Artists 

Domagoj Ivanovic moved to Canada in 2007, after graduating with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Violin Performance at the University of Miami, where he held the post of a Teaching Assistant, as well as served as an Assistant Concertmaster for the Miami Symphony Orchestra. Since then, he has quickly established himself as a violinist and an educator in the greater Vancouver area. Currently he is the Co-Head of Violin Department at the Vancouver Academy of Music and Co-Director of Vancouver Chamber Players Chamber music series. As a performer he has shared the stage with some of the top ensembles in Vancouver, such as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and Turning Point Ensemble. He adjudicated a number of festivals and competitions, such as the North Shore Music Festival, Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, Surrey Youth Symphony Concerto Competition, and University of British Columbia Concerto Competition, to name a few. His students have won numerous prizes in the Canadian Music Competition, Kiwanis and Richmond Music festivals, as well as RCM Gold medals. Originally from Zagreb, Croatia, he began studying violin at the age of seven. During his studies he was the recipient of numerous prizes and awards in violin competitions at the national and international level, the most important being First Prize in the National Violin competition and First Prize in the National Chamber Music competition. As a soloist he appeared with several orchestras, most notably with the Zagreb Philharmonic orchestra, and the Miami Symphony orchestra. Described as a player with “clear technique and great sensitivity” he has performed all over Europe and North America, as well as China, Taiwan and Singapore.

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.

Srdjan F. Caldarovic, born January, 8th 1973 in Zagreb, Croatia, started to play piano at the age of five in the music school „Pavao Markovac“ where he graduated in 1990. in the calss of prof. Jelica Kuzmin. During his music education in primary and secondary music schools in Zagreb, he had appeared in many public performances. He had played as a soloist with several orchestras, including the Zagreb Soloists ensemble (at the age of 13), Zagreb Symphony Orchestra, Budafok-Dohnany Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra dell’Amministrazione di Bari. From 1990 onwards he gives solo and chamber music recitals on a regular basis in Croatia, Germany, Italy, USA and Canada. For several of his performances, Caldarovic has won outstanding awards (Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1, Liszt: Sonata in B minor). For his Washington debut music critic Cecilia Porter wrote –“Caldarovic's playing reveals consummate artistry in coupling an introspective approach with refined sensitivity for phrasing...” After graduating as a piano major at the Music Academy, University of Zagreb in the class of Prof. Vladimir Krpan (1995) Caldarovic went onwards to perfect his pianist skills at Indiana University in Bloomington with Prof. Leonard Hokanson (1996), and later at the Trinity College of Music with Prof. Philip Fowke (2000). After completing these performance-oriented programs, Caldarovic became a Teaching assistant at the University of Miami School of Music where he obtained a Master’s degree in Piano performance, under the guidance of J.B. Floyd (2002). He has actively participated in masterclasses held by E. Timakin, S. Costa, R. Kehrer, J. Rose, and R. de Waal. From 2013 he holds a position as the Full Professor at the Music Academy, Piano Department in Zagreb, Croatia. He records regularly for Croatian radio and TV, and has published two CDs.

