Yehonatan Berick, violin
Prizewinner at the 1993 Naumburg competition and a recipient of the 1996-97 Prix Opus, Yehonatan Berick is in high demand internationally as soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and pedagogue. Performances as soloist include Quebec, Winnipeg, Windsor, Ann Arbor, Jerusalem and Haifa Symphonies, and the Israeli, Cincinnati, Montreal and Manitoba Chamber Orchestras, Thirteen Strings and Ensemble Appassionata. Recital offering include the complete Paganini Caprices, and the complete Solo Sonatas and Partitas by Bach. He has collaborated with many world renowned artists. Festival and chamber series include Marlboro, Ravinia, Seattle, Ottawa, Great Lakes, and Music@Menlo. He tours extensively worldwide, and is featured in the world's most important venues, including Carnegie Hall and Wigmore Hall. On CD, Berick has recorded for the Acoma, Albany, Centaur, Equilibrium, XXI-21, Gasparo, Summit, and Helicon labels. On video, he can be seen on a BluRay dvd Paganini: 24 Caprices. His recordings have won rave reviews in the press. Equally sought after as violin teacher and chamber music mentor, Berick serves as Professor of Violin at the University of Ottawa. He has been invited as teacher and artist-in-residence at many festivals, and is featured in masterclasses worldwide. His students hold leading positions in major orchestras, ensembles, and music schools worldwide. Yehonatan Berick is currently plays a 1761 violin by Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi, generously on loan from the University of Ottawa, as well as violin by Honoré Derazey Père from 1852, and a viola by Stanley Kiernoziak from 2003.
www.yehonatanberick.com
www.yehonatanberick.com
Caitlin Boyle, viola
Caitlin Boyle is originally from Dundas, Ontario. She began playing the viola at age three at the Hamilton Suzuki School of Music. Subsquently she completed her Bachelor of Music at the Glenn Gould School, with Steve Dann; an Artist Diploma at the Hochschule fur Musik Muenchen, with Hariolf Schlichtig; a Masters of Music at San Diego State University, with Brian Chen; and a Graduate Diploma at McGill under the guidance of Andre Roy. She has played with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and the Munich Symphony Orchestra. Her passion for chamber music was fostered at the Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute and the Domaine Forget Chamber Music Sessions and continued to grow through the support of such artists as Richard Lester, Terrence Helmer and the St. Lawrence String Quartet. She has been a member of the Cecilia String Quartet since spring 2006. She is currently going into her second year of the Doctor of Musical Arts Program at the University of Toronto, where she is working with Kathy Rapoport. She plays on a viola made in 2002 by Joseph Curtin. In her spare time she enjoys running, tennis and theatre.
Rachel Desoer, cello
Rachel Desoer is a cellist from Hamilton, Ontario. She studied at the Juilliard School, Oberlin College,
McGill University and the Banff Centre. She graduated from Oberlin in 2008 with a Bachelor of
Music degree. Rachel was the cellist of the Cecilia String Quartet from 2010 to 2018. In this ensemble Rachel toured extensively around the world, recorded 4 albums on the Analekta label and taught chamber music at the University of Toronto. Touring has brought Rachel to inspiring venues such as Wigmore Hall, The Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Konzert Haus Berlin and many more. The Cecilia Quartet also made educational programming a priority and performed hundreds of presentations for schools. In 2014 the quartet created a concert series called Xenia concerts specifically designed for children on the autism spectrum and their families. Exemplifying their commitment to the equal representation of women in music, Rachel spearheaded the commissioning of 4 string quartets by Canadian women composers in 2016. Throughout her schooling and career Rachel has also played recitals and concertos with orchestra. She has also worked in other orchestras, most notably, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Canadian Opera Company. Rachel plays the 1929 Carlo Guiseppe Oddone cello generously on loan to her from an anonymous donor. She is currently the acting principal cellist of Symphony Nova Scotia.
McGill University and the Banff Centre. She graduated from Oberlin in 2008 with a Bachelor of
Music degree. Rachel was the cellist of the Cecilia String Quartet from 2010 to 2018. In this ensemble Rachel toured extensively around the world, recorded 4 albums on the Analekta label and taught chamber music at the University of Toronto. Touring has brought Rachel to inspiring venues such as Wigmore Hall, The Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Konzert Haus Berlin and many more. The Cecilia Quartet also made educational programming a priority and performed hundreds of presentations for schools. In 2014 the quartet created a concert series called Xenia concerts specifically designed for children on the autism spectrum and their families. Exemplifying their commitment to the equal representation of women in music, Rachel spearheaded the commissioning of 4 string quartets by Canadian women composers in 2016. Throughout her schooling and career Rachel has also played recitals and concertos with orchestra. She has also worked in other orchestras, most notably, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Canadian Opera Company. Rachel plays the 1929 Carlo Guiseppe Oddone cello generously on loan to her from an anonymous donor. She is currently the acting principal cellist of Symphony Nova Scotia.
