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Artist Bios
Michael Occhipinti – guitar
Winner of the 2002 National Jazz Award for Guitarist of the Year and a six-time Juno Award nominee for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, guitarist/composer Michael Occhipinti’s modern and eclectic approach to jazz and creative music of all kinds has garnered a broad audience and critical acclaim. His internationally praised 2001 recording, Creation Dream: The Songs of Bruce Cockburn, features a guest appearance by Cockburn on guitar; the follow-up recording will be released this summer. In 1994, with pianist/composer Paul Neufeld, he founded the sensational Neufeld-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra (NOJO) that boldly draws on many influences, including African music, early blues, modern concert music, funk, reggae, and a century of jazz. His newest undertaking is The Sicilian Jazz Project, a sextet for which he is arranging Sicilian folk music. Reaching outside jazz, he has performed with the esteemed Gryphon Trio for which he wrote and arranged music for string trio and guitar, and recently performed Gavin Bryars' After the Requiem with the National Ballet of Canada.
Lynn Kuo – violin
Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, violinist Lynn Kuo has earned accolades and praise for "her impeccable playing and tasteful phrasing."
Having given concert tours across Canada, Hawaii, and Europe, Lynn has also appeared as soloist with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, the University of Toronto Chamber Orchestra, the Brandon Chamber Players, the Canadian Sinfonietta, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (Bulgaria). She has been a frequent guest soloist with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra - for which she has appeared as both pianist and violinist - and has also toured Wales, UK as soloist with the Newfoundland Symphony Youth Orchestra.
A champion of new music, Lynn has given world premieres in Canada and Europe of compositions written for and dedicated to her by Michael Pepa and American composer, Katarina Miljkovic. Recently for the 2006 soundaXis Festival in Toronto, she gave the world premieres of Squamish for Violin and Electroacoustic Sound by Michael Pepa and Dennis Patrick, and Sonata Melopoeia by Daniel Foley.
In the fall of 2005, she gave a solo concert tour of Balkan Europe, giving recitals and concerts in Serbia and Montenegro, Bulgaria and Romania. As head of the Les AMIS Ensemble, Lynn will be returning to the Balkans in 2007 with composer Michael Pepa to represent Canada in the Zagreb Biennale Festival, an international festival of contemporary music in Zagreb, Croatia.
Currently based in Toronto, Lynn plays with the Toronto Symphony, Canadian Opera Company, as well as holds the title of Assistant Concertmaster in the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra.
Jan Järvlepp – composer
Jan Jarvlepp returned to his native Ottawa
in 1981 after completing his doctoral studies
in composition and twentieth century music at
the University of California, San Diego. His
composition teachers over the years were Luis
de Pablo, Alcides Lanza, Will Ogdon and Roger
Reynolds. Once back, he joined the Ottawa Symphony
Orchestra and has been active as a freelance
cellist, composer, teacher, recording technician
and as a contractor for chamber music groups.
In 1996, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra premiered
his percussion concerto, known as the "Garbage
Concerto", to a wildly receptive audience
and that success has now been repeated in several
cities in Canada and the USA. This piece was
also recorded by the Kroumata percussion ensemble
and Singapore Symphony Orchestra conducted by
Lan Shui and is now available on BIS CD-1052.
His chamber music recordings include "Flights
of Fancy" and this CD is available from
the Canadian Music Centre in Toronto.
For more information visit: www.janjarvlepp.com.
Steve Larson – viola
Steve Larson has been praised by the Montreal Gazette for his “singing tone, eloquent phrasing, expressive dynamics and flawless intonation,” and Gramophone Magazine calls his playing “riveting.” Since 1994 he has been the violist of the Adaskin String Trio, considered by many to be the pre-eminent ensemble of its kind in the world. He is also a member of the Avery Ensemble, one of New England’s most exciting new chamber groups which performs repertoire from the baroque period to the 21st century. In 1997 he won second prize at the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition also receiving the special award for his performance of the commissioned work. He studied violin with Howard Leyton-Brown, and Mauricio Fuks, viola with Jutta Puchhammer and Steve Tenenbom, and chamber music with members of the Emerson and Orford String Quartets. He is on faculty at The Hartt School of the University of Hartford, one of the leading performing arts schools in North America.
