VSMF Summer 2022 Performers
Viano String Quartet
July 28 & 30, 2022
Praised for their “huge range of dynamics, massive sound and spontaneity” (American Record Guide), the Viano String Quartet is the First Prize Winner of the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition and the current Nina von Maltzahn String Quartet-in-Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music. Formed in 2015 at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, the quartet has performed all over the world in venues such as Wigmore Hall, Place Flagey, Izumi Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, and Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
The 2022-2023 season brings the Viano String Quartet on extensive tours throughout Europe, Canada, and the United States, with recital debuts in New York City, Hannover, Zurich, Budapest, Cologne, Heidelberg, Eisenstadt, San Diego, Denver, Calgary, Newport, and Philadelphia, among other cities. The quartet will also return to Southern Methodist University, where they are in residence through the 22/23 season.
Since the 2020 Covid pandemic, the Viano String Quartet has been actively presenting virtual and socially distanced live concerts for various organizations, including the Dallas Chamber Music Society, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, Friends of Chamber Music of Troy, Corpus Christi Chamber Music Society, Salt Lake Chamber Music Society, Women’s Musical Club of Toronto, Schneider Series at the New School, Bravo! Vail Music Festival, Rockport Chamber Music Festival, and the Banff International String Quartet Festival. With their colleagues in the Calidore String Quartet, they presented a movement of the Mendelssohn Octet while distanced across countries in a film project “The Way Forward.”
The quartet achieved incredible success in their formative years, with an unbroken streak of top prizes. In addition to their career-defining achievement at the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition, they received the Grand Prize at the 2019 ENKOR International Music Competition and second prize at the 2019 Yellow Springs Chamber Music Competition. At the 2018 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition they received Third Prize, the Haydn Prize for the best performance of a Haydn quartet, and the Sidney Griller Award for the best performance of the compulsory work, Thomas Ades’ “The Four Quarters”. They received the Silver Medal at the 2018 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, and Third Prize at the 2017 9th Osaka International Chamber Music Competition before any of the members turned 20.
Committed to engaging with communities outside the concert hall, the Viano String Quartet has given presentations for school children and students of all ages through residencies in Bellingham, Washington—the “Play it Forward” residency, a collaboration between the Bellingham Festival of Music and the Whatcom Symphony to reach school children in the northern Washington State area—Northern Michigan University, and the Santa Monica Conservatory. In 2019 they gave multiple performances of “Over the Top”, a Musical Encounter Interactive presentation they scripted, developed and performed at the Colburn School for inner city school children.
At the Curtis Institute, the Viano String Quartet is chiefly mentored by the Dover Quartet and other members of the Curtis faculty, including Shmuel Ashkenasi, Pamela Frank, Ida Kavafian, Arnold Steinhardt, Steven Tenenbom, and Peter Wiley. As the inaugural ensemble-in-residence at the Colburn Conservatory of Music from 2019-2021, they were mentored extensively by Martin Beaver, Scott St. John, Clive Greensmith, Paul Coletti and Fabio Bidini. The Vianos have also received coachings from artists such as David Finckel, Gary Hoffman, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and members of the Alban Berg, Brentano, Emerson, Miró, Shanghai, St. Lawrence, and Takács String Quartets. They have attended the Ravinia Steans Chamber Music Institute, St. Lawrence String Quartet Seminar, Festival d’Aix en Provence, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Great lakes Chamber Music Festival, and the McGill International String Quartet Academy.
Over the years, the quartet has collaborated in performance with artists such as Emanuel Ax, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Rodolfo Leone, Eliso Virsaladze, and Orion Weiss, and look forward to collaborations with Inon Barnatan, Michelle Cann, and Roberto Diaz in the upcoming season.
The name “Viano” was created to describe the four individual instruments in a string quartet interacting as one. Each of the four instruments begins with the letter “v”, and like a piano, all four string instruments together play both harmony and melody, creating a unified instrument called the “Viano”.
Members of the Viano String Quartet
Lucy Wang, Violin
Canadian violinist Lucy Wang has garnered praise as an artist whose “technical prowess, tonal mastery and stage presence can come as no surprise to anyone who has seen her work” (Peace Arch News). She is a founding member of the Viano String Quartet, First Prize Laureates of the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition and the current Graduate String Quartet-in-Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music, and has performed in venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Izumi Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Konzerthaus Berlin.
A native of Vancouver, B.C., Lucy was featured on CBC Radio’s List of “30 Hottest Classical Musicians Under 30”. A prizewinner in numerous solo competitions, Lucy has soloed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Colburn Orchestra, and Philharmonic Northwest, under the batons of Gordon Gerrard, Bramwell Tovey, Otto Tausk, and Xian Zhang. She has collaborated in performance with artists such as Emanuel Ax, Marc-Andre Hamelin, James Ehnes, Paul Neubauer, David Shifrin, and Elisso Virsaladze.
During the early days of the pandemic, Lucy immediately took initiative to continue reaching audiences virtually by sharing music on social media platforms, receiving nearly 50 million views and attracting over 500,000 followers worldwide. Lucy also presented over a hundred virtual and live socially distanced events with the Viano Quartet for organizations and festivals around the world, including the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, Deutschlandfunk Radio, and the Montreal Chamber Music Festival. Lucy has studied with Martin Beaver at the Colburn Conservatory, Carla Birston, and Gerald Stanick.
She performs on a 1715 Dominicus Montagnana violin, generously on loan from the Canada Council Instrument Bank.
Hao Zhou, Violin
"Personal, impassioned, courageous, and unostentatiously brilliant” (Musical America), American violinist Hao Zhou rose to international acclaim as both the Grand Laureate of the 2019 Montreal International Violin Competition and a First Prize winner of the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition. An accomplished soloist and chamber musician, Hao made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 12. He made solo appearances with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Downey Symphony Orchestra, and Peninsula Symphony Orchestra alongside conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Alexander Shelley, and Thierry Fischer.
A founding member of the award-winning Viano String Quartet, Hao has also performed worldwide in venues including Konzerthaus Berlin, Izumi Hall, Place Flagey, and Wigmore Hall with such internationally distinguished artists as Emanuel Ax, Roberto Diaz, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Orion Weiss, and Marc André-Hamelin. He was invited to the Kronberg Academy Festival in 2019 and has spent past summers at the Ravinia's Steans Institute for Young Artists and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.
