The Sitka String Quartet was formed by friends and colleagues in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. After years of playing together in the larger ensemble, and sharing numerous concerts as chamber musicians within the VSO Chamber Players, it was a natural extension of their like-minded musical curiosity, open-heartedness, and a fearless willingness to explore quartet repertoire across many genres that propelled these four musicians to form a professional quartet. The members are: violinists Cassandra Bequary and Karen Gerbrecht, violist Emilie Grimes, and cellist Olivia Blander.

As chamber musicians members of the SSQ have worked with or studied under the Guarnari String Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet, Takacs Quartet, St Lawrence String Quartet, James Campbell, Pinchas Zuckerman, Menahem Pressler, Karen Tuttle, Alina Ibragimova, and Lorand Fenyves.

Highlights of the last two years included appearances at the Firehall Arts Centre in Vancouver, the Blueridge Chamber Music Festival and the Gordon Smith Gallery in North Vancouver and High Beams Dreams in Gibsons, BC.  The quartet has recorded works of Caroline Shaw for the VSO's digital concert hall, and live-streamed four programs in twenty-four hours from the historic Baldwin House as part of the quartet’s Deer Lake Artist Residency.

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The SSQ has a particular interest in using their performance platform to support social justice organizations. They currently donate a portion of their own proceeds from performance to the Girls Opportunity Alliance, which supports girls around the world by giving them opportunities and access to further their education.

Formed in 2012, The Vancouver Cello Quartet is comprised of four dedicated professionals who perform original works and arrangements for cellos.

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This ensemble of classically trained players celebrates the unequaled sound of four cellos. Since their acclaimed debut, the Quartet has quickly won the hearts of music lovers through their performances of staples of the classical music repertoire as well as contemporary and popular works, all of which showcase the limitless possibilities of the instrument they love.

The mission of the Vancouver Cello Quartet is to create an eclectic mix of repertoire for every concert, shaping the program according to each venue’s interests while maintaining our commitment to musical diversity.

Kevin Park
Kevin’s musical training began in Seoul, South Korea. In 2002 he was given a full scholarship to pursue his performance degree at the University of North Texas. Kevin was invited to perform in the final rounds of many prestigious competitions and festivals and won first prize in the WRR 101.1 Chamber Music International Competition in 2005. In 2006, he was invited to the Prague Conservatory of Music and the Janacek Academy in the Czech Republic for series of recitals. He has been principal cellist of the British Columbia Music Educators Association Orchestra (BCMEA), the University of North Texas Symphony & Chamber Orchestra, the Winspear Opera Orchestra, and the Pilgrim Orchestra. In addition to his career as a recitalist and chamber musician, Kevin currently serves as an Artistic Director of the Vancouver Chamber Music Society. Kevin is a dedicated teacher and is a faculty member of several learning centres in the lower mainland, including the Pacific Coast School of Music. Since 2010 Kevin has been based in New Westminster.

Lee Duckles
Formerly the Principal Cellist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Lee received his early training in the San Francisco Bay Area and a degree in performance from the University of Illinois. An active soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in festivals in BC, Ontario, Alaska, Washington, California, Colorado, and South Korea. For the past 35 summers, he has been the Principal Cellist of the Cabrillo Music Festival of Contemporary Music in California. In Vancouver, Mr. Duckles has enjoyed an association with the Vancouver Academy of Music, The University of British Columbia, the Vancouver New Music Society – (a founding director and performer), the Masterpiece Music Series, and The Vancouver Chamber Players. He has recorded for the CBC, both as a performer and arranger, the Musical Heritage Society of America, Heliodor, Polydor, and Skylark Records. He is currently the Co-Director of the Vancouver Chamber Players and President of the Vancouver Cello Club.

Cristian Markos
Romanian-Canadian cellist Cristian Márkos earned his B.Mus in Music Performance from the Music Academy in Bucharest, Romania. He went on to the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee for post-graduate studies with Mr. Wolfgang Laufer, late cellist of the renowned Fine Arts Quartet. For the 2012-2013 concert season, Cristian joined the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra as Associate Principal Cellist . As an accomplished symphony and chamber musician, he has toured with the Mont Blanc Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the late Maestro/cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, and as a soloist Cristian has performed on stages in Romania, France, Germany, Austria, Greece, Italy, United States, and Canada.