David Lakirovich was born in Brisbane, Australia, and started his violin studies at the age of three with his father, Jacob Lakirovich. David has taken part in various master classes with renowned violinists such as Felix Andrievsky, Nelly Shkolnikova, Jose-Louis Garcia, Pinchas Zukerman, Victor Tretyakov, Maurico Fuks, Haim Taub, Pavel Vernikov, and Michael Frischenschlager. His teachers have included David Zafer in Toronto, Arkadij Winokurow and Boris Kuschnir in Vienna, Vadim Gluzman and Shmuel Ashkenasi in Chicago, and William Preucil in Cleveland. David has performed in many recitals and concerts in Australia, USA, Canada, Israel and Europe, including solo performances in Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, Bronfman Auditorium in Tel Aviv, Stradivari Museum in Cremona, Italy, along with solo performances with the Calgary Philharmonic, Scarborough Symphony, York Symphony, and Chicago College of Performing Arts Symphony Orchestra. He also performed in the “Young Stars of the Young Century” concert in George Weston Recital Hall for the Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation. He performed in a Stradivari Society concert in Chicago, playing on the 1692 ‘Lord Falmouth’ Stradivari. He has also performed solo on Chicago WFMT 98.7 Classical Radio. An avid chamber musician, he has collaborated with Peter Salaff, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Ilya Kaler, Mark Kosower, Atar Arad, William Wolfram and Vadim Gluzman. He has also collaborated and performed with ensembles that include the Pacifica Quartet, Cavani Quartet, and the Vermeer Quartet, and has performed in the Jupiter Chamber Players in New York and the North Shore Chamber Music Festival in Chicago. In 2014, his quartet at the Cleveland Institute of Music won “Quartet of the Year” in the Hvide Sande Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark. He has also performed at the Instrumental Society of Calgary on several occasions. David has participated in and achieved top honours in numerous violin and chamber music competitions around the world. He was a participant at the Keshet Eilon International Violin Mastercourse in Israel for two summers, as well as the Pinchas Zukerman Young Artist Program in Ottawa. David Lakirovich was a faculty member of the Rochetta Ligure Masterclass in Palazzo Spinola, Italy, and has been on faculty at the Cremona International Music Academy since 2013. In 2017-18, he served on the faculty of the Mount Royal Conservatory in Calgary, and has given numerous masterclasses and seminars in their Advanced Performance Program. He also taught at the University of Calgary the same year. He is currently on faculty at the Vancouver Academy of Music and the VSO School of Music. David completed his Undergraduate Degree at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in 2013 with Shmuel Ashkenasi and Vadim Gluzman, and his master’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2015 with William Preucil. He previously served as the Associate Concertmaster of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in Columbus, Ohio, and played three seasons with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (2 years as Tutti 1st Violin, and 1 year as the Assistant Concertmaster). He was also invited to perform as guest Associate Concertmaster with the Jalisco Philharmonic during the entire summer of 2015 in Guadalajara, Mexico, as well as guest Concertmaster of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in April and November 2019. David joined the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra as the new Assistant Concertmaster at the beginning of the 2018/19 season.

