Oboe

Beverly Wang

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Beverly has served as the Principal Oboe of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra since 2013, and is consistently recognized for her technical precision, rich tone, and expressive artistry. She has regularly been invited to perform as a guest oboist for major orchestras across North America including most recently, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and National Arts Centre Orchestra, among others. Beverly also appears frequently as a soloist with recent highlights including performances of Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante, Martinu’s Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra, and Mozart’s Oboe Concerto. 

As an avid chamber musician, Beverly frequently hosts and performs in chamber music recitals with colleagues and friends, enriching the cultural life of the community while always being open to exploring new repertoire. She has also participated in many of the most prestigious music festivals, including the Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Festival, Pacific Music Festival, Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Taipei Music Academy & Festival, Artosphere Festival, Domaine Forget International Music Festival, and the Young Artists Program with the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NAC).

Beyond her performance career, Beverly is a dedicated educator, passionate about nurturing the next generation of oboists. She regularly gives masterclasses at the University of Toronto, University of Manitoba, and Brandon University, and leads the oboe section of the National Academy Orchestra of Canada. 

Violin I

David Baik

David Baik is a violinist devoted to expressing intimate emotions through his instrument and creating a profound connection with his audience. 

Featured on the CBC Canada's “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30", South Korean-born violinist David Baik is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2023 Peter-Mendell Award from the Jeunesses Musicales Canada Foundation, Grand Prize at the 2021 NAC Bursary Competition, consecutive First Prizes at the 2016 and 2017 Canadian Music Competition, Sturdevant Prize, Gerhard Kander Graduating Award, Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation Fellowship, and the Gabriella Dory Prize. Recently, Baik was named a winner of the 2023 Canada Council Musical Instrument Bank competition. 
Baik obtained his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto, where he was mentored by Jonathan Crow. In 2022, he was awarded a fellowship at the Schulich School of Music, where he continued his studies under the guidance of Andrew Wan. 

As an avid chamber musician, Baik has engaged in notable collaborations with esteemed artists such as Camden Shaw, Charles Richard Hamelin, Jennifer Koh, Andrew Wan, Desmond Hoebig, Jonathan Crow, and Philip Chiu. Additionally, his string quartet, the Stelios Quartet, has garnered acclaim, earning multiple awards, including the 2024 Schiermonnikoog Festival Audience Award and the Grand Prize at the 2023 McGill Chamber Music Competition. Their upcoming schedule features a notable lineup of concerts throughout the Netherlands, with performances scheduled in Eelde, Rhenen, Dalfsen, and Schiermonnikoog. Also an active soloist, Baik has performed with the Sinfonia Toronto, Toronto Summer Music Festival Orchestra, Durham Chamber Orchestra, North York Symphony Orchestra, and the Ottawa Youth Orchestra. 

Baik has made appearances at the Toronto Summer Music festival, Schiermonnikoog Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Netherlands String Quartet Academy, Trondheim String Quartet Academy, McGill International String Quartet Academy, Orford Music Festival, and the Meadowmount School of Music. For the 2024/25 season, David Baik will be a resident of the Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Residency Program at the Royal Conservatory of Music. 

He performs on the 1871 J.B. Vuillaume ('Messiah' Strad copy) violin, generously on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts. 

Hee-Soo Yoon

Hee-Soo began her violin adventure when she was 3 back in BC, where she was born and raised. Now living in Toronto, she spends her days as an orchestral and chamber musician. 
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She is enthusiastic about performing contemporary classical music and has worked with many composers including Sofia Gubaidulina, Julian Anderson, and Andy Akiho. Some of her work includes the premieres of the late Roger Tapping’s Reverberations and Nahre Sol’s Interludes for Clarinet Quintet. She also performs frequently in contemporary music-focused concerts in Toronto, such as playing with The Happenstancers and at the West End Micro Music Festival. 

As a chamber musician, Hee-Soo has performed with members of the Borromeo and Cleveland String Quartets, and has worked with members of the Brentano, Miró, and Juilliard String Quartets. 
One of Hee-Soo’s most memorable experiences as an orchestral musician include the partnership between The Juilliard School and the Royal Academy of Music in London in the summer of 2018 which was conducted by Sir Edward Gardiner, where they performed at the Aldeburgh Festival and at the BBC Proms. In Toronto, she is a member of the Canadian Opera Company and might also be occasionally spotted in the pit at the National Ballet of Canada. 
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As an alum of the New England Conservatory, Juilliard, and the Glenn Gould School, her former teachers include Donald Weilerstein, Laurie Smukler, and Mayumi Seiler. Her current violin is a 2014 Douglas Cox copy of the “ex-Huberman” Stradivarius.

