Alongside their passion for the traditional chamber music repertoire, the Callisto Quartet values frequent collaboration with living composers. The Callisto Quartet can be heard alongside Frank Morelli on the album From the Soul, for which they recorded Meeelaan by Wynton Marsalis. In collaboration with composer Niloufar Iravani, the Callisto Quartet recorded The Maze for New Focus Records on Sirventès – an album of music celebrating female Iranian composers. The Callisto Quartet has premiered new works by Korine Fujiwara and Ching-Chu Hu at Chamber Music Columbus, Nathaniel Heyder and Saad Haddad at the Caramoor Center, and Annika Socolofsky and Brett Dean at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. The Callisto Quartet has the great pleasure of performing alongside many of classical music’s eminent artists, including Misha Amory, Ettore Causa, Frank Cohen, Desmond Hoebig, Nina Lee, Avri Levitan, Tai Murray, Tara O’Connor, Lawrence Power, Miguel da Silva, David Shifrin, Gilles Vonsattel, and Paul Watkins.

As dedicated educators, the Callisto Quartet has taught masterclasses at universities including Rice University, Cleveland Institute of Music, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Washington, and the University of California Santa Barbara, among others. The Callisto Quartet serves as returning faculty at summer festivals including the Bravo Workshop, Hudson Montessori Conservatory Chamber Music Intensive, and Rocky Ridge Music, where Callisto serves as Faculty Quartet in Residence. From 2022-2024, the Callisto Quartet taught The Performance of Chamber Music at Yale University, and they currently serve as Associated Faculty at Chamber Music Connection in Columbus, Ohio.

The Callisto Quartet formed in 2016 as undergraduate students at the Cleveland Institute of Music. The quartet has since held residencies at Rice University, Yale University, the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia, the Stauffer Center, and the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. The quartet was inspired by the symmetry between Jupiter’s four major moons and the four members of a string quartet, borrowing the name Callisto from Jupiter’s most stable and hospitable moon.

“Thalea never failed to deliver a stirring performance” – Calgary Herald

The Thalea String Quartet brings their signature vibrancy and emotional commitment to dynamic performances that reflect the past, present, and future of the string quartet repertoire while celebrating diverse musical traditions from around the world. Fueled by the belief that chamber music is a powerful force for building community and human connection, the Thalea String Quartet has performed across North America, Europe, and China, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center, Massey Hall, and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. They have shared the stage with luminaries of the chamber music world, including members of the Emerson, Brentano, and St. Lawrence String Quartets, and they have performed alongside celebrated artists including Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, violist Lawrence Power, acclaimed Canadian band BADBADNOTGOOD, Detroit hip hop icon Mahogany Jones, and visionary R+B artist Charlotte Day Wilson.

Committed to shaping and contributing to the future of the string quartet repertoire, the Thalea String Quartet has premiered dozens of new works and has collaborated on new commissions with composers including Osvaldo Golijov, Paola Prestini, Anthony R. Green, Akshaya Avril Tucker, and Tanner Porter.

Winners of the 2021 Ann Divine Educator Award from the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the members of the Thalea String Quartet have been celebrated for their innovative approach to education and community engagement. The Thalea String Quartet has presented masterclasses and workshops at institutions across North America, including the Berkelee College of Music, the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and San Francisco State University. They have presented lectures and led discussions at institutions including the University of Maryland, Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, and Wayne State Medical School in Detroit, where they presented a workshop on non-verbal communication to first-year medical students alongside the Emerson String Quartet. Committed to youth mentorship and community music education, the Thalea String Quartet serve as teaching artists for Washington Performing Arts. The ensemble served as faculty and artistic advisors for the inaugural 2023 Fischoff Summer Chamber Music Intensive. Pioneers of virtual educational programming, the Thalea String Quartet has developed a variety of digital content, including two digital video series for students of all ages and the CHAMPS Virtual Chamber Music Seminar, which brought together students from across North America for an eight-week intensive study of the music of Florence B. Price, Joseph Haydn, and Antonín Dvořák.

The Thalea String Quartet served as the Doctoral Fellowship String Quartet at the University of Maryland from 2020-2023. The quartet has also held fellowship positions at the University of Texas at Austin and the San Francisco Conservatory. They served as Associated Artists at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, Belgium for the 2019-20 season, and were the 2019-20 Ernst Stiefel Quartet-in-Residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. They were the 2022 and 2023 resident ensemble at the Lakes Area Music Festival and were the 2023 visiting artists at the Garth Newel Music Center. The Thalea String Quartet were top prize winners at the 2018 Fischoff Competition and 2018 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition.

Christopher Whitley (violin) is from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Kumiko Sakamoto (violin) is from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada; Lauren Spaulding (viola) is from San Antonio, Texas; and Peter Jangwoo Eom (replacing Alex Cox, cello) is from Gilbert, Arizona.

Christopher and Kumiko perform on instruments generously on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank. Christopher performs on a 1900 Stefano Scarampella violin and Kumiko performs on an 1820 Joannes Franciscus Pressenda violin.

« Thalea n’a jamais manqué de livrer une interprétation émouvante » – Calgary Herald

Le Quatuor à cordes Thalea apporte son dynamisme et son engagement émotionnel caractéristiques à des concerts dynamiques qui reflètent le passé, le présent et l’avenir du répertoire pour quatuor à cordes, tout en célébrant les diverses traditions musicales du monde entier. Animé par la conviction que la musique de chambre est un puissant vecteur de cohésion sociale et de liens humains, le Quatuor à cordes Thalea s’est produit en Amérique du Nord, en Europe et en Chine, et s’est produit au Kennedy Center, au Massey Hall et au Weill Hall du Carnegie Hall. Il a partagé la scène avec des grands noms de la musique de chambre, notamment les membres des quatuors à cordes Emerson, Brentano et St. Lawrence, et s’est produit aux côtés d’artistes célèbres tels que la compositrice Caroline Shaw, lauréate du prix Pulitzer, l’altiste Lawrence Power, le groupe canadien acclamé BADBADNOTGOOD, la légende du hip-hop de Detroit Mahogany Jones et l’artiste R&B visionnaire Charlotte Day Wilson.