Currently, Hao is pursuing post-graduate studies at the Curtis Institute of Music with the Viano String Quartet as the Nina von Maltzahn Graduate String Quartet in Residence. He was the first recipient of the Frances Rosen Violin Prize at the Colburn Conservatory, where he studied with Martin Beaver and received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
Hao plays on a 1783 Joseph and Antonio Gagliano violin, on generous loan from the Aftergood Family.
Aiden Kane, Viola
American violist Aiden Kane is an award-winning musician and member of the Viano String Quartet. The ensemble won first prize at the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition, and has performed internationally in venues such as Die Glocke in Bremen and Wigmore Hall. Aiden is the former violist of the Calla Quartet, the Silver medalist at the 2015 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. The Calla Quartet helped launch the Colburn Conservatory's inaugural Musical Encounter Interactive program, where they performed for 1,500 elementary school children.
As a soloist, Aiden has been featured with the Frederick Symphony Orchestra and the National Philharmonic Orchestra. She has performed solo recitals at the Alden Theater’s Young Artist Series and the Strathmore Mansion, sponsored by the Friday Morning Music Club. Aiden has participated in many festivals with the Viano Quartet, including the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, St. Lawrence String Quartet Seminar, McGill International String Quartet Academy, and Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. Additionally, she has attended the Perlman Music Program’s Chamber Music Workshop and Summer Music School, and Yellow Barn.
Currently, Aiden is a post-graduate student at the Curtis Institute of Music, as a member of the Nina von Maltzahn String Quartet-in-Residence. Prior to attending Curtis, she studied with the National Symphony Orchestra’s principal violist Daniel Foster through the orchestra’s Youth Fellowship Program, and then with Paul Coletti at the Colburn Conservatory of Music where she received a Bachelor’s and two Master’s degrees and (most importantly) an invitation to join the Vianos.
Tate Zawadiuk, Cello
Canadian cellist, Tate Zawadiuk, is both an engaging soloist and founding member of the Viano String Quartet. The ensemble won first prize at the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition and has performed internationally in venues such as Wigmore Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus, Flagey, and Bremen Die Glocke. As a soloist, Tate has performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vancouver Philharmonic, New Westminster Symphony, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, and Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra. He has collaborated with world renowned artists such as Emanuel Ax, James Ehnes, Marc-André Hamelin, Inon Barnatan, Clive Greensmith, Scott St. John, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, and Johannes Moser.
Tate has attended many festivals, including Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, St. Lawrence String Quartet Seminar, McGill International String Quartet Academy, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, ENCORE Chamber Music Festival, and the Académie de Villecroze where he worked with Colin Carr. In 2016, Tate received an Award of Excellence from the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.
Currently, Tate is in his first year of post-graduate studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, as a member of the Nina von Maltzahn String Quartet-in-Residence. He holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Colburn Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Clive Greensmith and Ronald Leonard.
Tate plays on a 1701 David Tecchler on loan from David Kerr’s Violin Shop in Portland, Oregon.
Voces Intimae
Voces Intimae
July 30 and august 2, 2022
The two couples (David Stewart and Paule Préfontaine; Yariv Aloni and Pamela Highbaugh Aloni) in the Voces Intimae Quartet first met while teaching at the Courtney Youth Music Centre in the early 1990s. Throughout the years and connecting when Paule and David would be out west visiting family, they have shared as colleagues and friends the many turns of life. When Paule and David (happily for Pam and Yariv) decided to move back to the area after David’s retirement from his post as concertmaster of the Bergen Philharmonic in Norway, the four reconnected and enjoy preparing and performing a few concerts together when their schedules permit. They have performed several times as part of the Norman Nelson Series in Sooke and for the Music at Wentworth Villa Series online during the Covid-19 pandemic. The quartet’s name, taken from the heart of Sibelius’ string quartet, evokes their mutual love for music and their long-lasting friendship.
MEMBERS OF VOCES INTIMAE
DAVID STEWART, VIOLIN
Violinist David Stewart has enjoyed a wide range of experience in the music profession as frequent soloist with orchestra, recitalist, chamber musician, studio musician, baroque violinist, concertmaster, university professor (University of Ottawa and the University of Manitoba), conductor, and as first violin of the Quatuor Lumiere, a classical period-instrument quartet.
Recently he served as first concertmaster of the Bergen Philharmonic in Norway; he re-won his position after a 20-year absence. He has been a leader in several orchestras, starting out as assistant concertmaster of the Victoria Symphony, concertmaster of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and a mentor/apprentice concertmaster of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra. He has worked as a guest concertmaster in several orchestras including the Hanover Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Trondheim Symphony, the Norwegian Opera Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony, Vancouver Symphony and the Canadian Opera Company, and he was regularly a guest concertmaster with the Porto National Symphony in Portugal.
His passion for excellence in orchestral playing had led to many engagements as conductor/coach for youth orchestras around the world: multi-year engagements with the Deutsch-Skandinavische Jugend Philharmonie in Berlin, the Orchestra de la Francophonie in Montreal, and the Copenhagen Youth Orchestra. As well, he has toured China fourteen times as conductor and soloist with student ensembles from Canada and Norway.
In the course of his career, David has had the privilege to perform in some of the world's famous concert venues including Carnegie Hall (NYC), Royal Albert Hall (London Proms), La Seine Musicale (Paris), Usher Hall (Edinburgh Festival), Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg), Barbican Centre (London), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) and the Musickverein (Vienna).
His teachers included Oscar Shumsky, Steven Staryk and Camilla Wicks. David is a co-founder of the Lumiere Quartet, the Agassiz Chamber Music Festival and the Norwegian Contemporary music ensemble BIT-20.
PAULE PRÉFONTAINE, VIOLIN
Paule Préfontaine has a musical career spanning 35 years that has taken her to many different countries. Presently, she is playing in the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Bergen, Norway, since 2011. In 1988 to 1993, she was assistant concertmaster of the Bergen Philharmonic. She has been a guest principal second violin and associate concertmaster in the Porto Symphony Orchestra in Portugal. She has also played in the Oslo Philharmonic and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra.
She played regularly in the National Arts Centre Orchestra from 2002 to 2014 and participated in many tours with NACO. While living in Ottawa, she was a member of 13 Strings (principal second) and guest concertmaster of the Ottawa Symphony from 2007 to 2014. In addition, she was concertmaster of the Hull Chamber Orchestra.
As a pedagogue, Paule was an adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa for more than 10 years. She was a string coach for the Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy for more than eight years, directing the summer academy program.