Aslan Aslanov is an energetic performer, who is forever seeking to grow, evolve, and expand his vibrant creativity across his personal and professional life. Born into a snowy Siberian village, Aslan Aslanov, whose Azeri parents moved to Russia in 1991, discovered a keen passion for music when he took his first piano lesson at the age of 6. Three years after this musical origination, Aslan became the 3rd prize winner in a provincial competition in Tyumen. When his parents decided to return to Azerbaijan, Aslan, determined to further develop his artistic talent, was accepted into the “Special Music School” for talented kids in Baku under the instruction of Dilara Mirzakuliyeva. Baku provided Aslan a wealth of musical opportunities, whether that be making his orchestral debut in 2009 with the Academic Symphonic Orchestra of Azerbaijan, winning 2nd prize for the national music competition of Azerbaijan in 2010, or successfully performing in festivals all over the country. In 2011, Aslan began his undergraduate studies in Baku, expanding his competitive education internationally in music festivals across Ukraine, Poland, Italy, Finland, Greece, and Russia. Being infected with a passion to learn and grow as a musician, Aslan was accepted with a scholarship into the Vancouver Academy of Music, successfully completing the Artist Diploma Program under the direction of Amanda Chan. In 2019, aside from winning provincial and local competitions, where he was granted the honour to represent BC in the Canadian National Music Competition, winning 2nd place respectively, Aslan made his debut in Carnegie Hall where he performed with the winners of the “Pacific Rim” International Pianists competition. Aslan continues to study with Amanda Chan as he completed his master’s degree at the UBC school of Music under a scholarship in 2022. With the ultimate artistic objective to connect others, whether that be through live performance or teaching, to the transcendent power of music, Aslan continues to seek creative spaces to explore his artistry and share his craft professionally. David has performed in many recitals and concerts in Australia, USA, Canada, Israel and Europe, including solo performances in Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, Bronfman Auditorium in Tel Aviv, Stradivari Museum in Cremona, Italy, along with solo performances with the Calgary Philharmonic, Scarborough Symphony, York Symphony, and Chicago College of Performing Arts Symphony Orchestra. He also performed in the “Young Stars of the Young Century” concert in George Weston Recital Hall for the Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation. He performed in a Stradivari Society concert in Chicago, playing on the 1692 ‘Lord Falmouth’ Stradivari. He has also performed solo on Chicago WFMT 98.7 Classical Radio. An avid chamber musician, he has collaborated with Peter Salaff, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Ilya Kaler, Mark Kosower, Atar Arad, William Wolfram and Vadim Gluzman. He has also collaborated and performed with ensembles that include the Pacifica Quartet, Cavani Quartet, and the Vermeer Quartet, and has performed in the Jupiter Chamber Players in New York and the North Shore Chamber Music Festival in Chicago. In 2014, his quartet at the Cleveland Institute of Music won “Quartet of the Year” in the Hvide Sande Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark. He has also performed at the Instrumental Society of Calgary on several occasions. David has participated in and achieved top honours in numerous violin and chamber music competitions around the world. He was a participant at the Keshet Eilon International Violin Mastercourse in Israel for two summers, as well as the Pinchas Zukerman Young Artist Program in Ottawa. David Lakirovich was a faculty member of the Rochetta Ligure Masterclass in Palazzo Spinola, Italy, and has been on faculty at the Cremona International Music Academy since 2013. In 2017-18, he served on the faculty of the Mount Royal Conservatory in Calgary, and has given numerous masterclasses and seminars in their Advanced Performance Program. He also taught at the University of Calgary the same year. He is currently on faculty at the Vancouver Academy of Music and the VSO School of Music. David completed his Undergraduate Degree at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in 2013 with Shmuel Ashkenasi and Vadim Gluzman, and his master’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2015 with William Preucil. He previously served as the Associate Concertmaster of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in Columbus, Ohio, and played three seasons with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (2 years as Tutti 1st Violin, and 1 year as the Assistant Concertmaster). He was also invited to perform as guest Associate Concertmaster with the Jalisco Philharmonic during the entire summer of 2015 in Guadalajara, Mexico, as well as guest Concertmaster of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in April and November 2019. David joined the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra as the new Assistant Concertmaster at the beginning of the 2018/19 season.

Dr. Bogdan Dulu has been on faculty at the Vancouver Academy of Music | S.K.Lee College since 2016, serving on both college and pre-college divisions. He teaches piano, chamber music, and the Career Development course. His reputation as a fast and reliable learner has helped consolidate his standing as one of Vancouver’s go-to pianists for last-minute musical emergencies of considerable might. Such came his Vancouver Symphony Orchestra debut under late music director, Bramwell Tovey, who asked him to step in on a 20-day notice to learn and subsequently premiere the Shalimar Variations, Tovey’s 25-minute concerto for piano and orchestra. The premiere performance was recorded by the CBC. Dulu also competed in some of the more prestigious international piano competitions, among them Sendai, Helsinki, New Orleans, Calgary (Honens), Bucharest (Enescu), Cincinnati, and Seattle. He toured extensively across Canada as a signed artist with Jeunesses Musicales and Debut Atlantic. His High-Voltage Piano/Piano Haute-Voltige program highlighting piano music of Marc-André Hamelin reached audiences across Eastern Canada with a marathon tour of 19 solo recitals in 7 weeks. He also toured the Northwest Territories, reaching communities above the Arctic Circle. He has performed in Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa, being equally at home as a soloist as well as a chamber musician, collaborative and orchestral pianist, coach, or public speaker. Radio appearances include NHK Tokyo, YLE Finland, Romanian Radio, KING FM Seattle, WFMT Chicago, and the CBC. Since the 2020/2021 season, Bogdan Dulu can be heard playing the piano, celeste, synth, and the harpsichord in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Dulu completed his undergraduate studies in Bucharest, Romania. He holds graduate degrees from Mannes School of Music in New York CIty (Masters) and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (Doctorate). His principal teachers include Jane Coop, Irina Morozova, and Ana Pitis (piano), Rena Sharon, Verona Maier, and Viorela Ciucur (chamber music and collaborative studies). Dulu is the first pianist to have written a doctoral dissertation on Marc-André Hamelin’s piano Études, researched under the personal guidance of the Canadian composer-pianist. It was during his doctoral studies at UBC that he developed a keen interest in the music of this legendary artist, with whom he worked closely during the final stages of the degree. Dr. Dulu has also taught piano at the UBC School of Music as a sessional instructor. He is a sought-after adjudicator for festivals and concerto competitions, and has given masterclasses at Dalhousie University, University of New Brunswick, and Douglas College, among others. He serves on the advisory committee for the Pacific International Youth Music Society, and is a member of the Canadian Federation of Musicians. Bogdan is a proud naturalized Canadian citizen, and lives on the traditional and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations, colonially known as Vancouver, British Columbia. He is an amateur competitive cyclist, and has a rather costly affinity for carbon road bikes. www.bogdandulu.com