Engagé à façonner et à contribuer à l’avenir du répertoire pour quatuor à cordes, le Quatuor à cordes Thalea a créé des dizaines de nouvelles œuvres et a collaboré à de nouvelles commandes avec des compositeurs tels qu’Osvaldo Golijov, Paola Prestini, Anthony R. Green, Akshaya Avril Tucker et Tanner Porter.

Lauréats du Ann Divine Educator Award 2021 du Concours national de musique de chambre Fischoff, les membres du Quatuor à cordes Thalea sont reconnus pour leur approche innovante de l’éducation et de l’engagement communautaire. Le Quatuor à cordes Thalea a présenté des classes de maître et des ateliers dans des institutions à travers l’Amérique du Nord, notamment au Berkelee College of Music, à la Frost School of Music de l’Université de Miami et à la San Francisco State University. Ils ont donné des conférences et dirigé des discussions dans des institutions telles que l’université du Maryland, l’université Dalhousie en Nouvelle-Écosse et la Wayne State Medical School à Detroit, où ils ont animé un atelier sur la communication non verbale à l’intention des étudiants en première année de médecine, en collaboration avec le Quatuor à cordes Emerson. Engagé dans le mentorat des jeunes et l’éducation musicale communautaire, le Quatuor à cordes Thalea a été artiste-enseignant pour Washington Performing Arts de 2022 à 2024. L’ensemble a été membre du corps enseignant et conseiller artistique pour la première édition du Fischoff Summer Chamber Music Intensive en 2023.

Le Quatuor à cordes Thalea a été le Quatuor à cordes Stewart en résidence à l’Université de Toronto pour l’année universitaire 2024‑2025. Il a été le Quatuor à cordes boursier doctoral de l’Université du Maryland de 2020 à 2023 et a occupé des postes de boursiers à l’Université du Texas à Austin et au Conservatoire de San Francisco. Il a été artiste associé à la Chapelle musicale Reine Élisabeth à Waterloo, en Belgique, pour la saison 2019‑2020, et quatuor en résidence Ernst Stiefel au Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts pour la saison 2019‑2020. Il est l’ensemble résident du Lakes Area Music Festival et a été artiste invité au Garth Newel Music Center en 2023. Le Quatuor à cordes Thalea a remporté le premier prix du Concours Fischoff 2018 et du Concours de musique de chambre Yellow Springs 2018.

Christopher Whitley (violon) est originaire de Toronto, en Ontario (Canada), Kumiko Sakamoto (violon) est originaire de Medicine Hat, en Alberta (Canada), Lauren Spaulding (alto) est originaire de San Antonio, au Texas (États-Unis), et Peter Jangwoo Eom (qui remplace Alex Cox, violoncelle) est originaire de Gilbert, en Arizona (États-Unis).

Christopher et Kumiko jouent sur des instruments généreusement prêtés par la Banque d’instruments de musique du Conseil des Arts du Canada. Christopher joue sur un violon Stefano Scarampella de 1900 et Kumiko sur un violon Joannes Franciscus Pressenda de 1820.

Drew Jurecka, bandoneon/violin/vocals

Joseph Phillips, bass

Mark Camilleri, piano

Payadora is an award-winning ensemble that performs arrangements drawing from Argentinian/Uruguayan traditions (tangos, milongas, waltzes, and folk music such as the Zamba and chacarera), as well as original songs inspired by that tradition.  Comprised of musicians who are each musical powerhouses in their own right, this “superstar group” has combined their profound love of tango with their classical, jazz, and global music backgrounds to create something entirely new. Payadora is officially endorsed by the Argentinian Consulate in Toronto for its adherence to the spirit of tango, and audiences flock to performances that convey joy, virtuosity, humour, and intense passion.

Since 2013, Payadora has presented concerts and sold-out shows at the National Arts Centre, Ottawa Chamberfest, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, Stratford Summer Music, Toronto Summer Music, Festival of the Sound, Vancouver Island MusicFest, Toronto Jazzfest, the COC’s World Music Series at the Four Seasons Centre, and the World Accordion & Tango Festival in Victoria.  Payadora has also collaborated with the London Symphonia, the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony, the Hannaford Street Silver Band, and the PointeTango Dance Company – exploring the intersection between classical dance and earthy tango.

In the spring of 2023, Payadora’s third and latest CD, the critically acclaimed “Silent Tears: The Last Yiddish Tango”, reached #1 on the World Music Charts in Europe. It received rave reviews, airtime, and press coverage around the globe, including the BBC, CTV, CBC television and radio, the Bangkok Post, NPR, and RTE Irish Public Radio. “…The most memorable release I have ever had the privilege to listen to and review” (WholeNote Magazine). “Silent Tears” is currently #17 on the Transglobal World Music Chart.

They have received creation and recording grants from numerous agencies, including the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council. Additionally, they were awarded a generous grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to create a multi-arts digital presentation of an Argentine folk tale told through music, dance, illustration, and words.