Luke Kim
Originally from South Korea, Luke Wook-Young Kim has been a member of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra since 2015. He completed his undergraduate studies at UBC, where he received the Catherine-Cooke Topping Memorial Medal for musical excellence. Then, he finished his Master of Music degree as a full scholarship student at UCLA. His teachers include Antonio Lysy, Joseph Elworthy, Eric Wilson, John Friesen, and Kenneth Friedman. Luke participated in masterclasses with Lynn Harrell, Janos Starker, Aldo Parisot, Raphael Wallfisch, Paul Katz, and Desmond Hoebig. He also participated in summer music festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival, the Early Music Vancouver Programme, and the Incontri in Terra di Siena Music Festival. Luke has appeared in various concert series, such as the Dilijan Chamber Music Series (Los Angeles), the West Vancouver Community Arts Council, the Vancouver Chamber Music Society, and the UBC’s Wednesday Noon Hours Series. He has performed as a soloist with various orchestras such as the West Coast Symphony (Vancouver), the Seoul Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, the Polish Czestochowa Philharmonic Orchestra, the Busan Metropolitan Pops Orchestra, and the Busan Neo Philharmonic (Korea).

Formed in 1996, the Vancouver-based saxophone quartet Saxophilia has been committed to giving the highest quality performances of classical saxophone repertoire. Its members include Julia Nolan on soprano saxophone, Kris Covlin on alto saxophone, David Branter on tenor saxophone, and Colin MacDonald on baritone saxophone. All of the quartet members are active performers in Vancouver’s music community, as soloists and as band members in a wide variety of styles from classical to jazz to popular music. This appreciation of a diversity of music informs the group’s choice of repertoire, which ranges from the standard repertoire of classical saxophone quartet, to contemporary music, to jazz arrangements and lighter fare.

The quartet has been active in the new music community, appearing in the Vancouver New Music Festival 2004 and the Sonic Boom Festivals of 1999, 2000, and 2006. They were the featured saxophone section in Vancouver Opera’s production of Nixon in China in 2010. Outside of Vancouver, the group has presented programs at regional conferences of the North American Saxophone Alliance held in Victoria and Saskatoon, and has performed at the 12th World Saxophone Congress in Montreal.

Saxophilia successfully commissioned John Burke in 2004 for his piece Gyaling, assisted in the creation of Last Call by Derek Charke, and gave the Western Canada premiere of Peter Hannan’s Fast Truck Bop. The group has also given the Canadian premiere of works by international composers such as Graham Fitkin, Erki-Sven Tüür, Helena Tulva, David Kechley, and Michael Torke. In 2018, the ensemble released their self-titled recording Saxophilia, featuring the music of BC composers Dorothy Chang, Peter Hannan, and Colin MacDonald. www.saxophilia.com

Created during the pandemic year in 2020, the Vancouver Erhu Quartet explores the sonic possibilities combining the erhu (Chinese violin) with western strings. The quartet consists of Vancouver erhu players Lan Tung and Jun Rong, violinist/violist Parmela Attariwala, and cellist Sungyong Lim. The quartet’s all-Asian members represent Taiwanese, Chinese, Indian (South Asian), and Korean communities. Their interpretation of contemporary works is fused with the sensitivity and sense of breath from Asian traditions. At the same time, the musicians have performed/studied various musical styles outside their own traditions to explore innovative approaches. Together they bring expertise in various genres, from traditional, contemporary, classical, avant-garde, to world/cross-cultural music.

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Known for its expressive sounds, the erhu is one of the most versatile instruments. The erhu has been employed widely by musicians and composers in different contexts around the world. Although the erhu is a traditional instrument, bowed-string ensembles only began to emerge in Chinese music in recent years. In Asia, they are made up of instruments from the erhu family – erhu, gaohu, and zhonghu, in various sizes ranging from quartet to larger ensembles. The Vancouver Erhu Quartet takes advantage of Canada’s multicultural environment to explore the combination of  eastern and western bowed strings, as well as diverse influences from collaborating composers. The ensemble’s repertoire includes original works by Jin Zhang, Edward Top, Tim Brady, Yawen Wang, Moshe Denburg, and Mark Armanini. The Vancouver Erhu Quartet’s unique instrumentation provides a new vehicle for artistic expression on the Canadian music scene. The ensemble has performed at the 2022 Sonic Boom Festival and the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra’s 2022 Global Soundscape Festival.

