Musicians – 2025

Anna Betuzzi is a Canadian oboist and English horn player who recently held the position of section oboist with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra during the 2024-25 season. She also held the position of principal oboe with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra during the 2022-23 season, during which she was professor of oboe at the University of Victoria. Anna has performed with ensembles such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Kingston Symphony Orchestra. She holds an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Sarah Jeffrey, and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria. In addition to performing, Anna is a dedicated music teacher who maintains an active studio of oboe and piano students. Outside of music, Anna enjoys practicing yoga, reading, hiking and spending time with her husband and two cats.Anna Betuzzi is a Canadian oboe and English horn player who recently served as Section Oboe with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra during their 2024-25 season. She has also held the position of Principal Oboe with the Victoria Symphony during their 2022-23 season, during which she served as oboe faculty at the University of Victoria. Anna has performed with ensembles including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the Kingston Symphony Orchestra. She holds a graduate Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Sarah Jeffrey, and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria. In addition to performing, Anna is a dedicated music teacher, maintaining an active studio of oboe and piano students. Outside of music, Anna enjoys practicing yoga, reading, hiking, an spending time with her husband and two cats.

Oboist Sooyoung Kim, a native of South Korea, is a second-year Fellow at the New World Symphony. After winning second prize at the International Double Reed Society Gillet-Fox competition in 2021, Sooyoung expanded her performance career onto the international stage. She is also the first prizewinner of the 2020 Pasadena Showcase House Instrumental Competition.

As a spirited performer, Sooyoung has played with the KBS Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic, Korean National Symphony and the Sarasota Orchestra. Sooyoung is also an alumna of the National Repertory Orchestra, Pacific Music Festival, Taipei Music Festival and KNSO International Orchestra Academy.

Sooyoung’s passion for chamber music began as an undergraduate student, forming SNU:P Wind Quintet in 2015. SNU:P Wind Quintet won the 2018 Young Chamber Concert Audition by Kumho Art Foundation and made their debut at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul, Korea.

Sooyoung obtained her master of music degree at the Colburn School, where she studied with Eugene Izotov and Mingjia Liu, and a bachelor of music degree from Seoul National University, where she studied with Misung Lee and Jung Choi.

Logan Jawgiel (b. 2002) is a bassoonist of 12 years originally from the Chicago area. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Peabody Institute in 2024 under Prof. Brad Balliett, and he is a candidate for a Graduate Performance Diploma in 2025, again under Prof. Brad Balliett. Logan was named 2024-2025 recipient of the Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Orchestral Scholarship; in addition to this award, Logan has been the recipient of a full-tuition scholarship for the duration of his studies at Peabody. In 2024, Logan was a bassoonist and contrabassoonist at l’Orchestre de la Francophonie of Montréal. He is also a 2023 alumnus of the Kent-Blossom Chamber Music Festival where he studied with Prof. Barrick Stees, and a 2022 alumnus of the Eastern Music Festival where he studied with George Sakakeeny and Karla Ekholm. In high school, Logan was a bassoonist and contrabassoonist at the Symphony Orchestra and Classical Orchestral Repertory Ensemble of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, as well as at the Midwest Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. In conjunction with his musical studies at Peabody, Logan serves as an assistant conductor and assistant-at-large at the Peabody Preparatory. Outside of music, Logan’s interests include learning languages, eating interesting foods, and caring for his 13-year-old chinchilla, Mogwai.

Originally from Colombia, bassoonist Camilo Aramburo Jaramillo is a passionate orchestral and chamber musician. He is currently pursuing his Master of Music degree in performance at McGill University, under the tutelage of Stephane Levesque. He has also studied at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the University of Southern Mississippi, the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, and the Orchestra of the Americas Academy. As a performer with the Filarmonica Joven de Colombia, he has toured Central America and Europe. In his spare time, he enjoys playing tennis and spending time with his wife and their two cats.

