2025_artists - Prince Edward County Chamber Music Festival

Raised in London, England, cellist and Artistic Director of the Prince Edward County Chamber Music Festival, PAUL MARLEYN is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, Yale University and of the New England Conservatory of Music where he earned a Master’s degree and an Artist Diploma. As a frequent participant in chamber festivals, which include Domaine Forget, Festival of the Sound, and Ottawa Chamberfest to name just a few, he has collaborated with artists such as Marc-André Hamelin, Joshua Bell, Stéphane Lemelin and Scott St. John, as well as with members of the Tokyo, Vermeer, Hagen and St. Lawrence Quartets. As soloist, he has appeared with the London Philharmonia, Belgrade Philharmonic, European Chamber, as well as with Vancouver, Winnipeg, Nova Scotia, Kitchener- Waterloo and Thunder Bay Symphony orchestras. Since 2000, he has served as Artistic Director of Winnipeg’s Agassiz Chamber Music Festival and conducted masterclasses throughout the world. Paul was formerly the Principal Cellist of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and a member of Trio Hochelaga Currently he serves as Professor of Cello and Chamber Music at the University of Ottawa.

Sri Lankan-born Canadian DINUK WIJERATNE is a JUNO, SOCAN and multi-award-winning composer, conductor, and pianist who has been described by the New York Times as ‘exuberantly creative’, by the Toronto Star as ‘an artist who reflects a positive vision of our cultural future’, and by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra as ‘a modern polymath’. His boundary-crossing ‘East-West’ work sees him equally at home in collaborations with symphony orchestras and string quartets, tabla players and DJs, and takes him to international venues as poles apart as the Berlin Philharmonie and the North Sea Jazz Festival.
Dinuk has composed specially for almost all of the artists and ensembles with whom he has performed; to name a few: Suzie LeBlanc, David Jalbert, James Ehnes, Kinan Azmeh, Bev Johnston, Joseph Petric, Sandeep Das, Tim Garland, Ed Thigpen, Ramesh Misra, Barry Guy, Eric Vloeimans, Buck 65, DJ Skratch Bastid, the Gryphon Trio, the Afiara, Danel & Cecilia String Quartets, the Apollo Saxophone Quartet, TorQ Percussion, and the Symphony orchestras of Toronto, San Francisco, Vancouver, Baltimore, the National Arts Centre, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Buffalo, Illinois, Fresno, Asheville, Saskatoon, Windsor, Victoria, PEI, and Thunder Bay. Dinuk is the only artist to have served both as Conductor-in-Residence and Composer-in-Residence of a Canadian orchestra (Symphony Nova Scotia).
Dinuk is also the recipient of the Canada Council Jean-Marie Beaudet award for orchestral conducting; the NS Established Artist Award; NS Masterworks nominations for his Tabla Concerto and piano trio Love Triangle; double Merritt Award nominations; Juilliard, Mannes, & Countess of Munster scholarships; the Sema Jazz Improvisation Prize; the Soroptimist International Award for Composer-Conductors; and the Sir John Manduell Prize – the RNCM’s highest student honour. His music and collaborative work embrace the great diversity of his international background and influences.

Juno winner JAMES CAMPBELL, a cherished “national treasure” is recognized as “Canada’s pre-eminent clarinetist.” As soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in over 35 countries with more than 65 orchestras, such as the Boston Pops, the Montreal Symphony and more. In addition, he has collaborated with eminent musicians including Glenn Gould, Aaron Copland and the Guarneri and Amadeus string quartets. Notable was his replacement for an ailing Benny Goodman on a tour of California. His awards include the Order of Canada, Canada”s highest honour, and his induction into the CBC’s “Classical Music Hall of Fame.” A former Professor of Music at Indiana University from 1988 – 2019, James continues to give concerts and masterclasses throughout the world. Under his direction as Artistic Director of “The Festival of the Sound”, since 1985, the Festival has traveled to England, Japan and the Netherlands.