Heemin Choi

Praised by audiences and critics alike, Halifax native Heemin Choi has been featured on CBC Music’s list of “30 Hot Classical Musicians Under 30” and has shared his passion for music internationally in various orchestral, chamber and solo settings. A past recipient of the 1768 “Miller” Januarius Gagliano Violin generously on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts, Choi has performed with the likes of Simon Rattle, Antonio Pappano, Ginandrea Noseda and Valery Gergiev.

Violin II

Elizabeth Loewen Andrews

Elizabeth Loewen Andrews is a core member of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. She leads a dual life in  performance, playing both modern violin and Baroque violin. Although formally trained in modern performance, Elizabeth was able to delve into the world of period performance while she was completing her graduate studies. When not performing in Hamilton, she can often be found joining the members of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra on their stage, or performing contemporary music with Esprit Orchestra. Elizabeth holds both a Bachelor and a Masters degree in Music from the University of Toronto.

If you had to ask Elizabeth about her favourite part in performing music as a career, she would probably say everything. Elizabeth loves to share a wide range of music with audiences, and she tends to throw herself wholeheartedly into all of it! She feels strongly that it is a privilege as a musician, to be able to affect people at a deep emotional level when she performs. Elizabeth aims to bring this same energy and inspiration to her teaching studio, so her students can experience the transformative power of music.

Tamara Hrycak

Tamara Hrycak began her musical studies at an early age in Regina, Saskatchewan. Throughout her musical studies, she has won numerous provincial and national competitions. Upon her graduation from the Conservatory of Music in Regina, she won the prestigious Presidents Gold Medal. Tamara completed her Bachelor of Music with honours from the University of Saskatchewan, and went on to complete a Masters of Music under Lorand Fenyves, as well as a Bachelor of Education at the University of Toronto. 
 
Based in Toronto,Tamara Hrycak is a much sought after violinist and educator. As a performer, her award-winning talent has earned her positions with many orchestras including Hamilton Philharmonic, Toronto Philharmonia and the Windsor Symphony (where she has recorded composers such as Mozart, Haydn, and Chopin) and has toured throughout Europe, Asia and North America with various world renowned conductors.  Her diversity as a musician makes her equally comfortable on stage with music of all genres. In addition to the many music theatre shows she has been the sole violinist, she has also performed alongside artists such as Andre Bocelli, Josh Groban, Anne Murray, David Foster, Peter Gabrielle, The Tenors, Il Divo and Joni Mitchell.  She has been concertmaster for the 2cellos, "Hanson", String theory, as well as Michael Buble performances in Ontario. 

As a devoted educator of the arts, particularly with special needs, Tamara has devoted her life to sharing her knowledge with students across the GTA as well as inspiring and guiding students. Tamara is an active advocate for education in the arts and an active string clinician throughout Ontario. She has been published in The Journal of the Ontario Music Educators society, and has had her music program featured on both CBC Metro morning, as well as CBC news. 

Viola

Woosol Cho

Woosol Cho is an active orchestral and chamber musician performing throughout Canada.
Woosol formerly served as Principal Viola of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra where she was a featured soloist performing Paul Hindemith’s Der Schwanendreher Concerto for Viola and Orchestra. Woosol has also performed with Canada's leading ensembles including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Ballet of Canada, the Canadian Opera Company, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, and the Canadian Chamber Orchestra, and as Guest Principal with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.

Her festival appearances include the Ottawa Chamberfest, Luminato Festival, Stratford Festival, and the Festival de Lanaudière. Internationally, she has been featured on Good Morning America, with her performance broadcast live across Times Square in New York City, and on the Grammy Awards' digital series Positive Vibes Only.

A dedicated educator, Woosol has taught in the Preparatory Program at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and has been invited to adjudicate for MusicFest Canada Nationals, the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival, The Hamilton Music Festival, and the prestigious Hong Kong Schools Music Festival.

Woosol holds a Master’s Degree from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and has studied with James Dunham, Teng Li, and Rennie Regehr.

Clara Nguyen-Tran

A native of Toronto, violist ​Clara Nguyen-Tran is a versatile performer of a wide range of genres that include classical, contemporary, baroque, tango and pop. 
As an orchestral musician, she regularly performs with orchestras across Ontario including the Canadian Opera Company, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, and Esprit Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Clara plays in the all-female, Canadian tango group Solidaridad and is a member of the self-produced string collective to gather string.