Eugene Jung is a clarinetist from Seoul, Korea. He has performed under the baton of renowned conductors such as Marin Alsop, JoAnn Falletta, David Alan Miller, and Gustavo Gimeno. As principal clarinetist, he contributed to the premiere recording of Joan Tower’s 1920/2019 with NAXOS Records.

Jung has held distinguished fellowships, including the National Orchestral Institute + Festival (2023), the National Youth Orchestra of Canada (2024), and in 2025, Orchestre de la Francophonie. His solo debut took place at Roy Thomson Hall in 2023 as the winner of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition.

Jung has been active in competitions, receiving awards from the Glenn Gould School Chamber Competition, Music Education News Concours, and Ceramic Palace Concours.
He completed his undergraduate studies at The Glenn Gould School – Royal Conservatory of Music.

Originally from Seoul, Jung studied clarinet under Inho Kim and Sangwoo Lim in Seoul and later under Gi Lee in Philadelphia prior to coming to Canada.

Roger-Arnaut Casteret is a young French horn player from the south of France. Currently in his 3rd year of BAchelor at the Haute école de Genève in Milena Viotti’s class.
He previously studied at the Conservatoire a rayonnement régional de Paris, where he built the foundations of his musical career.

He performs regularly in various amateur and professional orchestras in Switzerland, including the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, and has a strong interest in ensemble work, both in orchestra and chamber music.
Curious and committed, he develops a musical approach combining rigor, sensitivity and artistic commitment.

Louis Giffard-Carlet, born June 1, 2006, is a French horn player who began playing the French horn at the age of 8 at the Grand-Couronne conservatory in Normandy, with his teacher Yanick Maillet. He went on to study at the Rouen conservatory, following in his teacher’s footsteps, and gradually began playing with various amateur orchestras in the region.
At the age of 16, he performed with three of them, playing Camille Saint-Seans’ famous “morceau de concert” for orchestra and solo horn.
In 2024, he also performed Friedrich Kuhlau’s concertino for two horns.
He also participates four years in a row in the academia Claude Brendel, an orchestral academy based in Brasilia, Brazil.
Since 2025, he has been continuing his instrumental training at the Haute École de Musique de Genève with his teacher Milena Viotti.
He has a keen interest in orchestral music, but is also a member of various chamber music groups.

Lola Piot, born in Avignon in 2001, began playing the French horn at the age of 7. After passing her baccalauréat in science, she left the south of France to study with Guy Mouy in Douai. In 2023, after obtaining a DEM and further training, she joined Jacques Deleplancque’s class at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne. The same year, she joined the Orchestre Français des Jeunes for the 2023/2024 season.
Lola has also played in various symphony orchestras, including the Orchestre Colonne, the Orchestre Pasdeloup, the Orchestre de Douai and the Orchestre National Avignon Provence.

Nicolas began learning the trumpet at Le Plateau school at the age of 11. He devoted the next eight years of his life to the trumpet. After CEGEP, Nicolas took a break from music studies to satisfy his curiosity and studied psychology, lived in a tent for six months in the Gaspé, then worked in a bank. After four years of research and discovery, Nicolas realized that music was what really made him happy. He returned to the Conservatoire in 2023 to continue his training where he had left off, under the tutelage of Stéphane Beaulac. Nicolas had the privilege of taking part in several training courses since his return to music. He went to Domaine Forget during the summers of 2023 and 2024, as well as to the National Academy Orchestra at the Brott Music Festival in 2024. Nicolas also took part in the OSM’s Orchestral Immersion in February 2025.