Ensemble Made In Canada
Ensemble Made In Canada is rapidly gaining recognition as Canada's premier piano quartet. Awarded the 2006 CBC Galaxie Stars Award from the Banff Centre for the Arts, EMIC was featured in 2008 Chatelaine Magazine's 80th anniversary issue as “Women to Watch” and an ensemble that is leading the next generation of classical musicians. The members of the group have been forging outstanding individual careers and bring together a wealth of experience having already appeared at prestigious festivals such as Marlboro, Ravinia, Orford, Verbier, Prussia Cove, Pablo Casals and Evian. EMIC has performed for Winnipeg Virtuosi, Montreal Pro Musica, SUNY New Paltz, Stratford Music Festival, Ottawa Chamberfest, Parry Sound Festival of the Sound, Jeffery Chamber Music Series, Lindsay Concert Productions, Almonte in Concert, Women's Musical Club of Toronto, Kawartha Concerts, including multiple work cycles for the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Soceity. EMIC has provided master classes, chamber music coachings, and lectures at universities across Canada and in the United States and have also participated in outreach programs for public schools in Ontario. The group is grateful for support from FACTOR, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. EMIC has been Ensemble-in-Residence at Western University since 2014 and is currently touring the www.mosaiqueproject.com
www.ensemblemadeincanada.com
www.ensemblemadeincanada.com
Csaba Koczó, violin
Hungarian-born violinist Csaba Koczó began his studies in Yugoslavia and then continued in Hungary at the Richter Conservatory in Gyor and the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest. After attaining his bachelor’s degree with distinction at the College of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, he continued his studies in Toronto with Lorand Fenyves and Erika Raum at the Glenn Gould School and the University of Toronto, where he was the recipient of the H. Carter scholarship. Mr. Koczó enjoys a prolific career as a chamber musician and soloist both in Canada and abroad. He has shared the stage with such illustrious musicians as Mayumi Seiler, Steven Isserlis, Scott St.John, Douglas McNabney, Yehonatan Berick and the St. Lawrence String Quartet. As a soloist, he has been featured with the Sandor Frigyes Chamber Orchestra and has also had the opportunity to perform the Beethoven Violin concerto and Vivaldi's Four Seasons. As a founding member of the Banff Competition prizewinning and Dora award nominated Tokai String Quartet, Mr. Koczó has toured across Canada and the US and some of his performances have been broadcast on the CBC and the Hungarian National Radio. He has performed at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, and the Toronto Summer Music Festival where he has worked with Ian Swensen and the Leipzig String Quartet. Mr. Koczó has taught at the Universities of Stanford, Toronto, Kingston, Halifax and Acadia in Wolfville NS, and spends every summer as a faculty member of Music at Port Milford in Picton, ON. In addition, Mr. Koczó was one of the founding members of the Via Salzburg Chamber Orchestra, and is currently Assistant Principal Second Violin of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, and holds a position with the Canadian National Ballet Orchestra where he has been Acting Concertmaster.
www.tokaiquartet.com
www.tokaiquartet.com
AKEMI MERCER-NIEWOEHNER, VIOLIN
Canadian-born violinist Akemi Mercer-Niewöhner studied with Mayumi Seiler at the University of Toronto and Victor Tretiakov at the College of Music in Cologne. As a soloist, she has performed with several orchestras in Canada such as the Toronto Symphony as well as the Heilbronn Chamber Orchestra in Germany and won first prize in the Canadian Music Competition. As an avid chamber musician, Mercer-Niewöhner has been a guest at many festivals in Europe and Canada such as Ottawa Chamberfest and the Music Festival Schloss Cappenberg in Germany. She performs frequently with her sister Rachel Mercer (cello) as soloist as well as in the Mercer-Oh Piano Trio, with whom she recently completed an entire Haydn Trio cycle in Canada. Akemi Mercer-Niewöhner has performed as guest concertmaster and soloist with the National Ballet of Canada. From 2005 to 2007 she was in the orchestra academy of the Munich Philharmonic and member of the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra. Akemi Mercer-Niewöhner has been a member of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra since 2008 and assistant principal second since 2010. She plays a violin by Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi, Milan 1758.
Canadian-born violinist Akemi Mercer-Niewöhner studied with Mayumi Seiler at the University of Toronto and Victor Tretiakov at the College of Music in Cologne. As a soloist, she has performed with several orchestras in Canada such as the Toronto Symphony as well as the Heilbronn Chamber Orchestra in Germany and won first prize in the Canadian Music Competition. As an avid chamber musician, Mercer-Niewöhner has been a guest at many festivals in Europe and Canada such as Ottawa Chamberfest and the Music Festival Schloss Cappenberg in Germany. She performs frequently with her sister Rachel Mercer (cello) as soloist as well as in the Mercer-Oh Piano Trio, with whom she recently completed an entire Haydn Trio cycle in Canada. Akemi Mercer-Niewöhner has performed as guest concertmaster and soloist with the National Ballet of Canada. From 2005 to 2007 she was in the orchestra academy of the Munich Philharmonic and member of the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra. Akemi Mercer-Niewöhner has been a member of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra since 2008 and assistant principal second since 2010. She plays a violin by Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi, Milan 1758.