Paule also has expertise in baroque period performance practise. She was a full time member of Tafelmusik in Toronto and performed with Arion Ensemble in Montreal, Les Violons du Roy in Québec City, the Bergen Barokk Ensemble, Stavanger Barokk Ensemble in Norway, and she was concertmaster of the Musikbarok Ensemble in Winnipeg. She was also a founding member of the Ottawa Baroque Consort.
Paule has been a violin pedagogue in music summer academies such as the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Orford Music Academy, Summer Music on the Shannon, in Ennis, Limerick and Galway, Ireland and the Courtenay Youth Music Centre in Courtenay, B.C.
She has been an active chamber musician, performing in the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, Music and Beyond, first violin of the Prisme Ensemble (Gatineau), Sysman Suvisoitto (Finland), Bergen ammermusikk (Norway) and the Georgian House series in Limerick, Ireland. Paule is also a founding member of the Quatuor Lumière.
YARIV ALONI, VIOLA
Violist Yariv Aloni is acclaimed by critics for his “impeccable technical accomplishments, exquisite phrasing and superb viola playing”, and as having “a huge, singing tone and a rare depth and nobility of feeling”.
He is the Music Director of the Victoria Chamber Orchestra, the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra, and the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra, and the principal guest conductor of the West Coast Symphony Orchestra in Vancouver.
Former violist of both the Penderecki String Quartet and the Aviv Quartet, he has performed in many European and North American concert halls, including Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center in New York, the Louvre in Paris, and the Tonhalle in Zürich. He has recorded for the United, Marquise, Tritonus, CBC, and independent labels. He regularly performs with the Voces Intimae String Quartet and Vetta Chamber Music and in numerous chamber-music concerts, festivals, and recital series.
Yariv was a finalist at the François Shapira competition in Tel Aviv. He earned the Israel Broadcasting Authority award for chamber music performance and numerous awards and scholarships from the American-Israel Cultural Foundation.
Born on a kibbutz in Israel, Yariv began studying the violin and subsequently turned to the viola, which he studied with David Chen at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem; Daniel Benyamini, principal violist of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; and Michael Tree, violist of the Guarneri Quartet. With an emphasis on chamber music, Yariv also studied at the Jerusalem Music Centre with members of the Tel-Aviv Quartet and at the University of Maryland with the Guarneri String Quartet.
PAMELA HIGHBAUGH-ALONI, CELLO
Praised for her “meltingly beautiful solos” (The Detroit News) and performances of “depth and insight” (Times Colonist), Pamela Highbaugh-Aloni is a founding member of the prize-winning Lafayette String Quartet.
On the faculty at the University of Victoria since 1991, Pamela is an Associate Professor in the School of Music where she teaches cello, chamber music and co-supervises the strings mentoring course in collaboration with School District 61.
As the cellist of the Lafayette quartet, Pamela has celebrated over 35 years of musical life together with the same four members. Highlights of their years include a celebration of the millennium year 2000 performing all sixteen of Beethoven’s string quartets, a 30th anniversary Shostakovich Cycle, a Second Viennese School project, commission of quartets by Women composers, Octet commission and tours with the Saguenay quartet and the initiation of the Lafayette Health Awareness Forum. Their CBC recording “Death and the Maiden” was awarded “Outstanding Classical Recording of the Year” by the Western Canada Music Awards.
Pamela taught for ten years on the faculty at the Courtenay Youth Music School and Festival and is the coach for the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra cello section. She performs also as a soloist and recitalist and has been a guest artist with the Sooke Philharmonic, Vetta Ensemble of Vancouver, Victoria Summer Festival, Eine Kleine Summer Music, Chamber Music San Juan, Palm Court Light Orchestra and the Victoria Symphony’s Summer Cathedral Series.
A native of California, Pamela served as principal cellist with the Detroit’s Renaissance City Chamber Players. She was a Ford Motor Company Artist in Residence at the CCS Institute of Music and Dance, on the faculty at Oakland University and holds an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa from the University Canada West. She earned her BMus and MMus degrees from California State University, Northridge and Indiana University. Her principal teachers include Peter Rejto, Janos Starker and Paul Katz. Pamela plays on a George Craske cello made in England, 1850.
Cameron Crozman, Cello and Meagan Melatz, Piano
Cameron Crozman, Cello & Meagan Melatz, Piano
August 4, 2022
Named “Canada’s next big cello star” by CBC Music and the 2019-20 Classical Revelation artist of Radio-Canada, Canadian cellist Cameron Crozman is making a name for himself both at home and internationally. Performing recitals and chamber music across Canada and the USA as well as over in Europe, engagements have taken him to such world-renowned venues as the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, Berliner Philharmonie, Paris Philharmonie, Philadelphia's Mann Centre, and Canada's National Arts Centre. As the recipient of the Canada Council Michael Measure’s prize, he was the featured soloist with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and conductor Alain Trudel during their 2012 tour of Canada and the USA. He has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras across Canada including the Montreal, Winnipeg, Quebec, Hamilton, and Vancouver Island Symphonies under the direction of conductors including Gemma New, Fabien Gabel, and Edwin Outwater.
An avid collaborator and chamber musician, Cameron regularly shares the stage with world-renowed artists including James Ehnes, Augustin Hadelich, Boris Giltburg, Martin Beaver, Inon Barnatan, James Campbell, Hue Watkins, Gerard Caussé, and members of the Ébène, New Zealand, and Penderecki String Quartets. He regularly appears at festivals around the world such as the Seattle Chamber Music Festival, Ottawa Chamberfest, Toronto Summer Music Festival, Montreal Chamber Music Festival, Helsinki Musica Nova, Birmingham Frontiers Festival, and Musique et Vin festival at Clos Vougeot in Burgundy. His performances have been broadcast on CBC/Radio-Canada, Radio France, Radio Classique, and Medici.tv.
Cameron’s debut album, Cavatine, recorded on the ca. 1696 “Bonjour” Stradivarius cello, was released to critical acclaim in 2019 and described by the French publication Classica Magazine as displaying “technical perfection with a personal style that leaves us wanting to hear more.” His most recent solo recording of the Britten Cello Suites, debuted in Monaco in the presence of Princess Caroline of Hannover, is already garnering similar praise, receiving highest marks from Diapason Magazine, one of the world’s leading classical music publications.