Born in Baldwinsville, New York, Parker Bruce was an incredibly active high school musician; participating in both the New York State Summer School of the Arts alongside the Philadelphia Orchestra as well as Carnegie Hall’s NYO2. Now, after finishing his studies in the Orchestral Artistry program at the renowned Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Parker has decided to return to Montreal, where he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Trumpet Performance at The Schulich School of Music.
During his time studying in London, Parker worked with the world famous London Symphony Orchestra in multiple capacities, including rehearsal sit-ins, performing in the 2024 LSO Discovery showcase, and even joining the LSO brass section for the 2024/2025 Season Opening. He has also had the pleasure to work closely with James Fountain, Adam Wright, Paul Beniston and Anne McAneney.
Completing a minor in Music Education alongside his Bachelor’s degree at McGill, Parker is an avid mental health advocate and teacher with the hopes of furthering his own pedagogical ideas that integrate old school brass teachings with cognitive wellness techniques and performance psychology.
Residing once again in the beautiful city of Montreal, Parker is excited to continue his efforts in orchestral auditions, freelancing, teaching, and professional chamber projects. He also wishes to continue his research into the subjective experience of professional brass musicians, with the goal of better developing the language we use to describe the orchestral standard in order to make the career more accommodating for others.

Emma began playing double bass at the Perpignan conservatory in France, then went on to study at the Toulouse conservatory and the Pau conservatory with Jean Baptiste Salle, where she obtained a DEM in double bass.
She is currently in her 3rd year of a Bachelor’s degree at the HEM in Geneva, studying with Alberto Bocini, during which time she also completed an Erasmus in Spain with Pierre Emmanuel de Maistre at Musikene.
In parallel with her studies, she often plays in orchestras, and in chamber music with the Volubilis Orquestra, the Orchestre de Perpignan Méditerranée, the OPPB orchestra…
In 2023, she had the opportunity to join the French Youth Orchestra under the direction of Michael Schønwandt.
With her passion for teaching, emma is also involved in large-scale social projects such as Demos (which brings culture to people where it’s not always easy to find it), and teaches at workshops with the Découv’Art association.

Étienne Beaulieu-Gaul began learning music at the age of seven. Initially a violinist, he became interested in the double bass at the age of 13, and quickly fell in love with it. Étienne gave up the violin a few years later to devote the rest of his studies to the double bass. Today, Étienne studies at the Université de Montréal, where he is completing a master’s degree in performance. His inquisitive nature has enabled him to explore many musical genres, including jazz, contemporary and early music, even dabbling in electric bass at times. Following his participation in the 2023 and 2024 seasons of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Étienne is highly motivated to obtain a position in a professional orchestra.

Lindsey Joslin (she/her) is an incoming first-year graduate student at the Eastman School of Music, studying with James VanDemark for a MM in double bass performance. She received her Bachelors degree from New York University in instrumental performance where she studied with Gregg August. During her time at NYU, Lindsey served as principal bassist in the NYU Symphony Orchestra and Contemporary Music Ensemble and was a member of many other ensembles within the school. She worked closely with the composition and screen scoring departments at NYU both as a studio musician and having premiered many pieces for their students. Outside of NYU, Lindsey has most notably filmed with HBO for their series “And Just Like That”, the sequel to “Sex and the City”, and performed with the recent Grammy winning New York Youth Symphony, as well as the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, with whom she recorded two albums. While studying at the École Normale Supérieure conservatory in Paris in the fall of 2023, she served as an Artist in Residence in the Fondation des États-Unis house of the Cité Internationale Universitaire. In May of 2023, she had the opportunity to record with PBS for their “Songs About Buildings and Moods” series. Lindsey has attended the Sewanne Summer Music Festival (2023) and Atlantic Music Festival (2024), where she was able to study with Donald Palma (Yale/NEC), James VanDemark (Eastman), and Sam Suggs (JMU).

Corentin Couëffé began his apprenticeship at the age of 3 with his father and grandfather, Eric and Yves Couëffe. Despite his young age, Corentin already showed a rare gift and capacity for learning. At the age of 5, he entered the Conservatoire de Saint-Maur des Fossés and, at 17, continued his studies by joining Xavier Gagnepain’s class at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Boulogne-Billancourt. Corentin then embarked on advanced studies in cello and was accepted in his first year at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee in Rhonda Rider’s class, but preferred to go to the Faculty of Music in Montreal, in the class of Yegor Dyachkov/Chloé Dominguez. Once in Montreal, Corentin pursued his career in various orchestral ensembles, including the Orchestre de la Francophonie, the OUM and Orchestre 21.