Ben holds his Masters degree in cello performance from UBC, where he studied with Eric Wilson. Since moving to BC from Ontario, he has enjoyed performing with several symphonies and ensembles, including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Opera Orchestra, Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, and Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra. He is also an active chamber musician and loves performing with a wide variety of smaller ensembles throughout the Lower Mainland, including the Rose Gellert String Quartet (LCMS quartet-in-residence) and the Somerset Trio. In addition to performing, Ben is also the conductor of Surrey Youth Orchestra’s Symphonic Strings and, with over a decade of teaching experience, he enjoys a full schedule of music students throughout the week.

Donna Song is a freelance pianist, teacher based in Vancouver. Donna completed her Bachelor of Music degree at the Dongduk Women University under Min-Young Lee and Artist Diploma at the Vancouver Academy of Music(VAM) under Noel McRobbie. During her studies, Donna has appeared in masterclasses with such distinguished artists as Christopher Harding, Jeno Jando, Alfonso Gomez, Roland Proell, Kum-Sing Lee. She became interested in accompaniment when she started AD in 2019 at VAM, and performed as a variety of accompaniment from 2021, mainly as instrumentalists, choirs, and ballet pianists.

Clarinetist and conductor Christopher Lee completed his Master’s degree at Juilliard School where he received Bachelor’s degree on Irene Diamond Graduate Fellowship and Eve Lyndlemarch Scholarship (Full Scholarship recipient). He has studied with the world-renowned clarinetist Charles Neidich and Ayako Oshima at The Juilliard School and Cris Inguanti. Mr. Lee has won the first and grand prizes at many competitions such as Korean Clarinet Competition, Vancouver Burnaby Clef Society Competition, Bjorn & Jori Hareid Winds/Brass Competition, Korean Young Artist Competition and more. He was invited to perform and received the certificate at the 5th Carl Nielsen International Clarinet Competition in Odense. When he was a young clarinetist, he had joined as a principal clarinet of National Youth Symphony Orchestra (NYOC) of Canada, Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra and Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra while giving out concerts tour in 12 different cities in North America. For his outstanding performance, he was selected for “Award of Excellence” with the scholarship in NYOC. He has appeared as a soloist with many orchestras including Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO), Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, Pilgrim Orchestra, Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra and The Korean Clarinet Orchestra at Seoul Art Center in South Korea. After his successful performance with VSO, they invited him again to perform for their annual outdoor concert at the Deer Lake Park in Canada that attracts more than 10,000 concertgoers every year. In 2010, Mr. Lee had been appointed as an executive/artistic director of “First Steps Benefit Concert Series” in Vancouver in 2009-2011 benefiting the children in North Korea. He continues to organize and direct such benefit concert series every year with Jireh Clarinet Ensemble and Jireh Chamber Orchestra to fundraise for the charity societies in Metro Vancouver area. Christopher Lee is currently the principal clarinet of Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra since 2014 and 2nd clarinet/Bass clarinet player of Vancouver Opera in 2022. He also plays as the principal clarinet of Surrey City Orchestra. Occasionally, he performs with Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Okanagan Symphony Orchestra and more. Mr. Lee is a very active chamber music player as well that he became the member of Vancouver Chamber Players, Vancouver Chamber Society and Cascadia Reed Quintet with one of the top woodwind players from Greater Vancouver. He is devoted to teaching and conducting that he joined the clarinet faculty of Vancouver Academy of Music (S.K Lee College) since 2014 and he is the artistic director of Jireh Music & Performing Art and Vancouver Korean Presbyterian Church. He has very served as one of the woodwind juries for AMMC International Competition 2023.

