Hailed as “exquisite” by the WASBE Journal, Canadian flutist Phoebe Robertson is Assistant Professor of Music at Arkansas Tech University. Her solo and orchestral performances have brought her to such venues as Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw and Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie as well as halls from coast to coast in North America. She has performed as soloist with ensembles including the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic, and Symphony New Brunswick. Recipient of the Grand Prize of the National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary Competition in 2015, she has since performed in competitions and festivals across North America and Europe, earning the Harry G. Archer Award, the title of Major Artist of the Pittsburgh Concert Society, third place in the Flute Society of Washington Young Artist Competition in the American national capital, and top prizes in the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic Soloist Competition and the Silberman Chamber Music Competition. Her playing has been featured on BBC Radio 3 and in records on the Linn and NYOC labels.

Her performances as an orchestral flutist have brought her to halls throughout Europe and North America, including a broadcasted performance with the Orchestra of the Americas at the 2018 Edinburgh International Festival. She frequently appears alongside members of the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra as a fellow of APEX Ensemble, conducted by the Met’s concertmaster, David Chan. She has also performed with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, and Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, among other ensembles. Equally passionate about performing, teaching, and research, her academic focus is on the flute music of Sofia Gubaidulina and the philosophical concept of opposition. She has presented her work throughout North America and Europe, with several publications forthcoming. Her research on sexuality in Greek myths as depicted in music by Debussy and Ravel has also been published in the Eidolon Journal of Classics. She is frequently engaged to write program notes for the North Shore Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles throughout the United States and Canada, and has been praised for her ability to write about music in a way that makes concerts more accessible to audiences with a wide variety of backgrounds. She serves on the editorial board of CAML Review, the official publication of the Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and Documentation Centres, and strives to stay deeply connected to her Canadian roots while living and working in the United States.

Raised in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada, Phoebe earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, studying with Linda Chesis and Robert Langevin. She holds a Master of Music degree from Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied with Lorna McGhee, and a Bachelor of Music degree from her studies with Camille Churchfield at the University of Ottawa. Her studies and professional activities have been generously supported by the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation, the O’Brien Foundation, and the Friends of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. www.phoeberobertsonflute.com.

Pianist, writer, and cultural worker Pierre-André Doucet is a leading voice among Canada’s newest generation of artists.He has performed in every Canadian province, as well as extensively throughout Europe, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States. From 2016-2020, he was one of the first chamber musicians hired to the Lincoln Center Stage roster, a collaboration between the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Holland America Line which saw him perform on cruise ships worldwide. He has been heard on NPR, Radio-Canada and CBC, and has toured under the auspices of both Debut Atlantic and Prairie Debut, among others. Winner of the prestigious Knigge Piano Competition, as well as the Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition alongside soprano Alexandra Smither, he has also been a laureate of the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Career Development Award Competition, the Ibiza International Piano Competition and the Prix d’Europe. His ardent work in disseminating new music has also led him to premiere works by William Bolcom, Mark Carlson, Richard Gibson, Libby Larsen, Nicole Lizée, Jocelyn Morlock, and Alan L. Smith, among others.

Mr. Doucet has been a guest professor at l’Université de Montréal, where he completed doctoral studies under the tutelage of Maneli Pirzadeh. He also holds a Graduate Diploma in Performance in collaborative piano from McGill University. Previously, he also attended masterclasses at Tanglewood Music Center, Music Academy of the West, the Franz-Schubert Institut, and Toronto Summer Music, and as recipient of a Stern Fellowship at Songfest. Through these experiences, he has benefited from masterclasses with such luminaries as Sir Thomas Allen, Elly Ameling, Helmut Deutsch, Julius Drake, Margo Garrett, Marilyn Horne, Graham Johnson, Warren Jones, Kiri Te Kanawa, Martin Katz, Christa Ludwig, Sanford Sylvan, Dawn Upshaw, Roger Vignoles and Howard Watkins. He has received financial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Joseph-Armand Bombardier Graduate Scholarship), the Fonds québécois de recherche en société et culture, the Canadian Art Song Foundation, the Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the New Brunswick Arts Board.

Pierre-André Doucet is the prize-winning author of Sorta comme si on était déjà là (2012) and Des dick pics sous les étoiles (2020), both published at Prise de parole. He is a three-time finalist of the literary competition at the Jeux de la Francophonie (Beyrouth 2009, Nice 2013 and Kinshasa 2023), and his works have also appeared in Ancrages, Art Song Canada Magazine, Impossible Archetypes and Voix plurielles. In 2023, he was the artistic director for Une maison traversée, an event celebrating his publishing house’s 50th anniversary at Montréal’s Festival international de littérature. He has been co-Director of Barachois Summer Music since 2012, and was also the Interim Executive Director of the Frye Festival, Atlantic Canada’s largest literary event, from 2021-2022. Since last summer, he has been the coordinator of the McGill-UdeM Piano-Vocal Arts Residency, of which he was part of the first graduating class.