From Milwaukee, Wisconsin, cellist Joel Osinga primarily studied with Peter Thomas of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He was a winner of the Wisconsin Philharmonic’s Shining Stars Competition, as well as a prize winner in the Lyric Chamber Competition and the American Virtuoso International Competition. Joel’s orchestral experience includes performing with The Cleveland Orchestra, Symphony of the Americas, and Palm Beach Opera Orchestra, as well as renowned artists such The Beach Boys and Bad Bunny on his North American “Most Wanted” tour. He has appeared as a featured artist at the Kent Blossom Chamber Music Festival, and has attended other summer programs such as Vivace Music Festival, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival and Aria International Summer Academy. Joel holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance from Boston University under the instruction of Professor Michael Reynolds, and is currently based in South Florida pursuing his master’s degree from Lynn Conservatory with David Cole. Outside of music, Joel enjoys hobbies such as chess, Sudoku and cooking.

Taiwanese-American cellist, Alex Wu, is a first-year Cello Fellow at the New World Symphony. Hailing from Philadelphia, he debuted with the Warminster Symphony in 2010 and has since performed as a soloist with the Lansdowne, Old York and Southeastern Pennsylvania symphony orchestras, among others. He is a prizewinner of the National YoungArts competition, semi-finalist at the IXth “Annarosa Taddei” International Competition in Italy, and is a recipient of the Marjorie Jane Brewster Career Grant.
As a chamber musician, Alex has been invited to perform at the Caramoor, Sarasota, Windwood, and Manchester Chamber Music Festivals. Being a founding member of HEXTET, he served with the group as ensemble-in-residence at Arcadia University and competed as semi-finalists in the Coltman Chamber Music Competition. As an orchestral musician, Alex currently performs with the New World Symphony and was previously a member of Symphony in C. In recent years, he has performed as an orchestral cellist at the Pacific Music Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, Music Academy of the West, New York String Orchestra Seminar and NYO-USA. Other orchestral engagements include appearances with the Baltimore, Virginia and Fairfax symphonies.
Alex received his master of music degree from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University under the tutelage of Alan Stepansky. As a graduate of the Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University in political science and music, he has also studied with Kim Cook, Jon Dexter and Jeffrey Solow.

Beginning to play the cello at the age of 8 with Jérôme Treille, he pursued his artistic path after a scientific baccalaureate by entering the CRR de Versailles. He studied with Damien Ventula and Raphaële Semezis, where he obtained his Diplôme d’Études Musicales (DEM). He is currently pursuing his training in classical performance at the Université de Montréal, in the class of Yegor Dyachkov.
An avid chamber musician, he benefits from the advice of renowned musicians such as François Poly, Marie Bégin, Juan-Miguel Hernandez, Cynthia Blanchon and Guillaume Sutre. His career has also been enriched by studies with Philippe Barry, Chloé Dominguez and Tormod Dalen.
He plays on a cello made in 2021 by luthier Alexis Péan in Rouen.

Born in Taipei, Chi-Li Sheng pursued her musical training at the Conservatoire de Boulogne-Billancourt in Paris, in Nicolas Miribel’s class, before joining the Pôle supérieur d’enseignement artistique with Agnès Reverdy and Catherine Jacquet. She is currently studying for a Master’s degree at the Université de Montréal, where she is perfecting her skills under the guidance of Guillaume Sutre. She has enriched her artistic career by taking part in numerous master classes led by renowned musicians such as David Grimal, Nicolas Dautricourt and Constance Ronzatti.
Highly committed to chamber music, she has taken specialized masterclasses with Vincent Coq, Luc-Marie Aguera, Yovan Markovitch, Mathieu Herzog and Sung Won Yang. She has also taken part in several academies, including “MusicAlps”, and performed at the “Musique à Flaine” chamber music festival. In 2024, she was selected from among twelve string musicians to receive a full scholarship as part of the Mendocino Music Festival’s Emerging Artists Program.