Cameron was one of 6 cellists from around the world chosen to take part in Gautier Capuçon's 2016-17 Classe d'Excellence at the Louis Vuitton Foundation. After studies with Paul Pulford in Canada, he spent six years abroad at the Paris Conservatoire. There he received his 2e Cycle Supérieur Conférant le Grade de Master (Master's level) in cello with highest honours in the class of Michel Strauss and Guillaume Paoletti, while concurrently completing his master's level in Chamber music in the class of Claire Désert and Ami Flammer and an Artist Diploma in contemporary repertoire and creation. He has played in masterclass for world-leading cellists, including Janos Starker, Anner Bylsma, Lawrence Lesser, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Gary Hoffman, Richard Aaron, and Colin Carr. Passionate about teaching the next generation, he has been invited to give masterclasses at the Académie Rainier III in Monaco, Mount Royal Conservatory in Calgary, and the Victoria Conservatory among others.
Deeply committed to innovation in classical music, Cameron constantly imagines new ways to share his art with the world. He enjoys performing in unusual locations, from breweries and wineries to public markets, and makes a point of visiting smaller communities in Canada. He is fascinated by historical performance practice and exploring lesser known works while also being engaged in contemporary music and collaborating with world renowned composers including Kaija Saariaho and Peteris Vasks. He has premiered a number of new works dedicated to him from solos to concertos and is active in commissioning new music from Canadian composers such as Alexina Louie or Kelly-Marie Murphy. He has worked with a number of contemporary music ensembles and institutions including the Ensemble Intercontemporain, the IRCAM, and the Ensemble Court-Circuit.
Cameron has been selected to participate in various international competitions, and is 2nd prize laureate of both the OSM Standard Life and the Eckhardt-Gramatté Competitions and was one of 12 cellists chosen to compete at Kronberg Academy's 2014 Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann. He is extremely grateful for the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, Sylva Gelber Foundation, and CBC/Radio-Canada in his projects. He is currently plays the the Spanish cello “El Tiburon” attributed to Juan Guillami of Barcelona ca. 1769 generously on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts Instrument Bank.
Dover Quartet
Dover Quartet
August 8 & 9, 2022
…the Dover Quartet players have it in them to become the next Guarneri String Quartet – they’re that good.” – The Chicago Tribune
Named one of the greatest string quartets of the last 100 years by BBC Music Magazine, the GRAMMY® nominated Dover Quartet has followed a “practically meteoric” (Strings) trajectory to become one of the most in-demand chamber ensembles in the world. In addition to its faculty role as the Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music, the Dover Quartet holds residencies with the Kennedy Center, Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University, Artosphere, and the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival. The group’s awards include a stunning sweep of all prizes at the 2013 Banff International String Quartet Competition, grand and first prizes at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, and prizes at the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition. Its prestigious honors include the Avery Fisher Career Grant, Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award, and Lincoln Center’s Hunt Family Award.
The Dover Quartet’s active 2021–22 season includes world premiere performances of Marc Neikrug’s Piano Quintet No. 2 at the Kennedy Center with Haochen Zhang, Chris Rogerson’s Dream Sequence for Santa Fe Pro Musica with Anne-Marie McDermott, and Steven Mackey’s theatrical musical work Memoir at Artosphere with arx duo and narrator Natalie Christa. Other artist collaborations include performances with the Escher String Quartet, Bridget Kibbey, the Pavel Haas Quartet, and Davóne Tines. The quartet has also recently collaborated with artists such as Emanuel Ax, Inon Barnaton, Ray Chen, Edgar Meyer, Anthony McGill, the late Peter Serkin, and Roomful of Teeth.
During the 2020–21 season, the Dover Quartet presented more than 25 virtual concerts, recorded and produced at the Curtis Institute of Music. The virtual concerts were presented to audiences across the globe, including the quartet’s first-ever tour to Latin America, which was conducted virtually. Beyond performances, the charming documentary film Strings Attached: On the Road with the Dover Quartet, has delighted audiences since its release in summer 2020.
Cedille Records released the second of three volumes of the quartet’s recording of the Beethoven Complete String Quartets in October 2021. Strad described the highly acclaimed recordings as “meticulously balanced, technically clean-as-a-whistle and intonationally immaculate.” Their recording of Encores was also released in 2021 on the Brooklyn Classical label. The quartet’s GRAMMY® nominated recording of The Schumann Quartets was released by Azica Records in 2019. Cedille Records released the Dover Quartet’s Voices of Defiance: 1943, 1944, 1945 in October 2017; and an all-Mozart debut recording in the 2016–17 season, featuring the late Michael Tree, violist of the Guarneri Quartet. Voices of Defiance, which explores works written during World War II by Viktor Ullman, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Simon Laks, was lauded upon its release as “undoubtedly one of the most compelling discs released this year” (Wall Street Journal).
The Dover Quartet draws from the lineage of the distinguished Guarneri, Cleveland, and Vermeer quartets. Its members studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where they were mentored extensively by Shmuel Ashkenasi, James Dunham, Norman Fischer, Kenneth Goldsmith, Joseph Silverstein, Arnold Steinhardt, Michael Tree, and Peter Wiley. It was at Curtis that the Dover Quartet formed, and its name pays tribute to Dover Beach by fellow Curtis alumnus Samuel Barber.
The Dover Quartet is the Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence at Curtis. Their faculty residency integrates teaching and mentorship, a robust international performance career, and a cutting-edge digital presence. With this innovative residency, Curtis reinvigorates its tradition of maintaining a top professional string quartet on its faculty, while providing resources for the ensemble to experiment with new technologies and engage audiences through digital means. Working closely with students in the Nina von Maltzahn String Quartet Program, the resident ensemble will recruit the most promising young string quartets and foster their development in order to nurture a new generation of leading professional chamber ensembles.
The Dover Quartet plays on the following instruments and proudly endorses Thomastik-Infeld strings.
Joel Link plays a very fine Peter Guarneri of Mantua violin kindly loaned to him by Irene R. Miller through the Beare’s International Violin Society.
Bryan Lee: Riccardo Antoniazzi, Milan 1904; Samuel Zygmuntowicz, Brooklyn, 2020
Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt: unknown maker from the Brescian School, early 18th century
Camden Shaw: Frank Ravatin, France, 2010
MEMBERS OF THE DOVER QUARTET
JOEL LINK, VIOLIN
Joel Link is a violinist with the Dover Quartet, the Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music. Mr. Link is an active soloist and chamber musician; and has been a top prize winner of numerous competitions including the Johansen International Competition in Washington, D.C. and the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition in England, for which he was featured in The Stradmagazine. Mr. Link has appeared on numerous radio shows, including NPR’s From the Top.