Across the globe, they have won numerous awards for their work. During Payadora’s November 2023 tour of South America, they won “Best New Piece” at the 2023 Yiddish Music Awards in São Paolo. Their most recent tour of Europe in June of 2024 included an appearance at Germany’s renowned Rudolstadt Festival, where they were winners of the German World Music Award (Weltmusikpreis Ruth Award) for their “Silent Tears” program.

Payadora est un ensemble primé qui interprète des arrangements tirés des traditions argentines et uruguayennes (tangos, milongas, valses et musique folklorique comme la Zamba et la chacarera), ainsi que des chansons originales inspirées de ces traditions. Composé de musiciens qui sont chacun une puissance musicale à part entière, ce « groupe de superstars » a combiné son amour profond du tango avec sa formation en musique classique, en jazz et en musique du monde pour créer quelque chose d’entièrement nouveau. Payadora est officiellement reconnu par le Consulat d’Argentine à Toronto pour son adhésion à l’esprit du tango, et les spectateurs se pressent pour assister à des spectacles où se mêlent joie, virtuosité, humour et passion intense.

Depuis 2013, Payadora a présenté des concerts et des spectacles à guichets fermés au Centre national des Arts, au Festival de chambre d’Ottawa, au St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, au Harbourfront Centre de Toronto, à Stratford Summer Music, à Toronto Summer Music, au Festival of the Sound, au Vancouver Island MusicFest, au Toronto Jazzfest, à COC’s World Music Series au Four Seasons Centre, et au World Accordion & Tango Festival à Victoria.  Payadora a également collaboré avec le London Symphonia, le Cathedral Bluffs Symphony, le Hannaford Street Silver Band et la PointeTango Dance Company, explorant l’intersection entre la danse classique et le tango traditionnel.

Au printemps 2023, le troisième et dernier CD de Payadora, « Silent Tears: The Last Yiddish Tango » (Larmes silencieuses : Le dernier tango yiddish), acclamé par la critique, a atteint la première place des World Music Charts (Classement des musiques du monde) en Europe. Il a fait l’objet de critiques élogieuses, de temps d’antenne et d’une couverture médiatique dans le monde entier, notamment sur la BBC, CTV, la télévision et la radio de la CBC, le Bangkok Post, NPR et la radio publique irlandaise RTE. « C’est l’album le plus mémorable que j’ai eu le privilège d’écouter et de chroniquer » (WholeNote Magazine). « Silent Tears » occupe actuellement la 17^e place du Transglobal World Music Chart.

Ils ont reçu des subventions de création et d’enregistrement de la part de nombreuses agences, dont le Conseil des arts de l’Ontario et le Conseil des arts de Toronto. En outre, ils ont reçu une généreuse subvention du Conseil des Arts du Canada pour créer une présentation numérique multidisciplinaire d’un conte populaire argentin raconté par la musique, la danse, l’illustration et les mots.

À travers le monde, ils ont reçu de nombreux prix pour leur travail. Lors de la tournée de Payadora en Amérique du Sud en novembre 2023, ils ont remporté le prix de la « meilleure nouvelle pièce » aux 2023 Yiddish Music Awards à São Paolo. Leur tournée européenne la plus récente, en juin 2024, comprenait une apparition au célèbre festival allemand de Rudolstadt, où ils ont remporté le prix allemand de la musique du monde (Weltmusikpreis Ruth Award) pour leur programme « Silent Tears ».

Visit Payadora’s Media Resources page to see more performance videos, read interviews, and more!

Formed in 2016, Duo Cordelia features violinist and composer Vanessa Marcoux and pianist Marie-Christine Poirier. The ensemble is very active on the Canadian classical music scene and is being regularly invited to perform across Canada. The two musicians widen the framework of their respective instruments by ushering them into new territory. The Duo’s mission is to expand the possibilities within the medium of the classical concert by introducing improvisation, an array of exciting repertoire from the 20th and 21st century, arrangements of traditional melodies and original compositions by Vanessa. This rich combination of classical repertoire and lesser-known works allows the listener to draw new bridges between musical universes that would otherwise be dissociated. The result is a touching and unique concert experience, which goes straight to the heart of our deep connection with music. The Duo has received numerous grants from the Quebec and Canada Arts Councils. Their first album will be released in the winter of 2024. 

Marie-Christine Poirier, Pianist 

Marie-Christine holds a master’s degree in piano interpretation from Paul Stewart’s class at Université de Montréal and also holds a specialized superior diploma (DESS) in piano 4 hands/and 2 pianos from the same University with her colleague Amélie Fortin (Duo Fortin-Poirier). 

Since 2005, Marie-Christine performs with Duo Fortin-Poirier piano duo. The Duo has won many prizes and recognitions on the national and international scenes which have taken them to France, Norway, Italy and United States.  Their critically acclaimed concerts Twenty fingers and a piano, Mémoires and Nuit Blanche have been performed over a hundred times across Canada, the United States and Mexico and earned them three nominations at the Opus Awards in 2018 and 2023. The three albums are broadcasted regularly on ICI Radio-Canada and CBC Music. Their new concert Nuit Blanche, a creation made unique by the dazzling repertoire, live projections of the duo’s four-handed ballet and imaginative stage lighting design, is now touring. 

Since 2016, the pianist is part of the Duo Cordelia with the violinist and composer Vanessa Marcoux, with whom she performs regularly across Canada.  Their first album will be released in 2023.  Marie-Christine also shares her passion for music by teaching, sharing her passion with her students. She can be heard as accompanist and chamber musician with different musical groups in Canada, Mexico, USA and Europe.  