Comprised of the brilliant Edyelwys Silva (flute), Thomas Chartré (cello), and Jeanne Frenette (piano), Ensemble Callinos brings to life major works and original transcriptions written or arranged for this unique instrumental trio. Deeply committed to artistic diversity, Ensemble Callinos is also dedicated to showcasing underrepresented composers, particularly those whose works are rarely performed. Through thoughtful programming, they strive to bring greater visibility to these voices and expand the traditional classical repertoire.

Their socially engaged approach ensures that music reaches diverse audiences through innovative and heartfelt projects. Since their foundation in 2022, they have partnered with organizations such as Share the Warmth, le Chaînon, and CHSLD VIGI-Reine-Elisabeth, performing concerts that support and uplift vulnerable communities.

In 2025, Ensemble Callinos will embark on an exciting musical journey to share their passion for French music with audiences across the Maritimes and Quebec. Through their captivating projects, Rêveries and Panorama français, and with the support of Debut Atlantic and Jeunesses musicales Canada, the ensemble will explore the rich and diverse landscape of French musical heritage.

Concert Description:

The lyricism of the flute, cello, and piano trio comes alive in the hands of Ensemble Callinos, whose refined artistry brings vivid expression to this program of French and French-inspired works. Philippe Gaubert’s Trois aquarelles opens with impressionistic charm, evoking nature and light with delicate fluidity. Auguste Descarries offers a heartfelt Canadian homage in his Complainte d’après un “Canadien errant”, steeped in nostalgia and national identity. Gabriel Pierné’s Sonata da camera sparkles with elegance and wit, while Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune unfolds as a sensuous, dreamlike reverie. Closing the program is Louise Farrenc’s formidable Trio op. 45, a masterful blend of drama, lyricism, and virtuosic flair. From luminous textures to passionate contrasts, Ensemble Callinos invites you on a journey through soundscapes that are both intimate and richly expressive.

L’Ensemble Callinos incarne l’essence même de la beauté lyrique grâce à son mélange captivant de flûte, violoncelle et piano. Le nom « Callinos » s’inspire de Calliope, muse de la poésie, et de Linos, maître légendaire de la lyre, reflétant parfaitement la mission artistique de l’ensemble.

Composé des brillants Edyelwys Silva (flûte), Thomas Chartré (violoncelle) et Jeanne Frenette (piano), l’Ensemble Callinos donne vie à des œuvres majeures et à des transcriptions originales écrites ou arrangées pour ce trio instrumental unique. Profondément engagé dans la diversité artistique, l’Ensemble Callinos se consacre également à la mise en valeur de compositeurs sous-représentés, en particulier ceux dont les œuvres sont rarement jouées. Grâce à une programmation réfléchie, ils s’efforcent de donner plus de visibilité à ces voix et d’élargir le répertoire classique traditionnel.

Leur approche socialement engagée permet à la musique d’atteindre des publics diversifiés grâce à des projets novateurs et sincères. Depuis leur fondation en 2022, ils ont établi des partenariats avec des organismes tels que Partageons l’espoir, le Chaînon et le CHSLD VIGI-Reine-Elisabeth, donnant des concerts qui soutiennent et réconfortent les communautés vulnérables.

En 2025, l’Ensemble Callinos se lancera dans un passionnant voyage musical afin de partager son amour de la musique française avec le public des Maritimes et du Québec. À travers ses projets captivants, Rêveries et Panorama français, et avec le soutien de Début Atlantique et Jeunesses musicales Canada, l’ensemble explorera le paysage riche et diversifié du patrimoine musical français.

Courte description du concert

Le lyrisme du trio flûte, violoncelle et piano prend vie sous les doigts de l’Ensemble Callinos, dont le raffinement artistique donne toute son expression à ce programme d’œuvres françaises et d’inspiration française. Les Trois aquarelles de Philippe Gaubert ouvrent le concert avec un charme impressionniste, évoquant la nature et la lumière avec une délicate fluidité. Auguste Descarries rend un hommage sincère au Canada dans sa Complainte d’après un « Canadien errant », imprégnée de nostalgie et d’identité nationale. La Sonata da camera de Gabriel Pierné brille par son élégance et son esprit, tandis que le Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune de Debussy se déploie comme une rêverie sensuelle et onirique. Le programme se termine par le formidable Trio op. 45 de Louise Farrenc, un mélange magistral de drame, de lyrisme et de virtuosité. Des textures lumineuses aux contrastes passionnés, l’Ensemble Callinos vous invite à un voyage à travers des paysages sonores à la fois intimes et riches en expressions.