A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Mr. Link studied with renowned violinists Joseph Silverstein and Pamela Frank, and served as the Curtis Symphony Orchestra’s concertmaster for the 2009–10 season. He has attended music festivals across the globe, including the Ravinia Festival, the Marlboro Music Festival, and Music from Angel Fire. As a member of the Dover Quartet, Mr. Link won first prize and every special award at the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2013 and the gold medal and grand prize in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2010; and performs over 100 concerts around the world annually.
Mr. Link plays a very fine Peter Guarneri of Mantua violin kindly loaned to him by Irene R. Miller through the Beare’s International Violin Society.
Mr. Link joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2020. He also teaches at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music.
BRYAN LEE, VIOLIN
Bryan Lee is a violinist with the Dover Quartet, the Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music. Mr. Lee has performed as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Delaware, Lansdowne, and Temple University symphony orchestras, among others. He was awarded the bronze medal at the 2005 Stulberg International String Competition and won second prize at the 2004 Kingsville Young Performers Competition. He has been featured on NPR’s From the Top and has attended Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, La Jolla Music Society’s Summerfest, Music from Angel Fire, Encore School for Strings, Sarasota Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and the Perlman Music Program.
Mr. Lee has served as associate concertmaster of Symphony in C and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and as a substitute for the Philadelphia Orchestra. Mr. Lee is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Pamela Frank and Victor Danchenko. His previous studies were with Choong-Jin Chang and Soovin Kim. He performs on a 1904 Riccardo Antoniazzi and a 2020 violin by Brooklyn-based maker Samuel Zygmuntowicz.
Mr. Lee joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2020. He also teaches at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music.
MILENA PAJARO-VAN DE STADT, VIOLA
Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt is the violist of the Dover Quartet, the Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music. Ms. Pajaro-van de Stadt has appeared as a soloist with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jacksonville Symphony, and the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra; has performed in recitals and chamber music concerts throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia including an acclaimed 2011 debut recital at London’s Wigmore Hall; and has served on the juries of the Sphinx Competition and the Banff International String Quartet Competition.
With the Dover Quartet she won first prize and every special award at the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2013, and the gold medal and grand prize in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2010. Her numerous awards also include first prize at the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, and top prizes at the Tokyo International Viola Competition and the Sphinx Competition.
A violin student of Sergiu Schwartz and Melissa Pierson-Barrett for several years, she began studying viola with Michael Klotz at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in 2005. Ms. Pajaro-van de Stadt graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Roberto Díaz, Michael Tree, Misha Amory, and Joseph de Pasquale. She received a master’s degree in string quartet performance from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where she studied with James Dunham as a member of the Dover Quartet.
Ms. Pajaro-van de Stadt joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2020. She also teaches at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music.
CAMDEN SHAW, CELLO
Camden Shaw is the cellist of the Dover Quartet, the Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music. He has appeared with the ensemble in performances all over the world to great acclaim. Mr. Shaw has collaborated in chamber music with such renowned artists as Daniel Hope, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, and the late Leon Fleischer, and maintains an active career as a soloist. Highlights from recent seasons include a performance of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, Op. 56 with the Artosphere Festival Orchestra, where Shaw also holds the principal chair; and the release of his solo album by Unipheye Music, which was met with critical praise.
With the Dover Quartet Mr. Shaw won first prize and every special award at the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2013, and the gold medal and grand prize in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2010. He graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in 2010, where he studied with Peter Wiley. Other major teachers include Norman Fischer, David Finckel, and Steven Isserlis. He performs on an instrument made in 2010 by Frank Ravatin.
Mr. Shaw joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2020. He also teaches at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music.
December 6,7,8,9, 2021
Arthur Rowe
Piano, VSMF Artistic Director
VSMF Artistic DirectorCanadian pianist and Steinway Artist Arthur Rowe is a critically acclaimed recitalist, soloist with orchestra and chamber musician. Following a New York solo recital, The New York Times wrote:” The Canadian pianist Arthur Rowe made an immediate and positive impression...before eight bars had gone by, one knew he was capable of vigor without heaviness, energy without excess of drive. It was first-rate playing: a kind of execution tinglingly alive to the shape and contribution of each phrase". Reviewing a solo recital in London England, The London Times spoke of his "unusual clarity of articulation", and "poetry of expression", and David Burge, writing in The San Diego Tribune said, "Rowe is a marvelous pianist… even when he is pushed to the limit by extreme virtuosic demands... he can concentrate all of his considerable talents on vital matters of phrasing, tone and ensemble".
Arthur Rowe has recorded with various artists for the Crystal, ebs, Innova, GM and Fanfare labels. In 2007, he released an all Schubert recording on the Centaur label (available on iTunes). Fanfare magazine’s review says, “Rowe’s reading (of the posthumous B flat Sonata) is one of the most beautiful I have heard… The D. 899 Impromptus are equally impressive his purling right-hand runs recall Schnabel’s velvety sound… every harmonic change is underscored by a delicate nuance of color change. This kind of expression cannot be taught; it is in the bloodstream and the soul.
A highly respected chamber musician, Mr. Rowe has collaborated with artists and chamber ensembles across North America. Recent and upcoming performances include concerts with the Dover, Rolston and Pacifica and Penderecki Quartets, as well as the complete Beethoven sonatas for violin and piano with Jonathan Crow, Concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Rowe has been a guest artist at summer festivals in Blossom, Interlochen, Niagara, Santa Fe and Seattle, as well as in France, New Zealand, and Yugoslavia. In 2004 The Harrington String Quartet joined forces with Arthur Rowe and William Preucil in New York for a performance of the Chausson Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet, which was reviewed by Harris Goldsmith as a "reading that rivaled the benchmark recordings by Franzescatti/ Casadesus/ Pascal, and Heifetz/ Sanroma/ New Arts”.
In addition to his performing activities, Arthur Rowe is the Artistic Director of both the Victoria Summer Music Festival, and The Jeffery Concerts in London Ontario.
Having previously held positions at the University of Iowa and the University of Western Ontario, Arthur Rowe is Professor of Piano at the University of Victoria, where he has also served as Acting Director of the School of Music and Acting Associate Dean of Fine Arts.