Hailed by CBC as one of Canada’s 30 Under 30 Classical Musicians in 2023, Benjamin Seah is a rising star whose artistry has captivated audiences across North America, Europe, and Asia. Currently pursuing his Bachelor’s degree at Oberlin Conservatory under the tutelage of Bill van der Sloot, Benjamin’s musical journey has been marked by both technical excellence and expressive depth. His talent has earned him numerous accolades, including 1st Prize as well as the Paul J. Bourret Memorial Prize at the Shean Strings Competition, prizes at both the Marie Cantagrill Competition and the Canadian Music Competition.
Benjamin’s performances have graced prestigious stages such as Quebec’s Maison Symphonique and Palais Montcalm, in addition to China’s Qingdao Grand Theatre. His 2018 victory on the popular television program “Virtuose” catapulted him into the spotlight, leading to features on platforms like Radio-Canada’s Ici Musique, CBC Music, and WQXR’s Young Artists Showcase. These opportunities have allowed him to connect with a wider audience and showcase his distinct musical voice.
Benjamin’s festival appearances have included the Orford Music Festival, Domaine Forget, Madeline Island Chamber Music, and the Althofener Meisterklassen, where he has worked closely with some of the world’s most esteemed musicians, including Zakhar Bron, Mihaela Martin, and members of the Juilliard, Emerson, and Takacs String Quartets. These experiences have shaped his artistry, influencing both his interpretation and approach to performance. Benjamin plays on a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin and a Claude Thomassin bow, generously loaned by CANIMEX Inc.

Elise Persiaux was born in Paris in 2003 into a family of musicians. At the age of 4, she began playing the violin and entered the Conservatoire du 17e arrondissement de Paris at the age of 6, then the CRR de Paris at the age of 9.
At the age of 7, she also took up the transverse flute and entered the Conservatoire du 17e arrondissement de Paris. She obtained her CEM in flute in 2021.
In 2011, she won 2nd prize in the Vatelot competition. In 2019, she unanimously obtains her DEM in violin in Christophe Guiot’s class. The same year, she won 1st prize at the Cambrai international competition. She continued her studies in CPES at the CRR de Paris in the classes of Frédéric Laroque and José Alvarez. Elise is currently in her third year of a Bachelor’s degree in Tedi Papavrami’s class at the HEM in Geneva.
Since the age of 6, Elise has given numerous solo and chamber music concerts in Japan, Russia, Bulgaria, Germany and Belarus. Passionate about orchestras, she is a member of the Orchestre Français des Jeunes in 2021-2022, under the direction of Michael Schonwandt, performing in France, Germany and Romania. She also plays with the Musiciens d’Europe orchestra, the Franck Martin orchestra and the Jubilus ensemble in Geneva. Elise was concertmaster of the Orchestre de la Francophonie in 2024.

Ember, a versatile Canadian musician from Hudson, Quebec, began her musical journey on the violin at the age of four, demonstrating a natural talent that propelled her into the musical world. She continued her musical pursuits in Violin Performance at the University of Ottawa, earning a BMus (Magna Cum Laude), an MMus, and a Microprogram certification in Media Composition.

In 2023, Ember contributed to recitals celebrating women composers, collaborating with pianists Fred Lacroix and Olivier Hébert-Bouchard at Ottawa’s Music and Beyond series and the NAC Fourth Stage. The following year, she performed Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending” with the Caelis Ensemble in the Canadian choral premiere of Paul Drayton’s arrangement, under Matthew Larkin. Ember has participated in Orchestra mentorships with the OSO and the OCM and masterclasses with Zakhar Bron, Jonathon Crow, Masao Kawasaki, Alexandre DaCosta, Mimi Zweig, and Christian Tetzlaff.