Vanessa Marcoux, Violin 

Vanessa Marcoux holds a bachelor’s degree in violin performance from McGill University (where she graduated with “Outstanding Achievement in Violin”), as well as a Master’s degree in violin from University of Montreal.  She also perfected her training at the prestigious Conservatoire National Supérieur de Lyon (France).  She then pursued a second bachelor’s degree at University of Montreal to study instrumental composition with Ana Sokolovic.  Throughout her studies as a violinist and composer, she has received numerous grants and awards, and is now performing regularly as a soloist and a chamber musician in an array of musical activities ranging from classical and contemporary music to world music, jazz and improvisation.  As a soloist, she has been heard with ensembles such as the McGill Chamber Orchestra (2014) and the Orchestre Métropolitain (2016).  She has also toured extensively with the Juno-nominated Klezmer band Oktopus, and her improvisation skills have led her to work with many other renowned Montreal-based ensembles.  She has performed worldwide, cumulating performances across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.  Since the foundation of Duo Cordelia in 2016, she travels regularly across Canada with pianist Marie-Christine Poirier to present their three programs. 

As a composer, her works have been performed by diverse formations and ensembles such as the Québec Symphony Orchestra, the Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra and the Duo Fortin-Poirier, among others.  Her music has also been featured in the motion picture Restless River, for which she has written and produced the original soundtrack.  She pursues an active career on all fronts and draws inspiration from these many sources to fuel her musical journey. 

Vanessa plays on a beautiful Carlo Giuseppe Testore 1712 violin and a violin bow by Louis Morizot provided by Canimex corporation, from Drummondville, Quebec (Canada) 

Le Duo Cordelia, formé en 2016, est très actif sur la scène canadienne et est régulièrement invité à se produire partout à travers le pays. Les deux musiciennes tendent les multiples cordes à leurs arcs afin d’élargir le cadre de leurs instruments respectifs en les entraînant dans des zones très peu explorées en mettant de l’avant l’improvisation musicale, le répertoire des 20e et 21e siècles, des arrangements d’oeuvres traditionnelles et des compositions originales de Vanessa. Ce riche alliage permet à l’auditeur de faire de nouveaux liens entre des univers musicaux qui seraient autrement dissociés. Le résultat est une expérience de concert touchante et unique, qui va droit au coeur de notre connexion profonde avec la musique. Le duo est régulièrement soutenu par les Conseils des arts ( de Montréal, du Québec et du Canada) et sortira son premier album à l’hiver 2024.

Vanessa Marcoux, violon
Vanessa Marcoux détient un baccalauréat de l’Université McGill (où elle a obtenu la mention « Outstanding Achievement in Violin ») ainsi qu’une maîtrise en interprétation de l’Université de Montréal, en plus d’avoir effectué un stage de perfectionnement au prestigieux Conservatoire national supérieur de Lyon. Elle a également complété un second baccalauréat en composition instrumentale à l’Université de Montréal, où elle a étudié auprès d’Ana Sokolovic. Elle a reçu plusieurs bourses et prix en tant que violoniste et compositrice et se produit régulièrement en concert à titre de soliste et chambriste, tant pour le répertoire classique que pour la musique contemporaine et les musiques métissées.

En 2016, elle fonde avec Marie-Christine le Duo Cordelia, qui se démarque depuis ce temps sur la scène musicale canadienne. Elle s’intéresse également à l’improvisation musicale et a suivi plusieurs cours de perfectionnement en France, en Allemagne ainsi qu’au Canada. Recherchée sur la scène montréalaise pour ses qualités d’improvisatrice, elle a à son actif plusieurs enregistrements pour des artistes canadiens de renommée internationale. Ses nombreuses collaborations la mèneront à performer en Europe, en Afrique et en Asie. Elle s’est également produite pendant près de dix ans avec le groupe Oktopus, qui a reçu une nomination aux prix Juno ainsi qu’aux Canadian Folk Music Awards pour son deuxième album Hapax, paru en 2017.

Entant que compositrice, elle a écrit pour des ensembles variés, allant de la musique sérieuse àà la musique populaire, en passant par la musique de film et les oeuvres pour enfants. Ses oeuvres ont été jouées entre autres par l’Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, l’Orchestre Symphonique de Sherbrooke et le duo Fortin-Poirier. Son premier album solo, paru en janvier 2023 et intitulé La Jungle, a été chaleureusement accueilli par la critique. Vanessa joue un magnifique violon Carlo Giuseppe Testore, Milan, ca. 1712, ainsi qu’un archet de violon Louis Morizot (père) gracieusement mis à sa disposition par la compagnie CANIMEX INC. de Drummondville (Québec).

Marie-Christine Poirier, Piano
Marie-Christine détient une maîtrise en interprétation de l’Université de Montréal (classe de Paul Stewart,) ainsi qu’un diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées (DESS) en piano quatre mains/deux pianos en compagnie de sa collègue Amélie Fortin.

Depuis 2005, elle se distingue avec Amélie au sein du Duo Fortin-Poirier. Les pianistes-duettistes ont remporté de nombreux prix et reconnaissances au niveau national et international qui les amèneront à se produire en France, en Norvège, en Italie et aux États-Unis. Leurs concerts Vingt doigts et un piano, Mémoires et Nuit Blanche ont été présentés plus d’une centaine de fois à travers le Canada, les États-Unis et le Mexique. En 2018 et en 2023, les concerts Mémoires et Nuit blanche sont finalistes dans la catégorie « Concert de l’année » au gala des Prix Opus. On peut entendre régulièrement leurs trois albums sur les ondes d’ICI Radio-Canada et CBC Music.