Rachel Mercer, cello
Described as a "pure chamber musician" (Globe and Mail) creating "moments of pure magic" (Toronto Star), Canadian cellist Rachel Mercer has demonstrated her love for sharing music through performance since she was three years old. Grand prize winner of the 2001 Vriendenkrans Competition in Amsterdam, Rachel made her European debut in the Concertgebouw and has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician on five continents. Rachel is Principal Cello of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, cellist of Ensemble Made In Canada, the Mercer-Park Duo, the AYR Trio, and is Artistic Director of the "5 at the First" Chamber Music Series in Hamilton. Rachel has given masterclasses at schools, conservatories and universities across North America, South Africa and in Israel and can be heard on the Naxos, Dalia Classics and EnT-T record labels. Her second solo cd of the complete Bach Suites was released on Pipistrelle in March 2014.
www.rachelmercercellist.com
photo by David Leyes
www.rachelmercercellist.com
photo by David Leyes
Angela Park, piano
Pianist Angela Park has established herself as one of Canada’s most sought-after pianists. Praised for her “stunningly beautiful pianism” (Grace Welsh Prize, Chicago), “beautiful tone and sensitivity” (American Record Guide), and for performing “with such brilliant clarity it took your breath away” (Chapala, Mexico), Angela’s versatility as both soloist and chamber musician has led to continued success in performances across Canada, as well as in the United States, Europe, Japan and Mexico. Angela has performed for such noted series as Montreal’s Pro Musica, Ottawa Chamberfest, Parry Sound’s Festival of the Sound, Winnipeg Virtuosi, Debut Atlantic and Prairie Debut Tours, CBC Onstage, Orchestra London Canada, Sinfonia Toronto, Stratford Symphony, and the Northern Lights Music Festival in Mexico. Angela has recorded with oboist Linda Strommen, cellist Rachel Mercer, and with Ensemble Made In Canada, in addition to recording various projects for the Enharmonic label in Bloomington, Indiana. Angela has won numerous awards and prizes in major competitions both at home and abroad, including the International Grace Welsh Prize for Piano in Chicago, World Piano Competition in Cincinnati, Canadian National Music Festival, Honens International Piano Competition, and the Maria Canals International Piano Competition in Barcelona. She earned her MMus at the University of Toronto, and her DMA in Piano Performance from the Université de Montréal. From 2011-2014, Angela was Visiting Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano-Woodwinds at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. She has given masterclasses and educational outreach sessions for universities and communities across Canada, as well as at SUNY New Paltz, Stanford, and Indiana University in the United States. Angela currently resides in Toronto, Canada.
www.angelapark.com
www.angelapark.com
Theresa Rudolph, viola
Award-winning violist Theresa Rudolph is an active chamber musician, recitalist, and orchestral player. She has held the position of Assistant Principal Viola in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra since 2011, and is a member of the XIA Quartet . Theresa has performed on concert series in Toronto, Vancouver, Detroit, Ottawa, and throughout Eastern Canada, and has been featured several times on CBC Radio. In addition, she holds the position of Viola Coach of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, and has served on the faculty of York University. Hailing from Vancouver, Theresa was a student of Gerald Stanick. A recipient of a scholarship grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, she then obtained her Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Robert Vernon. As a member of the Brutini String Quartet, she attended the Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshop in New York, performed in Carnegie Hall, and was a prizewinner at the prestigious Fischoff Competition. In March 2001, Theresa became the youngest member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the age of 21. She also held the position of Assistant Principal Viola of the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, and was a member of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, where she frequently performed as Principal Viola. Theresa has also performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra.
VC2 CELLO DUO
VC2 is an innovative cello duo committed to captivating audiences through its performances of classical masterworks, unknown gems, and boundary pushing music. Comprised of cellists Amahl Arulanandam and Bryan Holt, the Toronto-based duo presents artistically challenging yet accessible programs and have performed in venues ranging from intimate cabarets to Roy Thomson Hall. The promotion and performance of works by current composers is a priority to VC2. They strongly believe in the support and creation of new works by living composers, especially those from their home country of Canada. To this end, VC2 commissioned five Canadian composers to create works based on the Beethoven Cello Sonatas. They have premiered these works through performances in the 2016 and 2017 seasons and culminated in the recording of the album, Beethoven’s Cellists, which was released in September 2018. The recording was made possible by the generous support of the Ontario Arts Council. Future commissions and collaborations are in the works for VC2. Bryan and Amahl seek to redefine chamber music making with this duo VC2. Their unique brand of cello-fueled music adds a new sonority to the traditional presentation of cello performances. In February 2018, VC2 embarked on a tour of the East Coast of Canada, presented by Debut Atlantic. The duo also spent time at the soundSCAPE performance and composition exchange in Maccagno, Italy and brought home a number of new works by emerging international composers. VC2 is thrilled to be one of Prairie Debut’s 2019-20 Touring Artists.
www.vc2celloduo.com
www.vc2celloduo.com