– Yves Bernard, Le Devoir (Montreal) 

“… The duo plays the music unwrapping each statuesque melody as if revealing some delightful mystery for the listener to grasp with their ears with great expectation.”

– Raul da Gama, World Music Report (Ottawa) 

Flute and guitar duo, Duo Beija-Flor, presents a dynamic and accessible repertoire of classical works inspired by the many diverse cultures found around the world. This fresh and modern style they call ethno-classical highlights the emotions and experiences we all share, expressing them through the lens of music. 

The duo has performed across Canada, the United States, Argentina, and Costa Rica. To date, they have released three crikcally acclaimed albums: Envol (2011), Muzica (2013), and Costas (2018). The duo’s latest album, Costas, was released in September 2018 with the American label Big Round Records/NAXOS of America and garnered rave reviews (4.5/5 Winnipeg Free Press, 4/4 Cinemusical (USA), McNally Robinson Booksellers/Classic 107FM (Manitoba) album of the month for November 2018). Their unique approach to their repertoire has led to invitations on many TV and radio programs (Radio-Canada, Global TV, CIBL, TVCK, Cogeco TV, etc.). 

Since their creation, the duo have been recipients of many awards and grants from several organizations, including the Canadian Arts Council, the Conseil des Arts et Lettres du Québec, laureates for Mon Accès à la Scène, le fond de promotion from the GMMQ, the Leo Brouwer endowment from the Banff Arts Centre, residency grant from the National Arts Centre and a residency grant from Orford Music. They were selected to tour under the auspicious of Prairie Debut for the 2020-22 seasons. More recently, they were featured in the digital concert series from Debut Atlantic in February 2022. 

Hailed by San Francisco’s Flute View magazine as “…an incredibly dynamic and creative team“, the duo is known for their “masterful arrangements” (Flute Quarterly, USA), which helps them create a more personal style, something outside of the established flute and guitar repertoire. To lend credence and to better understand the cultures represented in their arrangements, the duo takes care whenever possible to meet and learn from the people and musicians that make up the culture that inspired these works. In 2015, they travelled to Buenos Aires to create and refine their arrangements of Astor Piazzolla’s “Escualo” and “Oblivion,” which premiered at the Museo Fernandez Blanco in Buenos Aires. They also worked with cimbalomist Nicolae Margineanu and flutist Mircea Gheorghescu to better understand the Romanian musical language for their arrangement of Bartok’s “Romanian Folk Dances.” 

Constantly searching for new works, Duo Beija-Flor has collaborated with several Canadian composers to expand their repertoire. These composers include Roddy Ellias’s “Havana Street Parade” (premiered at Concordia University, October 2013), Carmen Braden’s “The Culture of IsolaKon, aka No Rehearsal” (premiered simultaneously online and on the radio in partnership with the University of Calgary’s campus radio CSJW in November 2020, grant from SOCAN and Prairie Debut), and “Petite Nation, Suite Rustique Riponaise” by Sylvain Picard, premiered in June 2022 in St-Placide, Québec. The duo is currently in discussion with the legendary Cuban composer and guitarist Leo Brouwer for a newly commissioned work for flute and guitar based on the Cuban contradanza. The piece, which will be only the third flute and guitar piece he has written, is set to be finished in November 2023. 

In early 2023, the duo spent 12 days residency at Orford Music in Quebec to work on an all-new program, Musings from Elsewhere. This program pairs pieces from different composers worldwide that share a common inspiration. This ode to creativity sees Boccherini meet Rossini, Piazzolla visiting Patrick Roux, Debussy inspired by Miyagi, Ravel by Cuba and Leo Brouwer and Purcell trading ideas with Villa-Lobos. 

Le Duo Beija-Flor, duo de flûte et de guitare, présente un répertoire dynamique et accessible d’œuvres classiques inspirées par les nombreuses et diverses cultures du monde. Ce style frais et moderne met en lumière les émotions et les expériences que nous partageons tous, en les exprimant à travers le prisme de la musique. Salué par le magazine The Flute View de San Francisco comme « …une équipe incroyablement dynamique et créative », le duo est connu pour ses « arrangements magistraux » (Flute Quarterly, États-Unis), et s’est produit à travers le Canada, les États-Unis, l’Argentine et le Costa Rica. À ce jour, le duo a sorti trois albums salués par la critique : Envol (2011), Muzica (2013) et Costas (2018). Au début de l’année 2023, le duo a passé 12 jours en résidence à Orford Musique au Québec pour travailler sur un tout nouveau programme, Musings from Elsewhere (Réflexions d’ailleurs).

Visit Duo Beija-Flor’s Media Resources page to see more performance videos, read interviews, and more!

Claire Guimond, baroque flute
Hank Knox, harpsichord
Betsy MacMillan, viola da gamba
Chantal Remillard, baroque violin