Toronto-born JOEL QUARRINGTON who first played the double bass at age 11 to make up a bluegrass trio with his brothers, began formal studies two years later. After receiving a music degree from the University of Toronto, he went on to study in Austria and Italy. The winner of numerous music competitions, including first prize in the CBC talent festival in 1976, he has served as principal bass with a number of orchestras, namely the Hamilton Philharmonic, Canadian Opera Company, Toronto Symphony, National Arts Centre and London (UK) Symphony. Joel teaches at the University of Ottawa and is a Visiting Artist at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Throughout his career, he has been active in commissioning new works for double bass and is well known for his unusual practice of tuning his bass in intervals of 5ths, like a cello, but an octave lower. DINUK WIJERATNE Conductor, composer, and pianist DINUK WIJERATNE was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Dubai. After studies in the UK and at Juilliard in New York City, he moved to Nova Scotia in 2005 with his family. Making his Carnegie Hall debut in 2004, he became the music director for the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra in 2006 and served a 3-year appointment as Conductor-in- Residence with Symphony Nova Scotia. In 2016 his “Two Pop Songs on Antique Poems” won a Juno as Classical Composition of the Year– just one of many awards. His compositions have been described as “vivifying globallyinspired music effortlessly blending Classical, World, and Jazz,” establishing him as one of Canada”s most performed contemporary Classical composers. Equally at home with symphony orchestras, tabla players and DJs, Dinuk has appeared at international venues as poles apart as the Berlin Philharmonic and the North Sea Jazz Festival. Recent highlights include performances with the San Francisco Symphony and the London Philharmonic. He will serve as Composer-in-Residence for our 2025 Festival.

From his early studies of the bassoon, MATHIEU LUSSIER went on to specialize in baroque bassoon. Performances with the Montreal Baroque Orchestra led to engagements with Tafelmusik, the Arion Baroque Orchestra and ultimately to his appointment as the artistic director of the Lamèque Baroque Festival in New Brunswick. From 2012 to 2018 he conducted Les Violons du Roy in more than 100 concerts in Canada, Mexico and the United States. In addition, he conducted numerous other Canadian orchestras including the Arion Baroque Orchestra, where In 2019 he was appointed artistic director. In his quest to promote the bassoon and baroque bassoon repertoire, he has made several recordings of sonatas and concertos by Baroque composers, with special focus on French repertoire from the time of the French Revolution.

Founded in 1998, the SWISS PIANO TRIO has gained a remarkable reputation among both experts and the public as an ensemble of “outstanding balance and technical perfection whose interpretations electrify with emotional power and their rich and colourful sound.” The ensemble, which features prominently in the Agassiz Chamber Music Festival, includes founding members pianist MARTIN LUCAS STAUB and violinist ANGELA GOLUBEVA–who are both music and life partners–along with cellist FRANZ ORTNER. As winners of many international competitions, they have a long and successful history of numerous performances across the globe in notable venues and with renowned orchestras including the Scottish Chamber, Russian National, Zurich Chamber and Bern Symphony Orchestras to mention a few. They have worked with highly esteemed conductors and participated in prestigious chamber music festivals, such as Ottawa’s Chamberfest, and the Canberra International Music Festival. The ensemble is strongly committed to contemporary Swiss music, commissioning and performing works by Swiss composers .

Hailed as both a trumpet and piano virtuoso, GUY FEW’s instrumental versatility and fearless interpretations have wowed audiences and garnered high praise from the international press– “simply phenomenal” and “sheer brilliance.” As recitalist, soloist with orchestra or chamber musician, Guy infuses each performance, whether it’s traditional Baroque repertoire or premieres of contemporary works, with a commitment to technical and artistic perfection. He has collaborated with highly esteemed string quartets (Amici, Penderecki, Amati) and participated in summer festivals, including the Festival of the Sound, Tanglewood, Sweetwater, the Elora Festival and Ottawa Chamberfest. Since learning to play corno da caccia, he has expanded his range, playing all Bach corno cantatas and concertos by Neruda and Handel, as well as world premieres by Lussier and Buhr. Guy has been a keynote speaker for brain injury associations in presentations concerning his brain surgeries for Cavernous Hemangioma and the resulting memory loss and complications.

KATE MORAN is a 21 year-old violist, currently pursuing undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, having previously studied at the Peabody Conservatory and the University of Ottawa. Kate is a violist with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and has held titled seats in several others–the Victoria, Winnipeg and Aspen Symphony Orchestras, and others. She has been privileged to play under world renowned conductors: namely, Marin Alsop, Robert Spano and Hugh Wolff to cite just a few. As well, she has participated in prestigious chamber music festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival, the Orford Music Academy and the National Arts Centre’s Young Artist Programme. A winner of scholarships and awards, she is currently completing a position with El Sistema-based-Orkidstra as part of their Educational Teaching Artists Practicum Programme.