Depuis 2016, la pianiste est membre fondatrice du Duo Cordelia avec la violoniste et compositrice Vanessa Marcoux, avec qui elle se produit régulièrement à travers le Canada. Le duo prépare un premier album dont la sortie est prévue à l’hiver 2024. Par ailleurs, Marie-Christine partage sa passion de la musique en enseignant depuis plus de 20 ans. Elle peut être entendue comme chambriste et accompagnatrice avec différents ensembles, en plus d’être boursière à plusieurs reprises du Conseil des Arts du Canada, du Conseil des Arts et des lettres du Québec et du Conseil des Arts de Montréal.

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

Eva Aronian

Born in 1995, Canadian-Armenian violinist Eva Aronian has received prestigious accolades, most recently the 2020/21 Sylva Gelber Music Foundation Award and the 2019/20 Alberta Foundation for the Arts Award, as well as top prizes at the Brookline Symphony Orchestra Competition (2019), Minnesota Orchestra Young Artists Competition (2019) and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal Manulife Competition (2016). Praised as an artist “balancing emotional weight and technical virtuosity […] conveying the music’s power with a persuasiveness matched by few and surpassed by none” by ​Culture Spot LA​, she has graced audiences with solo and chamber music performances across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, and Norway. Ms. Aronian also served as teaching assistant to Donald Weilerstein at the New England Conservatory from 2017-2018. 

Ms. Aronian is the recipient of many awards, including first prize in the Canadian Music Competition, first prize in the 2015 “Città di Barlassina” Soloists and Orchestra Competition, the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation Award (2018/19), and the Borromeo String Quartet’s Guest Artist Award at the New England Conservatory. Her diverse range of repertoire in both traditional and contemporary canons has been featured at chamber music festivals, including the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, ChamberFest Cleveland, Ottawa Chamberfest, Dilijan Chamber Music Series, and Yellow Barn. She has performed numerous premieres (including the North American premiere of Jörg Widmann’s Oktett), and in such halls as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Jordan Hall (Boston), Zipper Hall (LA), Maison Symphonique (Montreal), Teatro dal Verme (Milan), and the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia). Most recently, Ms. Aronian was an Artist in Residence at the Sunset Chamberfest (Los Angeles) and the Mellon Music Festival (Davis, CA). She has also been featured on BBC Radio 3, playing the music of Anders Hillborg. 

Additional festival and masterclass appearances by Ms. Aronian include the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove, Four Seasons Chamber Music, Festival Pablo Casals Prades, the Kronberg Academy, and the Perlman Music Program. She has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Kim Kashkashian, Roger Tapping, Laurence Lesser, Robert McDonald, Anthony Marwood, Lucy Chapman, Hsin-Yun Huang, the Borromeo String Quartet, as well as the East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO), the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, among others. 

Ms. Aronian earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the New England Conservatory in 2017 and 2019, respectively, under the tutelage of Donald Weilerstein. During her time at NEC, she was an intern for ​Music for Food​, a musician-led initiative founded by Kim Kashkashian to fight hunger in local communities. 

She is continuing her studies as an Artist Diploma candidate with David Takeno at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, UK. 

Ms. Aronian plays the c.1700 “Bell” Giovanni Tononi violin on generous loan from the Canada Council for the Arts. She is also very grateful to the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and the Canadian Centennial Scholarship fund for their support. 

Cameron Crozman

– VISIT ARONIAN & CROZMAN’S EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT PAGE –

The Thalea String Quartet is dedicated to bringing timeless music to audiences from all walks of life. From living rooms to concert stages around the world, the Thalea String Quartet aims to connect with audiences on a musical, emotional, and personal level, from first-time listeners to string quartet aficionados. They are devoted to building a new and diverse audience for chamber music through innovative programming and community engagement.  

Formed in 2014 at the Zephyr International Chamber Music Festival in Courmayeur, Italy, the Thalea String Quartet has been praised for their “vibrant performance” and “sincere expressivity” (SF Classical Voice). The quartet has performed recitals across Europe, China, the United States, and Canada, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center, Massey Hall, and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. They were recently named the Doctoral Fellowship String Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Maryland, and have held fellowship positions at the University of Texas at Austin under the Miró Quartet, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. They currently serve as Associated Artists at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, Belgium.  

The Thalea String Quartet were top prize winners at both the 2018 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the 2018 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition, and were named the Ernst Stiefel Quartet-in-Residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts for the 2019/20 season.  

The Thalea String Quartet prides itself on the diversity of its collaborations. They have shared the stage with members of the St. Lawrence, Emerson, Alban Berg, and Borromeo quartets, and have performed alongside Lawrence Power, Gilbert Kalish, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw. Committed to collaborating with artists of all backgrounds, the Thalea String Quartet has collaborated with San Francisco-based dance theatre company the Joe Goode Performance Group, premiered a new work by Detroit-based spoken word artist Mohogany Jones, and appeared with acclaimed Canadian band BADBADNOTGOOD at the iconic Massey Hall.  

The members of the Thalea String Quartet are dedicated educators and bring their commitment to teaching and community engagement to their frequent educational and community performances. They have performed educational concerts to students of all ages and regularly perform at care facilities and schools across the United States.  

Christopher Whitley (violin) is originally from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Kumiko Sakamoto (violin) is from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada; Luis Bellorín (viola) is from Naperville, Illinois, and Titilayo Ayangade (cello) is from Cincinnati, Ohio. Christopher performs on the 1700 “Taft” Stradivari, generously on loan by the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank.  

The Thalea String Quartet is a fiscally-sponsored affiliate of InterMusic SF, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to small-ensemble music in the San Francisco Bay Area.  

Represented in North America by Lisa Sapinkopf Artists  

« Thalea n’a jamais manqué de présenter un spectacle émouvant. » -Calgary Herald.  