Notably, Ember has been a finalist in the 2021 NACO Bursary Competition, the 2023 Agustin Aponte International Music Competition in Spain, and the 2024 Orford Music Award. In addition to her work as a violinist, Ember is also a singer and composer who seamlessly blends her diverse skills to enrich her recitals and develop unique musical projects, as showcased on her YouTube channel. Ember is currently pursuing a Doctoral Program in Violin Performance at the University of Montreal under the mentorship of Guillaume Sutre.”

When not immersed in her music, Ember enjoys photography, flamenco, and community volunteering, embodying her passion for both art and giving back.

Maria Mondiru is a Montreal-born violinist of Romanian origin. She began her
learning the violin at the age of five and has been immersed in the world of music ever since. She begins a Bachelor’s degree in Interpretation at the Université de Montréal in 2019 under the tutelage of Claude Richard. Maria then obtained her Master’s degree in 2024 in Marie Bégin’s class.
In recent years, the violinist has continued her training as an orchestral musician through various internships and mentorships, such as ClassicalAllMusic (Italy), the Orchestre Classique de Montréal mentoring program, the National Arts Centre Orchestra mentoring program (Ottawa) and the Brott Music Festival’s National Academy Orchestra (Hamilton).
Maria doesn’t stop at classical; she loves to explore contemporary, baroque and folk music.
folk music. In 2023, she won 3rd place in the NEM (Nouvel Ensemble Moderne) New Music Performers Fund with Your Room at Midnight, composed by Antonio Garcia. She is also involved in her community, taking part in concerts of traditional Romanian music. Maria has been teaching violin for many years, with a clientele of all ages, because it’s never too late to learn to play a musical instrument!

Paul Bertrand discovered the violin at the age of three. Very early on, music became an essential means of expression for him, which he cultivated with passion, discipline and sensitivity.

After two years at the preconservatory, in 2018 he entered the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal with Anne Robert, where he is currently pursuing his seventh year of studies. Trained in a rigorous and stimulating environment, he developed solid instrumental mastery and great artistic maturity.

Along the way, Paul has had the opportunity to perform as a soloist, notably alongside Alexandre Da Costa at the Stradivari Festival. He has also distinguished himself in a number of competitions, winning second prize at the Canadian Music Competition in 2022, and first prize at the Classival Competition in 2024.

Chi-Hsien Chen, a violinist from Taiwan, is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Violin Performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music under the guidance of Professor Kyung Sun Lee.

Chi-Hsien previously earned her Bachelor of Music from National Kaohsiung Normal University, where she won first prize in the university’s Concerto Competition in 2021. Before attending Indiana University, she studied at the University of Oklahoma with Dr. Gregory Lee and served as concertmaster of the University of Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra.

A native of Paris, Martha began her violin studies with Delphine Hervé, and went on to study with Saskia Lethiec at the CRR de Versailles, where she obtained a DEM.
At the same time, she developed a growing interest in early music through Baroque violin, which she studied with Patrick Cohën-Akenine.
She also studied viola with Jacques Borsarello.
Throughout her career, Martha has benefited from masterclasses with renowned violinists such as Olivier Charlier and Christine Busch.
She is currently studying in Switzerland, at the Haute École de Musique de Genève, in Patrick Genet’s class.
A passionate orchestral performer, Martha has taken part in numerous concerts in several European countries (France, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Spain…), notably with the Orchestre Lamoureux, the Orchestre Français des Jeunes, the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, the Landesjugendorchester Berlin…
She has performed in prestigious halls such as the Philharmonie de Paris, the Chapelle royale du Château de Versailles, the Seine Musicale, the Ministère de la Culture in Paris, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Victoria Hall in Geneva, the Brucknerhaus in Linz, Austria, and the Szczecin Philharmonic in Poland.

A native of the Chicago area, Jane currently lives and performs in Montréal, Québec, Canada, as she pursues her Master’s degree in Viola Performance at McGill University. She also performs with several orchestras in West Michigan and the Ann Arbor area. Jane began her orchestral studies with the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory in Highwood, IL, before moving to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan. As a musician in McGill’s Symphony Orchestra and Contemporary Ensemble, she plays under the direction of conductors Alexis Hauser and Mélanie Léonard. Additionally, she is a member of the first violin section of West Michigan Symphony in Muskegon, MI, led by conductor Scott Speck. She is also a substitute violinist and violist with a number of Michigan orchestras, including the Jackson, Holland, Lansing, and Adrian Symphonies.