IInfinitus is a critically acclaimed beatboxing string trio known for their unique
sound and upbeat performance style. With a repertoire featuring classical standards
and original jazz/hip-hop arrangements and compositions, Infinitus is quickly
becoming one of North America’s premiere chamber groups.

Infinitus was formed in 2008 by violist Anthony Cheung, cellist Alex Cheung, and
violinist John “Adidam” Littlejohn. Collectively, the members hold degrees from the
University of Michigan and the Peabody Conservatory and have won awards at the
local, national, and international level. They have concertized extensively
throughout North America, China, and Egypt, performing in some of the world’s best
venues, including multiple Lincoln Center residencies in New York City. Infinitus is
dedicated to quality outreach and often conducts masterclasses, workshops, and
seminars. To date they have performed over 1500 outreach performances in
schools, nursing homes, juvenile detention centres, and hospitals.

Infinitus has been featured on CBC, National Public Radio (USA), DMC TV (Egypt),
ViolinChannel.com and in numerous publications. They have released two albums to
date: “Infinitus” and “Christmas Fantasia,” and are currently working on a new EP.

The trio is currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The group is
currently on the faculty of the Thrive City String Boot Camp and the Vancouver
Academy of Music.

The National Jazz Award winning Jodi Proznick Quartet is a fresh, swinging and highly interactive group led by bassist/composer Jodi Proznick and features three of Canada's greatest musical talents: Tilden Webb on piano, Jon Bentley on Tenor Sax and Jesse Cahill on drums. The members of the group have shared the stage with international stars such as George Coleman, Ed Thigpen, David Fathead Newman, Charles McPherson, Seamus Blake, Eddie Daniels, Sheila Jordan, Ray Brown, Kenny Wheeler, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Mark Murphy and many others. Their repertoire includes original compositions as well as new interpretations of compositions by artists such as Duke Ellington, Wayne Shorter, Joni Mitchell, Peter Gabriel and others. 
 

Their debut CD “Foundations” (Cellar Live) received the Album of the Year award at the 2007 National Jazz Awards as well as a JUNO nomination for Traditional Jazz Recording and their second album “Sun Songs” received both a JUNO nomination and 2019 Western Canadian Music Award for Jazz Artist of the Year.
 

Most recently, Jodi was the recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Arts and Music Award for her work promoting social equity, equality, inclusion, and enhancing the well-being of communities of all sizes and citizens of all ages.

The Elysian Trio (Vivian Chen - Harp, Sarah Kwok, - Viola, Paul Hung - flute)  is a Vancouver-based ensemble that showcases the fascinating colors and versatility brought about when flute, viola, and harp are combined. A classical ensemble that integrates newly commissioned works, innovative programming, and interdisciplinary elements to create a memorable concert experience, concerts this season include performances in the 14th World Harp Congress in Wales, Celebrate Canada Music Day, the Sonic Boom Festival, and concerts presented by the Vancouver Chamber Players.

The 2020/21 season features concerts with the West Coast Winter Music Series (Tofino), the Old School House Concert Series (Qualicum Beach), the Hornby Island Winter Concert Series, Concerts Denman (Denman Island), MüzeWest, Music Friends, the Roedde House Museum’s Classical Concert series, and a tour in Alberta. Past seasons have included concerts presented by the Post Modern Camerata and UBC Tunes at Noon, two sold-out shows in Taiwan, and a residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and
Creativity.

The trio has recorded two albums, First Impressions, and Debussy: Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp, and a third, which includes four commissioned works by emerging Canadian composers, will be released in the winter of 2020.

The NOW Society began as a community initiative designed to support the vibrant community of Vancouver improvisers. Lisle Ellis, Paul Cram, Paul Plimley, Gregg Simpson and Ralph Eppel founded the New Orchestra Workshop (NOW) Society in 1977. Since then, leadership has also included Clyde Reed, Paul Bruce Freedman, Graham Ord, Kate Hammet Vaughan, Don Druick, Roger Baird, Ron Samworth, Nikki Carter and since the spring of 2014, Dr. Lisa Cay Miller. NOW has a history of presenting stellar new works by improvising ensembles in unique and engaging concerts, of collaborating with international artists of commissioning new compositions, of domestic and international touring, and of producing celebrated recordings and publications. NOW Society presents improvisation workshops, and has been presenting them public for over 40 years at the Western Front. Our most exciting new program is the establishment of the 8EAST social space for new culture. Workshops take place at 8EAST, as well as creative improvised music performances, community collaborative events, and informal historical and neighbourhood talks.