Le Quatuor à cordes Thalea se consacre à présenter de la musique intemporelle à des publics de tous les horizons. Que ce soient des concerts présentés dans des salons intimes ou dans des salles de spectacles du monde entier, le Quatuor à cordes Thalea veut rejoindre son public sur le plan musical, émotionnel et personnel, autant ceux qui les entendent pour la première fois que les aficionados de quatuors à cordes. Ils se consacrent à bâtir un nouveau public diversifié pour la musique de chambre au moyen d’une programmation novatrice et d’un engagement communautaire. 

Formé en 2014 lors du Festival international de musique de chambre Zephyr à Courmayeur en Italie, le Quatuor à cordes Thalea a été salué pour son « interprétation animée » et « son expression sincère » (SF Classical Voice). Le quatuor a présenté des récitals en Europe, en Chine, aux États-Unis et au Canada, et a donné des spectacles au Kennedy Center, à Massey Hall et dans la salle Weill du Carnegie Hall. Ils ont été récompensés récemment d’une bourse doctorale pour Quatuor à Cordes en résidence de l’Université du Maryland et ont été offert les postes de boursiers à l’Université du Texas à Austin sous le Quatuor Miró et au Conservatoire de musique de San Francisco. Ils sont présentement Artistes associés à la Chapelle musicale reine Élizabeth à Waterloo en Belgique. 

Le Quatuor à cordes Thalea a remporté les honneurs au Concours national de musique de chambre Fischoff en 2018 et le Concours de musique de chambre de Yellow Springs, également en 2018, et ont été nommés Quatuor Ernst Stiefel en résidence au Centre Caramoor pour les arts et la musique pendant la saison 2019-2020. 

Le Quatuor à cordes Thalea est fier de la diversité de ses collaborations. Il a partagé la scène avec les membres des quatuors St. Lawrence, Emerson, Alan Berg et Borromeo et a joué avec Lawrence Power, Gilbert Kalish, and la compositrice Caroline Shaw qui est récipiendaire d’un prix Pulitzer. Le Quatuor à cordes Thalea s’est engagé à collaborer avec des artistes de toutes origines. Ses membres ont travaillé avec la compagnie de danse-théâtre Joe Goode Performance Group de San Francisco, ils ont participé à la première d’une nouvelle œuvre de l’artiste de création orale Mohogany Jones qui est originaire de Detroit et se sont produits avec l’orchestre canadien de renom BADBADNOTGOOD au fameux Massey Hall.  

Les membres du Quatuor à cordes Thalea sont des éducateurs dévoués et partagent leur engagement à l’enseignement et à la communauté lors de leurs nombreuses présentations éducatives et communautaires. Ils ont présenté des concerts éducationnels à des élèves de tous âges et jouent régulièrement aux foyers de soins et aux écoles partout aux États-Unis. 

Christopher Whitley (violon) est originaire de Toronto, Ontario, Kumiko Sakamoto (violon) vient de Medicine Hat, Alberta, Luis Bellorin (alto) est de Naperville, Illinois et Titilayo Ayangade (violoncelle) est de Cincinnati, Ohio. Christopher joue avec le violon Stradivarius Taft (v. 1700), qui lui est généreusement prêté par la Banque d’instruments de musique du Conseil des arts du Canada. 

Le Quatuor à cordes Thalea est parrainé par InterMusic SF, un organisme sans but lucratif consacré à la musique pour petits ensembles de la région de San Francisco Bay. 

Ils sont représentés en Amérique du Nord par Lisa Sapinkopf Artists. 

-VISIT THE THALEA QUARTET’S EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT PAGE –

– VISIT MEAGAN&AMY’S EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT PAGE TO LEARN MORE –

Luri Lee, violin

Emily Kruspe violin

Hezekiah Leung, viola

Jonathan Lo, cello

ROLSTON STRING QUARTET

The 2018 recipient and first international ensemble chosen for the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award from Chamber Music America, Canada’s Rolston String Quartet continue to receive acclamation and recognition for their musical excellence. In 2016, a monumental year, they earn First Prize win at the 12th Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC). In that same year, the quartet’s winning included Astral’s National Auditions and Grand Prize of the 31st Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition. They were also prizewinners at the 2016 Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition and the inaugural M-Prize competition. There is no wonder they were named among CBC Radio’s “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30” in 2016.

On the heels of their Banff win, Rolston String Quartet immediately embarked upon the BISQC Winner’s Tour, taking them to Germany, Italy, Austria, Canada, and United States. As Ludwig van Toronto states, “they performed with a maturity and cohesion rivaling the best string quartets in the world.” In the 2017-18 season, they tip the 100-concert milestone with performances throughout Canada, United States, Germany, Brussels, Italy, and Israel. Highlights included the Smithsonian, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Koerner Hall, and the Esterhazy Palace. The 2018-19 season highlights include debut performances at Carnegie Hall, Freer Gallery, Wigmore Hall, Chamber Music Houston, two major tours in Canada under the Prairie Debut and Debut Atlantic touring networks, and three European tours with dates in Leipzig, Berlin, Lucerne, Heidelberg, Barcelona, Graz, and other centres.

Rolston String Quartet began their two-year term as the Yale School of Music’s fellowship quartet-in-residence in the fall of 2017. They have also served as the graduate quartet-in-residence at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and have participated in residencies and fellowships at the Académie musicale de Villecroze, Aspen Music Festival, Banff Centre, McGill International String Quartet Academy, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Robert Mann String Quartet Institute, St. Lawrence String Quartet Seminar, and the Yehudi Menuhin Chamber Music Festival.