Jonathan Crow
Violin
Jonathan Crow has been Concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) since 2011. A native of Prince George, British Columbia, Jonathan earned his Bachelor of Music degree in honours performance from McGill University in 1998, at which time he joined the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) as Associate Principal Second Violin. Between 2002 and 2006, Jonathan was the Concertmaster of the OSM; during this time, he was the youngest concertmaster of any major North American orchestra. Jonathan continues to perform as guest concertmaster with orchestras around the world, including the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO), Pittsburgh Symphony, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Filarmonia de Lanaudiere, and Pernambuco Festival Orchestra (Brazil). Jonathan has also performed as a soloist with most major Canadian orchestras, including the Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras; the National Arts Centre and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestras; the Victoria, Nova Scotia, and Kingston Symphonies; and Orchestra London, under the baton of such conductors as Charles Dutoit, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Sir Andrew Davis, Peter Oundjian, Kent Nagano, Mario Bernardi, João Carlos Martins, and Gustavo Gimeno.
Jonathan joined the Schulich School of Music at McGill University as an Assistant Professor of Violin and was appointed Associate Professor of Violin in 2010. His current and former students have received prizes at competitions around the world, including the Menuhin International Violin Competition, OSM Competition, Shean Competition, CBC Radio’s NEXT Competition, Eckhardt-Grammatté Competition, Canadian Music Competition, and Stulberg International String Competition, and work regularly with orchestras such as the NACO, TSO, OSM, Camerata Salzburg, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Verbier Chamber Orchestra, Vienna Kammerphilharmonie, and Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Jonathan is currently Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Toronto.
In 2016, Jonathan was named Artistic Director of Toronto Summer Music, which enjoyed record attendance and rave reviews in his first three seasons. An avid chamber musician, he has performed at chamber music festivals throughout North America, South America, and Europe, including the Banff, Ravinia, Orford, Domaine Forget, Seattle, Montreal, Ottawa, Incontri in Terra di Sienna, Alpenglow, Festival Vancouver, Pernambuco (Brazil), Giverny (France), and Strings in the Mountains festivals. He is a founding member of the JUNO Award–winning New Orford String Quartet, a project-based ensemble dedicated to the promotion of standard and Canadian string quartet repertoire throughout North America. As an advocate of contemporary music, he has premièred works by Canadian composers Michael Conway Baker, Eldon Rathburn, Barrie Cabena, Gary Kulesha, Tim Brady, François Dompierre, Vivian Fung, Ana Sokolovic, Marjan Mozetich, Christos Hatzis, Ernest MacMillan, and Healey Willan. He also includes in his repertoire major concerti by such modern composers as Ligeti, Schnittke, Bernstein, Brian Cherney, Rodney Sharman, Vivian Fung, and Cameron Wilson.
Jonathan has recorded for the ATMA, Bridge, CBC, Oxingale, Skylark, and XXI-21 labels, and is heard frequently on Chaîne Culturelle of Radio-Canada, CBC Radio Two, and National Public Radio, along with Radio France, Deutsche Welle, Hessischer Rundfunk, and the RAI in Europe.
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Jane Coop
Piano
Pianist Jane Coop was born in Saint John, NB and grew up in Calgary, AB. She studied with Anton Kuerti in Toronto and Leon Fleisher in Baltimore.
At nineteen she won First Prize in the CBC’s national radio competition, and this, along with prizes at competitions in New York and Washington, DC, launched her career. She made recital debuts at Wigmore Hall and Carnegie Hall, as well as performing with the Toronto, Calgary, Victoria and the CBC Vancouver Orchestras. In 1976 she toured the New England States as soloist with Mario Bernardi and the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada in Mozart’s Concerto in D minor.
Jane has since played in over twenty countries, in such halls as the Bolshoi Hall in St. Petersburg, the Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall, Roy Thomson Hall, the Beijing Concert Hall and the Salle Gaveau (Paris). In Canada she has given concerts from coast to coast to coast. She is one of the few who has remained resident in Canada throughout her career. Commissions from Stephen Chatman, Ramona Luengen and others have been included in both her live performances and her recordings.
Coop’s long-time association with violinist Andrew Dawes, and her more recent partnership with cellist Antonio Lysy, have given her the opportunity to delve into the sonata literature of Beethoven. In summer festivals around the world, she has performed with the Manhattan, Miami, Audubon, Orford, Lafayette, Colorado, Seattle, Angeles and Pacifica String Quartets, as well as with the Los Angeles Chamber Winds, York Winds, and such luminaries as Barry Tuckwell, Jamie Somerville, Martin Beaver, Jeanne Baxtrasser and Michelle Zukovsky. Coop is a faculty artist at the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, the oldest chamber festival in North America. There she collaborates in performances of much of the chamber music literature for piano and strings, and coaches brilliant young musicians from across the continent.
Her sixteen recordings, three of which have been nominated for Juno awards, have garnered glowing reviews and have been heard on classical radio programs in many countries. In December 2012, Jane Coop was appointed to the Order of Canada, our country’s highest honour for lifetime achievement.
David Stewart
Violin
Violinist David Stewart has enjoyed a wide range of experience in the music profession: as frequent soloist with orchestra, recitalist, chamber musician, studio musician, baroque violinist, concertmaster, university professor (University of Ottawa and the University of Manitoba) conductor, and as 1st violin of the Quatuor Lumiere, a classical period-instrument quartet.
He was re-engaged as First Concertmaster of the Bergen Philharmonic in Norway, in 2011 and continued with them until his retirement in 2020.
He has been a leader in several orchestras, starting out as assistant concertmaster of the Victoria Symphony, Concertmaster of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and a mentor/apprentice position as Concertmaster of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra. He has worked as a guest concertmaster in several orchestras including the Hanover Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Trondheim Symphony, the Norwegian Opera Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, the Canadian Opera Company, and is regularly a guest concertmaster with the Porto (Portugal) National Symphony.
His passion for excellence in orchestral playing has led to many engagements as conductor/coach for youth orchestras around the world: multi-year engagements with the Deutsch-Skandinavische Jugend Philharmonie in Berlin, the Orchestra de la Francophonie in Montreal, the Grieg Academy in Bergen, coaching for Norges Musikk Høyskolen in Oslo, Norway, and the Copenhagen Youth Orchestra. As well, he has toured China fourteen times as conductor and soloist with student ensembles from Canada and Norway.
His teachers included Oscar Shumsky, Steven Staryk and Camilla Wicks. David is a co-founder of the Lumiere Quartet, the Agassiz Chamber Music Festival and the Norwegian Contemporary music ensemble BIT-20.
Yariv Aloni
Viola
Yariv Aloni is the music director of the Victoria Chamber Orchestra, the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra and the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also appearing frequently as principal guest conductor with the West Coast Symphony Orchestra in Vancouver and the Civic Orchestra of Victoria. He was the founder and music director of the Galiano Ensemble of Victoria for 18 years.