An accomplished soloist and chamber musician, pianist Monica Pfau has performed on a variety of stages across North America and Europe. Many of her performances have been featured on CBC Radio's "Westcoast Performance" and she has recorded with the CBC Vancouver Orchestra under Mario Bernardi, the National Film Board of Canada, and most recently, for Australian cinema. A prizewinner in several national competitions, early honours included the Victoria Medal (UVic), the ARCT Performer's Gold Medal, and a DAAD international scholarship to the Hochschule für Musik in Munich. Appointed Accompanist-in-Residence at the Banff Centre, Monica performed with renowned cellist Janos Starker and the Fine Arts Quartet (USA). While completing her Master's degree in Performance at UBC, Monica won First Prize in the Concerto Competition and made her orchestral debut under Maestro Kazuyoshi Akiyama. She later accepted a Doctoral Fellowship and became a faculty member of the VSO School of Music. Monica is currently working as a collaborative pianist at the University of Victoria.

Jennie Press began her violin studies at the age of three in St. John's, NL. She made her solo debut with the Newfoundland Symphony at thirteen and has since had solo appearances with several symphonies and chamber orchestras in Canada and the United States. Ms. Press has been a national finalist numerous times in the Canadian Music Competitions, the Shean Strings Competiton and the National Music Festival, both as a soloist and as a chamber musician. She has also been a prize winner in numerous competitions including the Marbury Violin Competition, the Yale Gordon String Competition, the Alexandria Symphony Competiton and the Wellesly Symphony Competition. Jennie has performed in many symphony and chamber orchestras including the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Concert Artists of Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Annapolis Symphony, Lancaster Symphony, and Key West Symphony, and has served as concertmaster in several orchestras including Royal Opera Canada, Annapolis Opera, Washington Summer Opera, De Camera Chamber Players, Peabody Symphony Orchestra and the Peabody Concert Orchestra. She has also performed with many pops orchestras which have led to performances in Hong Kong, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and at Carnegie Hall in New York. Ms. Press spent one year at the Walnut Hill School in Natick, MA as a student of Eric Rosenblith and was a member of the New England Conservatory Youth Philharmonic Orchestra which toured South America. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree and subsequently earned a Master of Music degree as a full scholarship recipient from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD as a student of Victor Danchenko. She also spent one year as an Artist Diploma candidate under full scholarship 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 was a member of the first violin section of the now defunct CBC Radio Orchestra.

Emilie Grimes has been an active orchestral and chamber musician since she first began playing the viola at age twelve. Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, she holds a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Montréal. Her teachers have included Michael Tree, Steven Tenenbom, and Neal Gripp. Emilie has participated in numerous festivals including the Banff Centre Masterclasses, the Sarasota Music Festival, the NAC’s Summer Music Institute, the Domaine Forget Chamber Music Festival, and the Music Academy of the West. She has toured with the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra in Germany and served as Principal Viola of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada as a recipient of the orchestra’s Leadership Award. She has been featured in the My First NAC showcase, and has appeared on WQXR, New York City’s classical music radio station, playing Baroque viola with Juilliard’s historical performance ensemble. Emilie has been a member of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra since 2012 and was recently named the Assistant Principal Viola.