Notable collaborations include performances with renowned artists Andrés Díaz, Gilbert Kalish, Mark Morris, Arthur Rowe, Robert McDonald, Donald Palma, Jon Kimura Parker, and Miguel da Silva. Additionally, they have worked with songwriter Kishi Bashi and composers John Luther Adams and Brian Current. Primary mentors include the Brentano Quartet, James Dunham, Norman Fischer, and Kenneth Goldsmith, and the quartet has received additional guidance from the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Barry Shiffman, Miguel da Silva, and Alastair Tait.

The Rolston String Quartet – Luri Lee (violin), Hezekiah Leung (viola), Jonathan Lo (cello), and new member as of spring 2018 Emily Kruspe (violin) – was formed in the summer of 2013 at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s Chamber Music Residency. They take their name from Canadian violinist Thomas Rolston, founder and long-time director of the Music and Sound Programs at the Banff Centre.

Luri Lee plays a Carlo Tononi violin, generously on loan from Shauna Rolston Shaw. Rolston String Quartet is endorsed by Jargar Strings of Denmark.

– VISIT THE ROLSTON STRING QUARTET’S EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT PAGE, and MORE PERFORMANCE VIDEOS – 

Rolston String Quartet Bio en français ici

Christina Bouey, violin

Pierre-André Doucet, piano

Two extraordinary Atlantic Canadians join forces to bring their musical gifts back home! Debut Atlantic has teamed up Prince Edward Island violinist Christina Bouey and New Brunswick pianist Pierre-André Doucet for a special program sure to lift your spirits. Two musical powerhouses, this duo is sure to ignite the stage!

Christina Bouey, violin

Canadian violinist, Christina Bouey, is hailed by the New York Times for playing “beautifully,” by the New York Post, “When violinist Christina Bouey spun out that shimmering tune, I thought I died and went to heaven,” and by Opera News, for playing “with exquisite, quivering beauty.” Among her awards and prizes include the Grand Prize at the Fischoff Competition, Osaka International Chamber Competition, Hugo Kortchak Award for outstanding achievement in chamber music, Heida Hermann International, Canadian National Music Festival, Queens Concerto Competition, and the Balsam Duo Competition.

Christina has performed as soloist with the Greenwich Symphony, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, River Cities Symphony, Tonkünstler Ensemble, Metro Chamber Orchestra, Bergen Symphony, Prince Edward Island Symphony, Banff Orchestra, Shattered Glass and the Hemenway Strings. Her solo and chamber credits include Carnegie Hall, Esterházy Palace, Yamaha Center Auditorium, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Schneider Series, the Dame Myra Hess series, La Jolla Summer Fest, Emilia Romagna Festival, Harvard Club of New York, Montreal Chamber Festival, Kansas International Music Festival and the Indian River Festival. She has also been featured on WQXR New York. Christina has collaborated with artists such as Jeremy Denk, Paul Coletti, Lynn Chang, Steven Doane, Rosemary Elliott, David Geber, Clive Greensmith, Joji Hattori, Nicholas Mann, Irina Muresanu, and Bright Sheng.

Christina graduated from Manhattan School of Music (2013) with a Professional Studies Certificate in Orchestral Performance, studying with Glenn Dicterow and Lisa Kim as a full scholarship student, (2012) with a Professional Studies Certificate, studying with Laurie Smukler, and in 2011 she received a Master of Music, while studying with Nicholas Mann. Her Bachelor of Music (Magnum cum laude) is from The Boston Conservatory; where she studied with Irina Muresanu as a full-scholarship student.

In June 2014, as part of the 150 year celebrations on PEI, professional dancers from Ballet Jazz de Montreal performed a modern dance to her first compositional commission for solo violin, with Christina playing it on the violin. Christina is currently serving as concertmaster of the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, and is a member/founder of the Ulysses String Quartet. She plays a 1900 Scarampella on generous loan from the Canada Council Instrument Bank.

Pierre-André Doucet, piano

Praised for his colourful playing and fascinating writing, pianist and author Pierre-André Doucet is one of Canada’s most captivating young artists. Mr. Doucet premiered with Symphony New Brunswick in 2007, under maestro Airat Ichmouratov, and has since performed with several orchestras in Quebec and South Africa. An engaging chamber musician and collaborative pianist, he recently won a position in the inaugural Lincoln Center Stage piano quintet aboard the MS Koningsdam, a collaboration between the Lincoln Center of New York and Holland America Line.

In addition to having been heard on Radio-Canada, Espace musique, and CBC Radio’s Next! series, Mr. Doucet has also been featured on CBC Radio 2’s list of 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30. Furthermore, recent musical projects have seen him perform across Canada, as well as to Austria, France, Germany, South Africa, Spain and the United States.

Winner of the prestigious Knigge Piano Competition, the Auditions Jeunes Artistes de Radio-Canada and the Atlantic Young Artist Competition, Mr. Doucet has also been a prize-winner at the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Career Development Award Competition, the National Music Festival, the Canadian Music Competition, and the CFMTA National Piano Competition. His evocative and compelling readings of contemporary scores also make him a refreshing and vital musician, and have seen him awarded the Best Performance of Contemporary Music Prize at the Ibiza International Piano Competition, the Best Performance of a Canadian Work Prize at the Prix d’Europe, as well as the Dorothy Buckley Prize for the Interpretation of Canadian Music. In fact, his ardent work in disseminating new music have led him to premiere works by Canadian composers J. Mitchell Burke, Richard Gibson, Pierre Michaud and Jared Miller, Cuban composer Evelin Ramon, American composers Mark Carlson and Libby Larsen, and South African composer Hendrik Hofmeyr.

Mr. Doucet recently completed doctoral studies in piano performance at l’Université de Montréal, where he studied with Maneli Pirzadeh . Previously, he studied with Richard Boulanger at l’Université de Moncton. He has received financial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Joseph-Armand Bombardier Graduate Scholarship), the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the New Brunswick Arts Council.

