and Emerado (Rosemarie van der Hooft, mezzo-soprano, and Mel Braun, baritone). She is founding faculty artist and current Board Chair of Vancouver International Song Institute (VISI), and a long-time member of the faculty of the NUOVA opera training program in Edmonton (AB).

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_2cdead1c01be4aae9adb609860e63fbb~mv2.jpg Acclaimed as a “French horn master” (Toronto Star), Ken MacDonald has played principal horn with the Hamilton Philharmonic, Symphony Nova Scotia, and Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and performed with the Canadian Opera Company, Orchestra London, and others. Currently Associate Principal Horn with the WSO, he also performs with the national touring ensemble, Octagon. MacDonald teaches at the University of Manitoba and also in the Music Alive program, a joint venture between the National Arts Centre and the WSO, travelling with composer/conductor Andrew Balfour to remote communities and reserves. He lives near Winnipeg with his husband, two children, and many animals.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_12b434ec264d43e49650b70d241665f6~mv2.jpg Cellist Paul Marleyn tours regularly in North America, Europe, and Asia. He performs at numerous summer festivals—including Festival of the Sound (ON), Casalmaggiore (Italy), Leicester (UK), and Busan (Korea)—and has collaborated with Boris Berman, Miriam Fried, Paul Neubauer, Marc-André Hamelin, Steven Dann, and Joshua Bell, and with members of the Tokyo, Vermeer, New Zealand, and Hagen quartets. Marleyn has been a guest soloist with multiple orchestras and has recorded for United Records, CALA, ATMA, Signum Classics, CBC, and RCA. Artistic Director of Agassiz Chamber Music Festival since 2000, he is currently Professor of Cello at University of Ottawa.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_608d89b6608f459fa0e749bc027779c0~mv2.jpg Susan McCallum began playing the violin at age five. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from McGill University, studying under Denise Lupien, and her Master of Music degree, from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (UK), studying with Maciej Rakowski. McCallum has performed throughout Manitoba and across Canada and has attended summer festivals at Mozarteum University in Salzburg (Austria), Domaine Forget (QC), and the Banff Centre for the Arts (AB). McCallum joined the violin section of the WSO in 2001. She lives in Winnipeg with her husband, bassist Meredith Johnson, and their daughter Isla.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_b6e4f46501c044bca66adcf72bfa93d6~mv2.jpg Dr. Brian Waabishki-makwa McInnes is the author of Sounding Thunder: The Stories of Francis Pegahmagabow. He is a University of Minnesota Distinguished Teaching Professor and an Associate Professor of Education, working principally in community-based language revitalization and oral history. A member of the Wasauksing First Nation, McInnes has a deep interest in the preservation of Indigenous cultures and languages, and is an accomplished speaker, presenter, and writer in English and Ojibwe.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_a5a7ff41196a42139b04409b4652bb86~mv2.jpg Sam Nadurak is a dynamic cellist, composer and performer. Born in Winnipeg, he completed his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees at the University of Ottawa. A frequent prize winner in local competitions, he was a finalist for the 2024 McLellan Competition in Winnipeg. He performs frequently as a guest musician with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and with Agassiz Chamber Music Festival. He delighted audiences this year at Agassiz’s annual fundraiser recital with his vivacious performance of Fretless and Fancy Free. He teaches privately, and in 2022 composed, recorded, and produced his indie CD, Wide-Eyed, Tongue-Tied.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_11bf15955fe44e4d92b60e0e93d82531~mv2.jpg Franz Ortner is a member of the Swiss Piano Trio. Former Principal Cellist of the Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra in Lisbon (Portugal), Ortner is currently a member of Musikkollegium Winterthur (Switzerland), and Le Concert Olympique (Belgium). Ortner has also performed as a soloist with the Bad Reichenhaller Philharmonie, Kammerorchester Rheinland-Pfalz, and Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_bfe98c983ca3417186c7148a5feda282~mv2.jpg Elation Pauls is Assistant Principal Second Violin with the WSO. She has performed in major concert venues in North America and Europe and is Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy and Festival. She is a sessional instructor at Canadian Mennonite University and maintains an active private teaching studio. She obtained her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from University of Toronto, and a Solo Performance (Konzertexamen) degree at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Rostock (Germany). Her debut solo album, set for release in fall 2024, will include newly commissioned works by prominent Canadian composers.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_1b6d9d01b73d441aa23481e8bf6c1db0~mv2.jpg Praised for her powerful and expressive playing, violinist Christine Pryn has dedicated her career to exploring a diverse repertoire of chamber music. Her span of music includes Eastern European and contemporary music, and undeservedly lesser-known romantic composers. She has shaped a distinctive artistic voice, captivating audiences through performances that transcend the familiar. Pryn has toured as a soloist and chamber musician in more than 25 countries in Europe, Asia, and the US. She has received numerous awards, including the Polish Gloria Artis Medal and the Danish Music Critic’s Prize. She is a member of the Rudersdal Chamber Players (Copenhagen, Denmark).