Former violist of both the Penderecki string quartets and the Aviv piano quartet, he has performed in many concert halls around the world, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Centre in New York, the Louvre in Paris, Tonhalle in Zurich, and numerous concert halls in Europe, Canada and the United States. He has recorded for the United, Marquise, Tritonus and CBC labels as well as independent CD labels. He performs in numerous chamber music concerts, festivals and recital series.
He was a finalist at the François Shapira competition in Tel Aviv. His awards included the Israel Broadcasting Authority award for chamber music performance and numerous awards and scholarships from the American-Israel Cultural Foundation.
Born on a kibbutz in Israel, Yariv began studying the violin at the age of eight and turned to the viola when he was sixteen. He studied viola with David Chen at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem, Daniel Benyamini, principal violist of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and Michael Tree and the Guarneri String Quartet. With an emphasis on chamber music, he also studied at the Jerusalem Music Centre with distinguished visiting faculty from around the world, including Isaac Stern, the Amadeus and the Guarneri String Quartets, and many others. He studied conducting under the tutelage of the Hungarian conductor János Sándor, former music director of the Budapest State Opera and the Györ Philharmonic Orchestra.
Pamela Highbaugh-Aloni
Cello
Praised for her “meltingly beautiful solos” The Detroit News and for performances of “depth and insight” Times Colonist, Cellist Pamela Highbaugh Aloni has enjoyed performing both as a chamber musician and soloist in North America and Europe. Pamela is a co-founding member of the Lafayette String Quartet, Artists-in-Residence at the University of Victoria. With the ensemble in their early years she won prizes in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the Portsmouth (England) International String Quartet Competition, the Cleveland String Quartet Residency Competition and in 1988 was cited as one of Musical America’s “Young Artists to Watch”. The Lafayette Quartet has since remained a part of the chamber music scene for over thirty years with the same original members.
A native of California, Pamela began her career in California and later in Detroit, Michigan, where she served as principal cellist with the Renaissance City Chamber Players. She was a Ford Motor Company Artist-in-Residence at the Center for Creative Studies Institute of Music and Dance and a faculty member at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. She earned her BMus and MMus degrees in music from California State University, Northridge and Indiana University, respectively. She has been fortunate to work with many wonderful cellists over the years in masterclasses and summer programs. Her principal teachers have included, Peter Rejto, Janos Starker and Paul Katz.
Since 1991, Ms. Highbaugh Aloni has been an Artist-in-Residence at the University of Victoria where she teaches both cello and chamber music courses. It is from this base in Victoria that she and the members of the quartet have continued to perform and record while maintaining their leadership in one of the strongest university string programs in Canada. Over the years, the quartet has taken on many projects such as celebrating the millennium year 2000 by devoting their season to the performance of all sixteen string quartet of Ludwig van Beethoven; performing all of the second Viennese School in 2013 and in 2016-2017 performing the entire Shostakovich Cycle to honor their 30th anniversary and dear mentor Rostislav Dubinsky from the Borodin string quartet. The members of the quartet have created and sustained Quartet Fest West, a summer chamber music workshop held at the UVic. They have recorded numerous recordings to critical acclaim and were awarded “Outstanding Classical Recording of the Year” by the Western Canada Music Awards. In 2009 Pamela along with her colleagues received a Degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa from University of Canada West in recognition of their outstanding achievements in Music and Community.
Pamela also performs with various chamber ensembles and in solo recitals. She has performed as soloist with the Victoria Chamber Orchestra and has been a guest artist with various chamber groups including the Vetta Ensemble of Vancouver, the Victoria Summer Festival, Eine Kleine Summer Music, Chamber Music San Juan, the Victoria Symphony’s Summer Cathedral Series and was principal cellist with the Galiano Ensemble throughout its eighteen years as an ensemble.
A devoted educator, she served on the faculty at the Courtenay Youth Music School and Festival in Upper Vancouver Island for ten years and has been the cello coach for the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra for over a decade. Along with her colleagues in the quartet she has developed Canada’s only MMus Degree in Performance with an emphasis in String Quartet and along with Ann Elliott Goldschmid received a BC superintendent’s award of recognition from BCSSA for her work in developing the strings mentoring and pedagogy course which since 2001 has brought UVic students into the school district’s string programs together enhancing the learning opportunities at all levels.
She plays on a George Craske Cello made in England, 1850.
Thursday, August 12, 2021: Borealis String Quartet
The Borealis has continued to receive awards and rave accolades from presenters, renowned musicians and critics alike for their artistry. The Borealis was the only classical group to be selected for the Great Canadian Dream Competition which was televised across the nation and as a result, were the only classical musicians to perform for the Prime Minister of Canada at the Parliament Hill in Ottawa for an audience of over 75,000. Since then, they have performed on every music series in Canada. Amongst other awards, their most recent CD was also nominated for the prestigious Golden Melody Award in Asia.
The quartet is frequently seen on television and heard on CBC Radio and other stations across North America and Asia. The Borealis has also filmed music videos including “The Harp” which were debuted at the Vancouver International Film Festival and often broadcast on Bravo Television and the Knowledge Network. Exploring a synergy of classical, fusion, folk and world music, the Borealis has recorded seven CDs which feature the great classics as well as music written especially for them.
Although the Borealis feels strongly committed to the great traditional quartet literature, they actively seek to promote new works and are strong advocates of Canadian music, with quartets by R. Murray Schafer, Omar Daniels, John Stetch and Peter Tiefenbach among others in their repertory. They have also worked closely with and commissioned music from Bramwell Tovey, Imant Raminsh, Kelly-Marie Murphy, and John Oliver to name a few.
In addition to performance, the Borealis has frequently served as jury members for competitions and most recently at the 2012 EGre National Competition. The Borealis was the String Quartetin-Residence at the University of British Columbia for over 10 years and as Visiting Scholars at Green College from 2000-2004 during which time they often performed for dignitaries including the Dalai Lama. They have also been invited to be the Quartet in Residence at numerous festivals and universities across North America, Mexico, Europe and Asia. From 2012, the Borealis has been the String Quartet-in-Residence at the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival in Italy. Beginning September, 2014, the Borealis will be the Quartet in Residence at Kwantlen University in Langley, BC.
The Borealis String Quartet would like to acknowledge the generous support of the Canada Council and the BC Arts Council. We are grateful for the financial assistance given to further our artistic ambitions and vision as well as enable us bring Canadian music and culture to audiences abroad.