Mr. Doucet has also perfected his craft and performed at the Tanglewood Music Center, Music Academy of the West, the Franz-Schubert-Institut, the Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival, the Orford Festival, the Gijòn International Piano Festival, the Internationaler Klaviersommer Bad Bertrich, Opera on the Avalon, the Vancouver International Song Institute and as recipient of a Stern Fellowship at Songfest. Through these experiences, he has benefited from masterclasses with such eminent artists as Marc Durand, David Jalbert, Robert Koenig, Robert MacDonald, John Perry and Paul Stewart (piano), and Elly Ameling, John Churchwell, Helmut Deutsch, Julius Drake, Margo Garrett, Kenneth Griffiths, Linda Hall, Andrew Harley, Robert Holl, Marilyn Horne, Kayo Iwama, Rudolf Jansen, Graham Johnson, Warren Jones, Kiri Te Kanawa, Martin Katz, Jonathan Kelly, Laura Loewen, Christa Ludwig, Carrie-Ann Matheson, Michael McMahon, Francis Perron, Rena Sharon, Alan L. Smith, Cameron Stowe, Sanford Sylvan, Liz Upchurch, Dawn Upshaw, Roger Vignoles, Howard Watkins and Robin Wheeler (vocal piano).

As a writer, Pierre-André Doucet has been awarded the Antonine Maillet-Acadie Vie Literary Award for Kilométrage (Prix Volet jeunesse Richelieu). His first collection of poetry and short stories, Sorta comme si on était déjà là (Éditions Prise de parole), was shortlisted for the Prix littéraire Émie-Ollivier, and earned him the Discovery of the Year award at the Gala des Prix Éloizes.

-VISIT BOUEY-DOUCET DUO’S EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT PAGE – 

Maxim Bernard, piano

Maxim Bernard discovered his passion at the age of 13. His development has been phenomenal; by age 18 he was invited to perform Beethoven’s magnificent Fourth Piano Concerto with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra!

In 2004, he met the legendary pianist Menahem Pressler at the Orford Arts Centre and the chemistry between them was immediate. After hearing Maxim play, Pressler declared “I believe in your future!” A few months later, Maxim was on his way to the University of Indiana to study with his new mentor, where he earned both his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Piano Performance. He developed his unique style, and music has become for him a spiritual experience. His sensitivity, his personal touch, and the contagious spontaneity he brings to his interpretations combine to make him an exceptional pianist.

He has been a prize winner at the CBC Young Artists Competition, the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition and at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Concerto Competition. In 2006, his career was launched after he won the prestigious International Stepping Stone of the Canadian Music Competition.

He taught for five years at Indiana University and his qualifications led him to serve on juries of many music competitions throughout Canada.

Maxim Bernard is a polyvalent musician who adores challenges. That is probably why conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin asked him to learn Ginastera’s challenging Second Piano Concerto in order to perform the Canadian premiere of the work with the Orchestre Métropolitain of Montreal at the Maison Symphonique de Montréal. The critic Claude Gingras from La Presse wrote: “The pianist was entirely up to the onerous task, both in power and in introspection. The conductor and orchestra were in perfect synchronisation with him and the spectacular result inspired a long and enthusiastic ovation from the hall.”

He looks forward to his debut in Brussels in 2016 where he will perform a recital in the great hall of the Centre for Fine Arts.

Stanislav Pronin, violin

Violinist and composer Stanislav Pronin was born in Moscow, Russia and began his violin studies upon his immigration to Israel at the age of 8. His first teacher was his grandfather, Veniamin Pronin, a student of Pyotr Stoliarskiy and former Professor at the Odessa Conservatoire. Stanislav continued his studies at Indiana University with Nelli Shkolnikova and Jaime Laredo, and later at the Hochschule für Musik Köln, Germany, with Professor Zakhar Bron.

Stanislav’s professional career began following his solo debut in Israel at the age of 10. He has performed as soloist and chamber musician at many festivals including Verbier Festival and Interlaken Classics in Switzerland, Banff Festival and Stratford Festival in Canada, Kronberg Festival in Germany, etc. He performs regularly in USA, Canada, Europe and Scandinavia, and in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Miller Theatre, Musikhuset Aarhus, National Arts Centre Ottawa, Perlman Theatre in Philadelphia, and so on. He has collaborated with numerous conductors including Leonard Slatkin, Herbert Blomstedt, Antonio Mendez, Sigiswald Kuijken, Andrew Constantine and Joshua Weilerstein. As chamber musician, he has collaborated with Jan Lisiecki, Jaime Laredo, James Campbell, Mark Kaplan, Bion Tsang, Orion String Quartet, Victor Danchenko, Julian Milkis, Anton Nel, Emille Naoumoff and Lera Auerbach. An avid performer of new music, Stanislav has worked with and premiered works of such composers as John Adams, Fabian Panisello, Ned Rorem, Toivo Tulev, Hans Abrahamsen and Lera Auerbach.
Stanislav’s recordings, including his solo CD debut on Naxos/Sono Luminus labels, have been broadcast on numerous radio and television channels including WDR Köln, RTS-1 Belgrade, CBC Canada, Radio Klassisk Denmark, Interlochen Public Radio, WFMT Chicago Classical, etc.

Stanislav is a recipient of multiple awards from such organization as the American String Teachers Association, America-Israel Cultural Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts and Classical Artists Development Foundation. He performs on a Nicola Bergonzi violin from 1785, and the ex-Ysaye, ex-Flesch Voirin bow, generously on loan from a private donor.