A native of St. John's, NL, Jennie Press made her solo debut with the Newfoundland Symphony at thirteen and has since had solo appearances with orchestras in Canada and the United States. Ms. Press has been a prize winner in the Marbury Violin Competition, the Yale Gordon String Competition, the Alexandria Symphony Competiton and the Wellesly Symphony Competition. Ms. Press has performed in many symphony and chamber orchestras in Canada and the US, including the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Concert Artists of Baltimore, and CBC Radio Orchestra, and has served as concertmaster in orchestras such as Royal Opera Canada, Annapolis Opera, Washington Summer Opera, De Camera Chamber Players.

Ms. Press spent one year at the Walnut Hill School in Natick, MA as a student of Eric Rosenblith, and has attended Encore School for Strings, the Banff Centre Chamber Music Residency, and the National Arts Centre Young Artists Program. She holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD as a student of Victor Danchenko. She also spent one year as an Artist Diploma candidate at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto, ON as a student of Atis Bankas. Ms. Press has played in masterclasses and lessons for such internationally renowned artists as Midori, Pinchas Zukerman, Leon Fleisher, Donald Weilerstein, Camilla Wicks, Andreas Cardenes, Laurence Lesser, Lorand Fenyves, and members of the Juilliard, Orford and Vogler Quartets.

Ms. Press is currently Second Assistant Concertmaster of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and teaches privately at the VSO School of Music. She is a regular performer in the VSO Chamber Players, Vancouver Chamber Players, and Vetta Chamber music Series.

Peter holds a master’s Degree in Viola Performance from the University of British Columbia and is a registered Suzuki Violin/Viola Instructor with the Suzuki Association of Americas. His experience extends to teaching students from age of 3 years old to adults. His studio achievements ranges from being award winners at various music festivals, to being recipients of the Gold Medal Award from Royal Conservatory of Music for achieving the highest examination mark. Peter is the viola coach of the Surrey Youth Orchestra and is a regular coach with the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra.
 

Aside from teaching, Peter is also actively performing in the lower mainland and interior B.C. He has performed with groups such as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, Kamloops Symphony and Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra. He is also the founding member and violist of the Rose Gellert String Quartet, ensemble-in-residence at the Langley Community Music School, where he also serves on the violin/viola faculty.

Praised for her “very personal creative power” (Badener Zeitung), soprano Dorothea Hayley has been a soloist with the Vancouver Symphony, the Bourgas Symphony and Capriccio Basel, and has appeared in recital in Europe, Asia and North and South America. She has performed in festivals such as the Happening Festival, Gulangyu Piano Festival, Performer’s Voice Symposium, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival and the Atempo Festival of Caracas, and with organizations like Vancouver New Music, the SMCQ, Chants Libres, CIRMMT, Codes d’accès, and the Land’s End Ensemble. Recently Artist in Residence at the Banff Centre and the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, she teaches voice at Vancouver Community College. Dorothea completed vocal studies at McGill University, the University of British Columbia, and the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, and has received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Koerner Foundation, and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. She holds a Doctor of Music degree from Université de Montréal.

Alejandro Ochoa (D.Mus, M.Mus, B.Mus) is a soloist, chamber recitalist, pianist of the Broadwood Duo and Co-Artistic Director of the Blueridge Chamber Music Festival. Before moving to Canada to pursue his graduate studies, Alejandro graduated Magna cum Laude from Universidad de Los Andes (Colombia), where he studied with the renowned Cuban pianist Ignacio Pacheco. As well as performing extensively throughout Colombia and Canada, Alejandro has performed recitals in China, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal and the United States. Alejandro is a competition medalist and recipient of multiple national awards and grants. As a fortepianist he has been heard in Vancouver, Montreal and Bruges, Belgium.

His latest CD recording features works on fortepiano by C.P.E. Bach, Scarlatti, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. https://apple.co/35rp7VD

Alejandro is equally devoted to music education. He is co-founder of Top Music Teachers, an online platform aimed at improving quality private music instruction. Under his tutelage, Alejandro’s students have gone on to win multiple prizes at international, local and national competitions and have been admitted to prestigious post secondary institutions and festivals. Alejandro has instructed piano at McGill University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University and is currently on faculty at the Vancouver Academy of Music.