Romanian-Canadian cellist Cristian Márkos has been a member of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra since 1999. Born in Iași, Romania, Cristian 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. Wanting to experience a ‘true’ Canadian winter, Cristian sat as Associate Principal Cellist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra for the 2012-2013 concert season. 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. In addition to performing, Cristian is also a dedicated teacher and clinician and maintains vibrant private teaching studios at the VSO’s new School of Music and the Vancouver Academy of Music.

A member of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver Cello Quartet, Luke Wook-Young Kim 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 (baroque cello), 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 Douglas College's Arts at One series, the Canadian Music Centre, the Vancouver Chamber Music Society, and the UBC's Wednesday Noon Hours Series. In spring 2015, he was featured as a soloist for Friedrich Gulda's Concerto for Cello and Wind Orchestra with the UCLA Wind Ensemble. In addition, he has performed as a soloist with various orchestras such as the Seoul Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, the Polish Czestochowa Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Busan Neo Philharmonic (Korea).

Kevin Park is a Canadian cellist much in demand as a soloist, chamber musician, teacher, and artistic director. Kevin’s musical training started early in Seoul, South Korea, and he went on to study with some of the finest musicians in Canada and the US. In 2002, he was given a full scholarship to pursue his performance degrees at the University of North Texas. Early in his career, Kevin was invited to perform in the final rounds of many prestigious competitions and festivals in North America and was a First Prize winner of the WRR Chamber Music International Competition. As a chamber musician, he was fully supported by the university to travel and perform at numerous venues in the US and abroad and was invited to the Czech Republic for series of recitals, including the Prague Conservatory of Music and the Janacek Academy. He has been principal cellist at most of the orchestras that he has worked with, such as the British Columbia Music Educators Association Orchestra (BCMEA), the University of North Texas Symphony & Chamber Orchestra, the Winspear Opera Orchestra, and the Pilgrim Orchestra. He is a current member of the Vancouver Cello Quartet since 2016 and enjoys the eclectic mixture of repertoires to showcase the limitless possibilities of the instrument. Combining his unique talent as both performer and curator, Kevin serves as Artistic Director of the Vancouver Chamber Music Society, in which he has been collaborating with highly accomplished artists from Canada and abroad. With passion and commitment to future generations, Kevin maintains a vibrant cello studio based in North Shore and New Westminster.

Born in Winnipeg, Canada, pianist Noel McRobbie first received national attention after receiving top prize at the Eckhardt-Grammatté Piano Competition. In addition, he has received prizes at the CBC Début Concert Artist Series, Grand Konzerteum International Piano Competition, Seiler International Piano Competition, and the University of Michigan Concerto Competition. Mr. McRobbie’s solo performances include the Steinway Series at the University of South Florida, Vancouver Chopin Society, Eastport Arts Centre in Maine, Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, Kumho Art Hall in Seoul, and a recital for the Asian Composers League at Sejong Chamber Hall in Seoul. As concerto soloist, he has performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Bulgarian Chamber Orchestra, Jeonju Philharmonic Orchestra, Westcoast Symphony, and the New Westminster Symphony. His performances have been broadcast on CBC radio, and he was featured in International Piano magazine and KBS television’s Classic Odyssey. For many years, Mr. McRobbie was a student of Lee Kum-Sing at the Vancouver Academy of Music and the University of British Columbia, where he received an Artist Diploma and Bachelor of Music respectively. Other teachers include Arthur Greene, Patricia Zander, and Svetozar Ivanov. He received a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Music from the New England Conservatory. From 2009-2017 Mr. McRobbie was Assistant Professor of Piano at Dongduk Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea. He is also a piano faculty member at the Summer Music Festival for the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, and at the St. Andrews Piano Festival in Canada.