Jane has previously participated in the Chautauqua and Orford Music Festivals, Chicago Summer Opera, and the National Orchestral Institute + Festival as a member of the NOI Philharmonic Orchestra. She has played under the baton of conductors such as Marin Alsop, Rossen Milanov, David Neely, John Morris Russell, and Joseph Young.

Jane currently studies with Victor Fournelle-Blain and has previously studied with Caroline Coade and Blair Milton.

Immersed himself in the violin for the first time at age 16 and discovered the viola at 17. Zack holds a Master’s degree from Western University in Viola Performance under the guidance of renowned violists Sharon Wei and Annemarie Moorcroft. He earned the scholarship award at St. Catharines Festival of Stars and finalist position in the Ontario Provincial Music Competition. Holding a Bachelor’s Performance degree at Brock University, Zack is the principal violist and librarian of the Brock String Orchestra, and performed as a soloist in Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, studied with Andrée Simard. Upon graduation, he was awarded the St. Catharines Peter D’Achille Aspiring Artist Award in 2022. At Western University, he performed in opera Hansel and Gretel, also selected as one of the students to perform in the Mozart Viola Quintet Project with the well-known New Orford String Quartet (No. 3 in C major, K. 515), and was honoured to premiere the modern work “Didsbury” by JUNO-nominated composer Emily Hiemstra. As the viola teacher at Ridley College and strings teacher of the Niagara Elementary Instrumental Music, he also plays with the Oakville Symphony. Performed with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra, Zack also performed the Zelter Viola Concerto as soloist with Brock String Orchestra, and is a long-term collaborative violist with Chorus Hamilton. Representing Brock University performing at the Canadian Bureau for International Education meeting, Zack is one of the Niagara Symphony Summer Camp string teachers in 2023 and is the training strings instructor of the Niagara Youth Orchestra.

He began his musical studies at Philippine Research of Developing Instrumental Soloists, a program by the St. Scholastica’s College Manila, Philippines, ran in conjunction with the Manila Symphony Orchestra. Raphael was eventually invited to be one of the first of the few young musicians to move up to the Manila Symphony Orchestra whilst being a member of the Orchestra’s Academy program. Raphael obtained a DipABRSM from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in 2015. He finished his Bachelor of Music Performance with Honours in 2021, and Master of Music Performance in 2023 from the University of Toronto. Currently, he is a Ph.D. candidate in Applied Performance Science at the Schulich School of Music, McGill University studying and researching evidence-based methods of learning, practicing, and performing music. The Applied Performance Science at McGill is the first of its kind in North America.

Violinist Whit FitzGerald has cultivated a performance career spanning major cities across North America. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, FitzGerald began his orchestral studies within the Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra, a top youth orchestra in the United States, and served as its assistant concertmaster in the 2015-2016 season. Subsequently, he pursued a Bachelor of Violin Performance at Vanderbilt University to study with Cornelia Heard, and graduated with honors in 2021.

While at Vanderbilt, FitzGerald studied a number of musical disciplines, eventually serving as a teaching assistant in the departments of both ear training and music theory, as well as studying orchestral repertoire with Jun Iwasaki, then-concertmaster of the Nashville Symphony, and string quartet repertoire with violinist Stephen Miahky.

In the fall of 2022, FitzGerald traveled to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada), to pursue Masters of both Violin Pedagogy and Violin Performance at the Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) with Canadian violinist Nancy Dahn. Currently studying at MUN, he serves as the string department teaching assistant as well as the University Orchestra concertmaster—a position he has held for three years—and has performed in a number of collaborative chamber music concerts with faculty members and guest artists.