Twenty-year-old violinist and young artist, JUSTIN SAULNIER, made his orchestral debut at age 12 with the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra. Since then he has performed with the Montreal, NAC, Ottawa, McGill, and Pembroke Symphony Orchestras as well as with Orchestre Métropolitain and Sinfonia de Montréal, working with prominent conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Sèguin and Alexis Hauser. He is the winner of many awards, notably first prize in the Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition and runner-up in the Concours OSM. He was also a finalist at the London Classic Violin Competition. Currently, Justin is pursuing an undergraduate degree with full scholarship at McGill University under Andrew Wan.

GASPARD TANGUAY-LABROSSE is one of the most sought after chamber pianists and collaborators on the Montreal music scene. A professor at the Conservatoire de musique de Trois- Rivières, he has accompanied numerous instrumentalists and vocalists from the Université de Montréal and McGill University throughout their musical training. He has collaborated with several renowned Quebec institutions, including I Musici de Montréal, the OSM Competition and others. He holds a Doctorate in Performance from the Université de Montréal and a Masters degree from the University of Music and Performing Arts of Vienna. The winner of several national and international competitions, Gaspard has performed throughout Quebec and across Canada.

TOM ALLEN, the popular host of CBC’s daily “About Time” programme will play the role of narrator in both our opening and closing concerts. Born in Montreal, he studied at Marianapolis College and McGill before finishing degrees at Boston University and Yale. During his time in New York City, he briefly worked as a bass trombonist. When he was 30, he began working at the CBC where he continues to this day. Since then, he has written three books, been a Resident Artist with Soulpepper Theatre and delivered storytelling workshops at various university music programs as well as at the Banff Centre. He has hosted countless concerts across the country and written a series of cabaret storytelling shows he refers to as Chamber Musicals, including “From Weimar to Vaudeville, “The Missing Pages”, “A Poe Cabaret”, “Being Lost” and the latest, “J.S.Bach’s Long Walk in the Snow”. Thompson Rivers University has conferred on him the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters.

Bassist, composer and educator TOM EASLEY has earned a reputation as one of Eastern Canada’s finest jazz bassists. The winner of many awards, including the East Coast Music Award and Maple Blues, Tom was co-leader of the music group Hot Toddy which performed at major jazz and blues festivals across Canada, Europe and the United States. Over the past 25 years, Tom has performed with many internationally recognized artists such as Mike Murley, Juan Martin, Jeff Hamilton and John Abercrombie, to name just a few. In addition, he is a member of the award winning group Nine Steps featuring Bill Stevenson and Geoff Arsenault.

NICK HALLEY is a drummer, percussionist, keyboardist, composer and conductor. As a drummer and percussionist, he has performed and recorded with a wide range of musicians including James Taylor, Oscar Castro- Neves, David McGuinness, Revenge of the Folk Singers, Suzie LeBlanc, and Dinuk Wijeratne, to name just a few. Nick is the founder and director of the Capella Regalis Men and Boys Choir in Halifax, as well as for The King’s Chorus, a choir for members of the King’s and Dalhousie University communities 20 21 in Halifax. In addition he is also the Assistant Director of the acclaimed University of King’s College Chapel Choir, directed by his father Paul Halley. In 2012 he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his contribution to Canada and Nova Scotia, particularly for his work with Capella Regalis Men and Boys Chorus. For the 2013-2014 season, he was the host of CBC’s Choral Concert.

The ARION BAROQUE ENSEMBLE, founded in 1981 is based in Montreal and specializes in music of the 18th century, performed on period instruments. The ensemble’s name comes from Greek mythology: Arion was a musician from antiquity who avoided drowning by charming a dolphin with his singing. The ensemble has toured extensively through Quebec, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Japan and Europe garnering praise both nationally and internationally for the clarity and freshness of their interpretations of Baroque music.