Patricia Shih
Violin
Patricia Shih, Violinist, became a pupil of the legendary Josef Gingold at Indiana University at age 14. He described her as "one of the greatest talents that I have ever taught. Her great technique, inborn musicality, sense of style and virtuosity are unequalled." Patricia has appeared worldwide as soloist and recitalist in major halls including Wigmore Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York performing the Wieniawski Concerto No. 1 at age 15. The same year, she won the Special prize at the Wieniawski International Competition in Poland. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Sylva Gelber Award for the most outstanding young Canadian musician and the Mozarteum prize in Salzburg. Patricia has performed as guest soloist with major orchestras such as Royal Philharmonic, Halle Orchestra, Toronto, Singapore and Seattle Symphonies, National Orchestra of Mexico, Munich Chamber Orchestra and the Polish National Radio Orchestra. Her DVD of Vitali's Chaconne was featured on the Classic FM Channel across Europe. Recently, a half-hour documentary on Patricia's career was televised on the Biography Channel across North America.
Violin: Lorenzo Storioni (Cremona, c 1780)
Yuel Yawney
Violin
Yuel Yawney has performed extensively in Canada, the United States and the Czech Republic, where he completed his advanced training at the Prague Academy with Joseph Suk. He also studied at the Harid Conservatory in Florida and at Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Texas. Frequently appearing as soloist and chamber musician, he has been heard at the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, the Banff Summer Festival, Domaine Forget and the Scotia Festival.
Nikita Pogrebnoy
Viola
Nikita Pogrebnoy was born in St. Petersburg, Russia where he graduated from the world-famous St. Petersburg Conservatory with highest honors. He then came to the United States by the invitation of Victor Rosenbaum, the Director of the Longy School of Music who after hearing his performance, awarded him a full scholarship to study in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Nikita is the winner of the Valentino Bucchi International Competition in Rome, Italy. Since then he has appeared as both soloist and with various chamber ensembles across Russia, Spain, Central America and the United States. He has also performed at numerous festivals including the International Musical Arts Institute in Fryeburg, Maine, and the Colorado Music Festival among others. He has been broadcast on both television and radio in the United States, including the National Public Radio which aired nationwide.
Viola: Pietro Giovanni Mantegazza (Milano, 1791)
Sungyong Lim
Cello
Sungyong Lim graduated with honors from the renowned Yewon School and the Seoul School of the Arts before entering the Korea National University of Arts. During his university studies, he decided to advance his musical education in Europe. Accepted by the Detmold Musik Hochschule in Germany, he earned a bachelor's degree, master's degree, a konzertexamen's degree in cello performance. Sungyong graduated at the top of his class, with a comprehensive performance repertoire and with considerable teaching experience.
Among his many musical achievements, Sungyong has received accolades from the DAAD (Deutdcher Akademischer Austausch Dienst) and from his performance at the German Chamber Music Competition. He continues to receive invitations for solo engagements from organizations such as the German Johannes-Brahms-Saal, and Detmold Konzert Hause, as well as from musical groups in Switzerland , France, Luxembourg, Germany and Korea. Sung Yong has also concertized as an outstanding artist in the French Flaine International Masterclass, the Courchevel Music Festival, the Swiss Lugano Music Festival and the Swiss Sion Music Festival. In addition, he performed, by invitation at music concerts with the Navara Music Festival, and had concerts under Kurt Masur. He also attended the Master classes of famous music professors, such as Lauren Lesser, Christoph Henkel, Xenia Jankovich, Yong Chang Cho and Praha Trio.
His musical talents have been influenced by many recognized artists with whom he studied, including Marcio Carneiro, Johnes Goritzki, Alexander Gebert, Aurin Qurtet, and Sung Won Yang. Sungyong has played as the principal cellist of both the German Detmold Orchestra and the Mosy Chamber Orchestra.
Also, he regularly performed in many chamber music concerts, with duos, trios and quartets in Korea and Germany.
Sungyong currently teaches at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and since 2015, he has been a member of the Borealis String Quartet.
Wednesday August 18 and Thursday August 19, 2021 Joan Blackman, Brian Yoon and Arthur Rowe
Joan Blackman
Violin
Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Vetta Chamber Music Society, Ms. Blackman enjoys a vibrant and varied musical life. She served as Associate Concertmaster of the Vancouver Symphony for many years and has performed and recorded as soloist with the Vancouver Symphony, Victoria Symphony, CBC Radio Orchestra, Turning Point Ensemble and the Banff Festival Orchestra. She also teaches privately and has given masterclasses throughout B.C.
Ms. Blackman is known throughout Canada and the U.S. as a fine chamber musician and has performed with premier groups such as the Penderecki String Quartet, the Purcell String Quartet and the Gryphon Trio. Besides performing and curating the Vetta Chamber Music series in Vancouver, she works with the Canadian Music Centre in their Celebration concert series. Joan is also a member of the Sea and Sky collective which has released two CDs and performs throughout B.C.
Joan has appeared on numerous series including Music in the Morning, Music Fest Vancouver, the Jeffrey Concerts in London, Ontario, and the American String Project. She has also appeared at summer festivals including the Hornby Island Festival, the Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival, Kaimerata, and the Victoria Summer Music Festival.
“Your heart would need to be made of stone not to have loved Joan Blackman’s splendid solo “. “Shapelier phrases and sweeter tone would be hard to imagine”, “a ravishing tone”, “first rate soloist”, “exchanged lines meltingly in a flawless performance” “playing with lyricism, precision, and evident joy”, are some of the accolades that have graced Joan’s reviews.
Brian Yoon
Cello
Brian Yoon is currently the Principal Cello of the Victoria Symphony. He has also served as guest principal with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, and more recently the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in New Zealand.
Since winning First Prize at the 35th Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition, he has performed for audiences across Canada, presenting works by Bach and Beethoven to George Crumb and Metallica. In 2012, CBC Music featured Brian as “Canada’s next cello superstar” with a national broadcast of a recital recorded at the Glenn Gould Studio.
Brian’s main teachers include Judith Fraser (Vancouver Academy of Music), Paul Marleyn (University of Ottawa), and Desmond Hoebig (Rice University). He has received support from the BC Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation. Brian appreciates the generous loans from Dr. Fritz Boehm and the Gail O’Riordan Memorial Fund for the Performing Arts at the Victoria Foundation to purchase the 1905 cello by Gaetano Sgarabotto of Milan.