FitzGerald is a a two-time alumnus of the Meadowmount School of Music (New York), as well as the Aspen Music Festival and School (Colorado), the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival (Vermont), Center Stage Strings (Michigan), the Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival (Newfoundland and Labrador), and L’Orchestre de la Francophonie (Québec), where he served as an assistant concertmaster of the 2023 season. FitzGerald is a two-time first-prize winner at the Kiwanis Music Festival of St. John’s. Further, he performs regularly with the Georgia and Newfoundland Symphony Orchestras.

Currently residing in St. John’s, Whit enjoys spending time on the hiking trail, or quietly indoors with novels or books about music theory.

Luigi Torres is pursuing his master’s degree in violin performance at the University of Ottawa under Timothy Chooi after graduating from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in the Philippines in 2024. In the summer of 2024, he was appointed co-concertmaster of the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra (MSJO), which won two top prizes in Vienna and Bratislava and performed in Budapest, Salzburg, and Prague.
Luigi’s artistry has been showcased internationally, with performances in Hong Kong at the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) Winner’s Concert and the String Chamber Music Festival, where Ida Kavafian coached the UST string quartet group. He also attended the University of Ottawa’s Summer String Academy in 2023, participating in masterclasses with Timothy and Nikki Chooi, Elaine Klimasko, and Midori Goto.
He was the UST Symphony Orchestra concertmaster, leading major works like Dvořák’s New World Symphony and Mozart’s Requiem. He received Honorable Mention awards in the New York Young Performers’ Prize and NAMCYA. In 2023, he won the First Prize in NAMCYA’s Senior Strings Division. He was also invited to perform as a tutti member with the Sun Symphony Orchestra in Vietnam.
Luigi performed as a soloist and conductor in his high school recital at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. A former scholar of the Philippine High School for the Arts, he trained under Jeffrey Solares and Gina Medina-Perez and joined the Asian Youth Orchestra’s 2019 tour across Asia. His musical journey began at age nine in Manila, traveling long distances for lessons.

Cecilia Drago is a violinist from Milano, Italy. She graduated from the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milano, where she studied with Francesca Monego and Anna Minella. She developed a passion for the orchestra at the age of 10 and has never stopped. After graduating, she successfully auditioned for the orchestra of Vicenza’s Teatro Olimpico and the Italian Youth Orchestra, with whom she performed at Berlin’s Konzerthaus. In 2023, she will take part in a European tour and opera festival at Waikersheim Castle with the Filarmonica Friulani orchestra. She is currently continuing her studies with the Teatro Regio of Turin at the Saluzzo School of High Musical Specialization.
She has taken part in several international masterclasses with Simone Bernardini (Berliner philarmoniker), Amiram Ganz (Vienna Altenberg Trio), Aiman Mussakajayeva (soloist from Kazakhstan).
Not only opera, but also modern repertoire and musicals. In 2022, she takes part in the Italian tour of Tick TICK boom as first violin of the quartet on stage, recording the show’s CD. In 2024, she is first violin for the musical Rocky at Torino’s Alfieri Theater.
Since 2018, he has been teaching privately, and some of his students have been admitted to conservatories and music high schools.
To gain a different view of the instrument, in 2024 he started a lutherie course for bow maintenance and repair, with master luthier Piero Cavalazzi.
In addition to the violin, she enjoys drawing, painting and the mountains, where she likes to take long walks.

Hugo Cayen is a Franco-Ontarian percussionist, pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in Performance at the University of Ottawa, with professor Andrew Harris. Hugo began his musical journey on drums at the age of 12 and immediately found a passion for classical percussion, becoming his high school’s principal percussionist a few years later. Having played with the University of Ottawa Orchestra, the University of Ottawa Wind Ensemble, the Ottawa Youth Orchestra and the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra, Hugo has accumulated many significant experiences, giving him the chance to perform while refining his mastery of the instrument.

His passion for percussion is not limited to performances, as he has been sharing his knowledge by teaching group classes and private percussion lessons for the past four years.