Recorder player VINCENT LAUZER is a graduate of McGill University and the winner of numerous awards which include first prize at the Canadian Music Competition Stepping Stone level, the Career Development Award from the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto, and the Audience Appreciation Prize in the Montreal International Recorder Competition, to name just a few. He is the artistic director of the Lamèque International Baroque Music Festival in New Brunswick. As well, Vincent is a member of Flûte Alors! and Ensemble La Cigale, two ensembles with whom he has toured extensively in Canada and abroad. He regularly performs as a soloist with the Arion Baroque Orchestra, the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, Les Violons du Roy, La Bande Montréal Baroque, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he has played in various festivals in Canada, as well as in the United States, Mexico, France, Germany, Spain and Belgium.Originally from Hamilton,

AMANDA KEESMAAT, principal cellist of the Arion Baroque Orchestra, holds an artist diploma from McGill University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Western Ontario. Having distinguished herself as a talented chamber musician, she has been a vibrant presence in Montreal’s early music scene for over ten years. She plays continuo with renowned singers, including Matthew White, Daniel Taylor, Natalie Paulin and Suzie LeBlanc, to name a few. As well, she has performed with various baroque ensembles such as Ensemble Arion, Les Idées Heureuses and others. In addition, Amanda has participated in the concert series of Ensemble Caprice, Studio Ancienne de Montréal, and in chamber music festivals held in Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver.

Harpsichordist HANK KNOX is a founding member of the Arion Baroque Orchestra. His early fascination with the sound of plucked strings inspired him to study harpsichord at McGill. Subsequently he has performed and toured with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Les Violons du Roy and l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. While he revels in music of all eras, he has a special love for Baroque opera, conducting several at McGill as well as collaborating with the Atelier Lyrique of Montreal on a production of Monteverdi’s Poppea. He has played, recorded and led ensembles all over the world. As head of the Early Music Program at McGill University for more than three decades, Hank has influenced generations of musicians.

Considered “a supremely refined, elegant, and cerebral musician,” Canadian lutenist SYLVAIN BERGERON, who studied at the University of Laval, is a master of the lute and family of early plucked instruments, including the theorbo, archilute and guitar. In 1984, he was finalist in the First International Lute Competition in Toronto Currently, he serves as music director and artistic director of La Nef, an ensemble he and other musicians formed in 1991. Numerous period-instrument orchestras, including Les Violons du Roy, Tafelmusik, L’Ensemble Arion, Les Boréades, and the New York Collegium have sought his skills on both lute and theorbo. He has performed in recital with gambist Jordi Savali and has collaborated with singers such as Daniel Taylor, Catherine Robbin, Suzie LeBlanc and others. He is in great demand on the North American music scene as a soloist and continuist.

Cellist LEANA RUTT is a thoughtful and compelling performer, recognized across Canada for her artistry as a chamber musician, soloist, and orchestral player. Originally from London, Ontario she is based in Toronto as the principal cellist of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and the associate principal cellist of the Canadian Opera Company. Performing on stages from Lucerne to Yellowknife, she has been a guest artist at festivals, including Toronto Summer Music, Ottawa Chamberfest, Music by the Sea and the Stratford Summer Music Festival. Leana is a member of the Rosebud String Quartet, as well as being a graduate of both McGill University and the Juilliard School.

Cellist and young artist JACOB MacDONALD, who was born into a musical family of 8 siblings, graduated with a piano performance degree from Dalhousie University, receiving the University Medal in Music. After earning a Masters in Cello Performance and a Graduate Diploma at the University of Ottawa studying with Paul Marleyn, Jacob completed a Masters degree in Chamber Music at the University of Michigan. He currently holds section cello positions in orchestras in Lansing, Windsor and Adrian. Further orchestral experience includes performances with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Detroit Opera and Winnipeg Symphony. He is the recipient of several awards and scholarships and, loving to teach, he maintains a busy studio. In the fall he will begin studies for a DMA.

Internationally renowned Canadian cellist RAPHAEL WEINROTH-BROWNE has been celebrated for his emotive and virtuosic playing. Combining his classical training with a passion for progressive metal and Middle Eastern music, he has defied traditional notions of how the cello should sound and developed a unique artistic voice that has consistently resonated with listeners on a deep emotional level. He has played on Juno-award winning albums, performed in front of over 40,000 people at the world’s biggest metal festival, made viral YouTube covers and worked closely with contemporary dancers on multidisciplinary collaborations. In 2016, Raphael was recruited by the Norwegian progressive rock icons Leprous and has played over 200 shows with them in Europe, North America and the Middle East. As well, he has appeared with the band at London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall.