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_9c031f89361647139dcd245d3d72ac4b~mv2.jpg Joel Quarrington has served as Principal Double Bassist for many notable ensembles, including the Canadian Opera Company, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and London Symphony Orchestra. He has performed solo across Canada, the US, Europe, and China, and is a JUNO Award-winning artist who has received Special Recognition from the International Society of Bassists. A member of the Order of Canada, Quarrington currently teaches at the Orford Arts Centre in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, where his masterclasses have attracted players from around the world. He performs on an Italian bass made in 1666 by Santo Paolo Maggini (Italy).

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_d4742bb5221849fa9d43ae26617916b2~mv2.jpg Andrea Ratuski is best known as a music producer and host at CBC in Winnipeg, most notably for the radio show Northern Lights. An award-winning radio documentary maker, she has hosted many national and local radio music programs. She has also written for the CBC regional website Manitoba SCENE and national music website CBC Music. She teaches music appreciation classes at Creative Retirement, Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts, and elsewhere, and writes for a variety of publications. Ratuski also enjoys hosting music events in the city, such as Winnipeg Philharmonic concerts and the Agassiz Chamber Music Festival.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_dfd4224b7b6c4715843d3e7c65c3cdf0~mv2.jpg Praised for their outstanding and dynamic performances, Rudersdal Chamber Players have played to audiences throughout Denmark and in Sweden, Norway, Germany, Poland, and Russia (before the war), as well as at the prestigious Louisiana Concert Hall (Copenhagen) and the Sound Ways Festival (St. Petersburg). Though the ensemble base is a piano quartet, they also perform in various settings as a clarinet quintet, flute quartet, piano trio, string trio, and string quartet. In 2022, they released Poul Ruders—a world premiere recording of Ruders’ chamber music—to brilliant international acclaim, including 5 stars from BBC Music Magazine and Fanfare Magazine.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_83c84df02e6b4e7d933a52487b2e90d0~mv2.jpg Armand Garnet Ruffo is a Canadian scholar, filmmaker, writer, and poet of Anishinaabe-Ojibwe ancestry. A member of the Chapleau (Fox Lake) Cree First Nation, Ruffo has taught creative writing at Banff Centre for the Arts (AB) and Tŷ Newydd” Writing Centre (Wales), and taught Indigenous literature at the En’owkin International School of Writing (Penticton, BC) and Carleton University (Ottawa, ON). His books include Norval Morrisseau: Man Changing Into Thunderbird and Treaty #. His latest book is The Dialogues: the Song of Francis Pegahmagabow. Ruffo currently teaches at Queen’s University, where he is the Queen’s National Scholar in Indigenous Literature.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_99e67f9212da4bc9867b55b38793c640~mv2.jpg Christian Sharpe is a sought-after performer of orchestral and chamber music on the bassoon, contra-bassoon, and saxophone. He has performed with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and frequently performs at summer music festivals in Ontario. He has appeared with Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Toronto Symphony, and Orchestra of the Kirov Theatre. Recording highlights include the Being Julia movie soundtrack, the Toronto production of Showboat, and critically acclaimed CBC CD, Mozart?. He was soloist on the 2016 re-release of The Mozart Effect (Spotify). A respected theatre musician, Sharpe has played at Shaw Festival and Stratford Festival, and with touring Broadway productions.

A member of the Swiss Piano Trio, https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_63e26f94f3464e569f061cc3748e6d94~mv2.jpg plays piano, along with Angela Golubeva on violin and Franz Ortner on cello. The trio has performed in prestigious concert halls and venues on all continents, in 45 countries. Their artistic work has been documented on numerous radio, television and CD recordings.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_35e955c91be545b589d3a47e8bf3070c~mv2.jpg Karl Stobbe is Assistant Concertmaster of the WSO and Concertmaster of the MCO. He has performed all six Ysaÿe Sonatas for Solo Violin, all 16 Beethoven String Quartets, and all 10 Mahler Symphonies. Gramophone magazine called his JUNO Award-nominated recording, Ysaÿe Sonatas for Solo Violin, “full of spirit and energy... exciting, fearless...” A recent online concert series features him performing all of the unaccompanied violin repertoire of J.S. Bach. Stobbe completed a minor in Violin Repair and Construction while completing his Master of Music degree at Indiana University. He plays on a violin made by Nicolas Lupot in 1806 (Paris).