Cello

Leana Rutt

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, Leana is based in Toronto as the associate principal cellist of the  Canadian Opera Company and principal cellist of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.  She has been a regular guest artist at festivals and series including Toronto Summer  Music, Ottawa Chamberfest, Stratford Summer Music, and Echo Chamber Toronto, and  has performed internationally on stages from the Lucerne Festival to SXSW Austin. Leana  is a member of the Rosebud String Quartet, whose 2023 debut album features music of  Haydn and Mozart. A graduate of McGill University and the Juilliard School, she is  grateful for the training she received from her principal teachers Timothy Eddy, Matt Haimovitz, Paul Pulford, and Terry Sefton. Leana currently performs on the 1769 Guillami  cello “El Tiburón” and the ca.1830 “Shaw" J.D. Adam bow, both generously on loan from  the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank. ​

Bryan Holt

Known for his artistic versatility, Dr. Bryan Holt has performed throughout North America and abroad in numerous concert halls and alternative venues. Bryan has appeared with many of the leading ensembles in Canada, including Art of Time Ensemble, Continuum Contemporary Music, New Music Concerts, Tapestry Opera, and Against the Grain Theatre. He has occasionally appeared in the cello sections of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Esprit Orchestra and other professional ensembles across the GTA.

Bryan is one half of VC2 Cello Duo, a multi genre ensemble that has been hailed by CBC Radio as “a tight unit, with excellent intonation and expression.” The duo’s second album “I and Thou” was nominated for Classical Album of the Year at the 2024 East Coast Music Awards.

Bryan completed his Doctorate of Music at the University of Toronto and also holds a Masters Degree from McGill University. He is a member of the Royal Conservatory of Music’s College of Examiners and has adjudicated several festivals including the Ontario Strings Association Festival, Canada West Performing Arts Festival and MusicFest Canada Nationals. He maintains a private studio in downtown Toronto while also visiting several schools as a guest coach.

Leanne Wright ​

Leanne Wright is a cellist and media executive. She served for four seasons as Principal Cellist of the Ontario Pops Orchestra and has held that chair with the Rosedale Symphony Orchestra since its inception in 2023. Performance credits include the Toronto Summer Music Festival, The New Classical FM, CBC Television, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. 

Since 2008, Leanne has worked as Senior Vice President, Communications alongside media pioneer Moses Znaimer at ZoomerMedia. Prior to ZoomerMedia, she worked in marketing and public relations representing the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and many of the world’s leading classical artists. 

A native of Winnipeg, Leanne holds an MBA from McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management and a BA in Classics from the University of Manitoba. She is currently Vice Chair of the Board of the Ashkenaz Festival, a global showcase of Jewish music and culture. An avid runner, she’s completed 14 marathons, including Boston.

Bass

Michael Cox

Double Bassist Michael Cox currently resides in Toronto where he maintains a busy schedule of orchestral and chamber music performances. Michael is a frequent addition to the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra and has also performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, joining them on various international tours, including tours of Europe in 2014 and 2017 and a tour of Florida in 2016. Michael has performed with numerous other ensembles including, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, as Assistant Principal Bass of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra,  and as Principal Bass of the Esprit Orchestra. ​

​Harpsichord

Wesley Shen

Wesley Shen is a Toronto-based pianist and harpsichordist specializing in the performance of contemporary music. He can be found in equal measure as a solo, collaborative, chamber and orchestral musician. He regularly performs with a number of groups including Continuum New Music, New Music Concerts, Esprit Orchestra, Soundstreams, and FAWN Chamber Creative. He is also a core member of the Freesound Ensemble, one of Toronto's newer contemporary music collectives. In more traditional settings, he can also be seen performing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. 

A passionate advocate for new music, Wesley works closely with many of Canada’s top composers including Linda Catlin Smith, Anna Höstman, Bekah Simms, and James O’Callaghan. He can be heard on a number of recent albums including Emilie LeBel’s landscapes of memory, Bekah Simms’ Bestiaries, and Monica Pearce’s Textile Fantasies. He has also received numerous grants from the Canada Council of the Arts to commission over a dozen new works for both solo harpsichord and solo piano. He continues to strive to create and contribute to these deeply fruitful collaborative relationships between performers and composers, as well as promote the harpsichord as an expressive and exciting contemporary music instrument.

As well as the piano and harpsichord, Wesley has added a number of additional instruments to his palette, namely the shō and more recently the Ondes Martenot. Wesley is a co-founding member of shshcc, a trio of two shōs and accordion with Michael Murphy and Matti Pulkki, commissioning and performing newly created works for this unique ensemble. 

Recent appearances include performing Morton Feldman's Patterns in a Chromatic Field with Amahl Arulanandam, Gérard Grisey’s Vortex Temporum and his own composition three rooms with Freesound Ensemble, Henryk Gorecki’s Harpsichord Concerto with Esprit Orchestra, and will soon be performing with Opéra de Montréal on Ondes Martenot in the new opera Clown(s) by Ana Sokolovic.