Isabelle is a native of Canada, but was raised dividing her time between Paris and Vancouver. Isabelle received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria studying with Jaroslav Karlovsky and obtained a Masters in Performance at the Cleveland Institute where she was a student of Heidi Castleman, Lynn Ramsey Irvine, and Robert Vernon. From 1990-2001, Ms. Roland was Assistant Principal viola of the Victoria Symphony, where she appeared many times as a soloist including a performance under the baton of Sir Yehudi Menuhin. Isabelle was the founding member of the Savitri Quartet with whom she performed for CBC radio broadcasts, as well as a collaboration with mezzo soprano, Susan Platts. From 1996-1998, Ms. Roland served as Assistant Principal viola with the Colorado Festival in Boulder, Colorado. Since settling permanently in Vancouver in 2002, Isabelle has appeared as a soloist with the Sinfonia of the North Shore and the West Coast Symphony. Currently, she is Principal viola with Sinfonia of the North Shore, a member of the Vancouver Opera, and performs regularly with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and the National Broadcasting Orchestra. Ms. Roland also enjoys a busy chamber music career performing with Trio Accord, Music In The Morning, West Coast Chamber Music, and is a member of the Tantalus String Quartet. In addition to her busy performing career, Isabelle joins her love of music and children teaching viola and violin at VAM, and by joyfully caring for her two young sons, Nicholas and Kai, with husband, Steve Mason.

Alana Lopez is a gifted performer and dedicated violin teacher who has developed a palate for all genres of music. In 2007, she obtained her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the University of British Columbia. She studied with Andrew Dawes, Jasper Wood and Nancy DiNovo. Alana is passionate about small ensemble and orchestral performance, and has worked with many of the leading talents in Canada. She received orchestral training in programs such as the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Alana is the Associate Concertmaster of The Vancouver Island Symphony and has performed on stage with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. In 2016, Alana co-founded the Somerset Trio; creating unique chamber music programs performed across the lower mainland in concert halls and smaller home settings. Their programs combine legendary classics with familiar contemporary selections and aim to refresh their listeners through an interactive and immersive experience. Outside of the classical genre, her experience in the music industry is very diverse. Alana has shared the stage with various pop, rock and jazz artists and has been featured as a guest with Toque Flamenco in Vancouver and Victoria dance festivals. Alana enjoys teaching private and group classes using both the Suzuki and RCM methods. The abilities of today’s young performers continue to fascinate her; she hopes to nurture the drive and curiosity of the next generation of musicians.

Ashton Lim is a Canadian cellist with extensive experience as an orchestral player, chamber musician, soloist, teacher, and administrator. He has performed regularly with the Canadian Opera Company (COC), National Ballet of Canada, Santa Fe Opera, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Previous positions include the Sarasota Opera Orchestra and New World Symphony in Miami Beach, under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas. Performances have taken Ashton to venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (USA), Lishui Grand Theatre (China), and Prince Mahidol Hall (Thailand); closer to home, he has performed in the Royal Conservatory’s Koerner Hall and COC’s Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre in Toronto, and the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver. A passionate advocate for arts education and community engagement, Ashton was actively involved in New World Symphony’s community, education, and audience outreach programs in Miami. He coached students at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico and mentored students at the Academia Filarmónica de Medellín in Colombia, where he taught private lessons, masterclasses, and coached chamber ensembles. As an administrator, Ashton oversaw the Solo and Small Ensemble Festival of the Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festivals for three years, helping to guide it out of the pandemic to celebrate its centenary anniversary, with registration numbers at an all-time high. Starting in the 24/25 season, Ashton will take on the role of Executive Director of the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra. As a teacher, Ashton is on faculty at the Vancouver Academy of Music. Born and raised in Vancouver, Ashton studied with Audrey Nodwell at the Vancouver Academy of Music and completed his ARCT in Cello Performance. He holds degrees from Mount Royal Conservatory, University of Calgary, Northwestern University, and the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music. His principal teachers were John Kadz, Hans Jørgen Jensen, Andrés Diaz, and Desmond Hoebig. Ashton has been generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.