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_44dca2ccd8a8462c8c4b4291604255d4~mv2.jpg Prolific composer Karen Sunabacka finds inspiration from puzzles, stories, and her Métis and mixed European heritage. With deep roots in the Red River Settlement (Manitoba), she feels a strong connection to Métis, Scottish, Swedish, and Finnish cultures. Her work has been performed by orchestras and chamber groups across the land, including #DryColdConversations commissioned by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (2018), and On The Shores, performed by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (2000). Her first album, Curlicue (2022), with pianist Darryl Friesen, includes her solo piano music to date. Sunabacka is Associate Professor of Music at Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_8ca8a3cde477458aa50119a88d6a5710~mv2.jpg WSO cellist Sean Taubner has performed across Canada and in the US and Japan. After receiving a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from the University of Manitoba under Paul Marleyn and Yuri Hooker, he earned his Master of Music Performance degree on scholarship from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, under Uri Vardi. While in Madison, he was involved in music outreach education with other scholarship students as a member of the Hunt String Quartet. Taubner has performed with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Dubuque Symphony Orchestra (Iowa), and Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra (Japan).

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_44a5b61e3c8644119a528c87fdf9bbc2~mv2.jpg The Swiss Piano Trio—Angela Golubeva on violin, Franz Ortner on cello, and Martin Staub on piano—has earned a reputation as an ensemble of exceptional emotionality and technical perfection. Described by Fanfare Magazine as “one of the very top piano trio ensembles on today’s stage,” the Swiss Piano Trio won first prize at the Austrian Johannes Brahms Competition and the International Chamber Music Competition, and received the Swiss Ambassador’s Award in London. The trio has been influenced and encouraged by many chamber music colleagues, including the Beaux Arts Trio, Vienna Altenberg Trio, Trio di Milano, Borodin Quartet Moscow, and Amadeus Quartet.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_78c8341bfdc046c2baff89017c0e2346~mv2.jpg Liudmyla Tereshchenko has won several international competitions. She holds a Master’s degree from the National Music Academy of Ukraine (Kyiv) before working in Saint-Petersburg as lead collaborative pianist in the woodwind, strings, and vocal departments at St. Petersburg School of Arts. There, she continued to teach piano, and as a collaborative pianist participated in the International Tchaikovsky Competition (2019) and The Prague Spring International Music Competition (2022). Since moving to Winnipeg, she has performed as a guest with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and as collaborative pianist for music students at the Winnipeg Music Festival and the University of Manitoba.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_388b4bf3fa6d4dd88947cf797aacb807~mv2.jpg Trombonist Rachel Thomas has been playing since age 10. In her early teens, the Canadian Brass did a residency at her school, which left a lasting impression. At the University of Toronto, she studied with Gordon Sweeney, Principal Trombone of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She was a regular extra with the TSO for over twenty years, joining them on two European tours, trips to Carnegie Hall, and two Finlandia recordings. Since 2003, Thomas has been teaching at Wilfrid Laurier University (ON), where she brings energy and enthusiasm to her trombone studio, coaches chamber brass, and conducts the WLU Trombone Choir.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_5b8ca6635e0b4d8a89ce8e9a74603e78~mv2.jpg Hailed for her “silvery bright” voice, Canadian soprano Ellen Wieser turned heads in her role as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the world premiere of Scalia/Ginsburg. She is a strong advocate for contemporary opera and song literature. A graduate of the prestigious San Francisco Opera Merola Opera Program, she has performed in Korea, Japan, and across North America with multiple opera companies and orchestras. A two-time laureate of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques, and recipient of the FIDAPA prize at the 2014 Alcamo International Voice Competition (Sicily), Wieser lives in Montreal with her husband, cellist Jean-Christophe Lizotte, and their two daughters.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4021d9_6680ccd4957f4856b5e3372f74ad1bdd~mv2.jpg One of “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians under 30” (CBC Music, 2017), Paul Williamson has established himself as one of Canada’s most promising young pianists. He received first prize at both the 2014 Canadian National Music Festival and the 2017 Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association National Piano Competition. Williamson completed his Bachelor’s in Music at the University of Manitoba, then studied at Colburn School in Los Angeles, earning a Master’s degree and an Artist Diploma. Williamson is grateful for support from the Amron-Sutherland Grant for Young Pianists (Colburn School), the Manitoba Arts Council, and the BC Arts Council.