Celebrating their 36th anniversary, the PENDERECKI STRING QUARTET began their career as winners of the Penderecki Prize at the National Chamber Music Competition in Lódz, Poland in 1986. The four musicians, originating from Poland Canada and the USA– JEREMY BELL, violin, JERZY KAPLANEK, violin, CHRISTINE VLAJK, viola and KATIE SCHLAIKJER, cello – are now based in Waterloo, Ontario where they have been Quartet-in- Residence at Wilfrid Laurier University since 1991. In bringing their varied yet collective experiences to create performances that demonstrate their “remarkable technical excellence and emotional sweep,” they have become one of the most celebrated chamber ensembles of their generation. They have toured extensively in Europe, Mexico, Australia, Venezuela, Brazil, Columbia and from coast to coast in Canada. As dedicated educators and devoted champions of the music of our time, they have premiered over 100 new works from composers in Canada and abroad.

JEREMY BELL, described as a violinist who “agitates in the most intelligent and persuasive manner,” has been a member of the Penderecki Quartet since 1999 and is currently Artist in Residence at Wilfrid Laurier University where he teaches violin, and chamber music. After earning a B. Mus degree from the University of Toronto, he went on for further studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook where he received his Masters and Doctor of Music degrees. A winner of several awards, notably the Eckhardt Gramatté National Competition, Bell has performed as soloist with many orchestras in Canada, the United States and Mexico recent performances with the quartet have taken him to Poland, Amsterdam, Lithuania, St. Petersburg, Prague and Madrid, to name just a few. Performing a wide range of music from baroque to jazz, he has collaborated with the likes of pipa virtuoso Ching- Wong and rap star JayZ.

Violinist JERZY KAPLANEK was born in Poland and began his musical training at the age of 6 on piano before transitioning to the violin at age 10. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from the Conservatory in Bytom and a Master’s degree in Arts from the prestigious Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, working with many distinguished teachers. Since joining the Penderecki Quartet in 1987, he has performed throughout Canada, Europe, Asia and North and South America. His recent solo performances include recitals and appearances with the Kitchener- Waterloo and Peterborough Symphony Orchestras His chamber music partners include Janina Fialkowska, Francine Kay Jamie Parker and James Campbell as well as many other well known instrumentalists His solo recording, “Music of Karol Szymanowski” has been described as “an outstanding release.”

A native of Denver, Colorado, violist CHRISTINE VLAJK earned Bachelor degrees in Viola Performance and Music Education from the University of Colorado as well as a Master’s degree in Viola Performance from the University of Wisconsin. Prizes and scholarships enabled her to attend the Aspen Centre for Advanced Quartet Studies. She has performed recitals in Canada, the United States and Germany and has been guest soloist with the West Virginia, Hamilton Philharmonic and Kitchener- Waterloo Symphonies. Dedicated to the education of young people, she has conducted an extensive series of children’s concerts across the United States and Canada. Since 1997, she has held the positions of violist of the Penderecki String Quartet and Artist-in- Residence in viola and chamber music at Wilfrid Laurier University. When she is not performing or teaching, Christine enjoys nature, yoga, cooking and the finer things in life.

Since 2013, cellist KATIE SCHLAIKJER, has served as Artist-in-Residence with the Penderecki String Quartet at Wilfrid Laurier University where she teaches cello and chamber music. Having earned her Bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory, she went on to further study at Stony Brook University graduating with both Master’s and Doctoral degrees. A consummate chamber musician and soloist, she has performed around the globe, with tours throughout Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Croatia, China, Australia and Mexico, as well as across Canada and the United States. As well as the complete Beethoven and Bartók quartets, she has performed a wide range of quartet and chamber music repertoire, including over 100 new works written for the Penderecki Quartet. As a dedicated and highly valued teacher, several of her students have continued to advanced institutions such as the Glenn Gould School and Juilliard.

After 12 years living abroad, violist DAVID MARKS returned to Canada to take up the position of Associate Principal Viola, with the NAC Orchestra. Born in Vancouver, he grew up in Virginia in the heart of a musical family. From an early age he experimented with composing, writing, drawing and painting; these passions have resulted in dozens of original songs, paintings and murals. Viola studies took him across the United States and Europe for lessons with distinguished teachers. In Europe, he performed as Principal Viola with l’Orchestre de Montpellier and l’Opera de Bordeaux, to name just two. He also served as Principal Viola with the London Philharmonic under prestigious conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and Marin Alsop. As a fixture on the contemporary music scene, he was a member of the avantgarde Dutch contemporary music group Nieuw Ensemble, with whom he toured China. As a folk musician, he has toured Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, singing his songs with The History of Dynamite. His folk opera, The Odyssey was performed at the Banff Centre.