James Blachley – double bass
A performer since the age of five with the New York City Opera, the American Ballet Theater and both on and off Broadway, James Blachley attended Oberlin Conservatory and College, and holds a Master of Music in Composition degree from Mannes College of Music in New York. He is active as full-time bassist, gambist and male alto primarily with the Chris Norman Ensemble, and with the St. Michael’s Choir directed by Nicholas White. As composer, he has recently completed commissions for the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Tradewinds Wind Quintet, and many other instrumental and vocal ensembles. He has received numerous awards including, in 1998, the Bertelsmann World of Expression, a $10,000 first place scholarship for composition, and the Frank McCourt Prize for Literature. He is a co-founder of the Pharos Music Project, a group dedicated to supporting and performing excellent new works for the voice.
Valerie Kuinka – violist/stage director
Valerie Kuinka began her career as a classical violist and has been active as a chamber, orchestral, and studio musician since her graduation in 1984 from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) with a Master of Music in Performance. She has been a member of the orchestras of the Canadian Opera Company, The National Ballet of Canada, and Esprit for over twenty years, playing every position from section to principal before her retirement from the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra in June 2005, and The Esprit Orchestra in 2004.
Valerie’s career expansion into the world of producing and directing officially began in 1996 when she was assistant to director, Tom Diamond, in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of La Calisto. In 1997, Valerie established her own Toronto-based multi-disciplinary theatre company (CollabArts.com) and since its inception has written, produced, directed, and often performed in 14 different productions with artists such as flutist Susan Hoeppner, percussionist Beverley Johnston, harpist Erica Goodman, violinists Marie Berard and Jacques Israelievitch. Valerie has also directed productions for Pacific Opera Victoria, Opera Hamilton, International Vocal Arts Festival (Tel-Aviv), Opera Mississauga, and The Canadian Childrens’ Opera Chorus (Toronto), to name but a few.
Valerie has been on the directing staff at the Metropolitan Opera in New York since 2004-05 and has been assistant director for Samson et Dalila and their recent new production of Romeo et Juliet. Next season she will be assistant director for Idomeneo, Cavalleria Rusticana, and Pagliacci.
Upcoming engagements include directing the workshop of a new opera commissioned by Opera Hamilton based on the life of Joseph Brant (August 2006), and directing Tosca for Opera Hamilton (April 2007)
Valerie continues her playing career both in Toronto and New York and is currently a member of the New York-based Bassan Quartet.
Graham Oppenheimer – viola
Graham Oppenheimer, one of the United Kingdom's foremost violists, was a member of the English Chamber Orchestra, a founding member and principal viola of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under Claudio Abbado, and has also performed as soloist abroad. As chamber musician, he has collaborated with eminent artists including Yehudi Menuhin, James Galway, Murray Perahia and Jack Brymer. Founder of the Leicester International Music Festival in 1989, he became founder and artistic director of the Lincoln International Chamber Music Festival in 2004. He is also artistic director of the University of Lincoln International Concert Series and the DMH International Chamber Music Series. In 1994, he founded the acclaimed Schidlof String Quartet that performs at major venues, tours abroad, records and runs an extensive education program. He teaches at Manchester's Chethams School of Music, gives master classes and is visiting professor at Bowdoin Summer Music Festival (Rhode Island). His recordings include Debussy's Sonata for flute, viola and harp, with James Galway and Marisa Robles.
Lauren Margison – vocalist
Fourteen-year-old Lauren Margison first attracted attention when she joined the Canadian Childrens’ Opera Chorus in 1999. In 2000, she was promoted to the principal chorus, appeared in the Canadian Opera Company’s La Bohème, gave a solo recital at the International Childrens’ Festival at Totonto’s Harbourfront Centre and appeared on The Tonight Show starring Jay Leno. In 2001, she sang in The Snow Queen (CCOC) at Harbourfront Centre. In 2002, she gave her debut performance of Arctic Dreams, written by Christos Hatzis for percussionist Beverley Johnston, flutist Susan Hoeppner and Lauren. Recent critically acclaimed performances as featured artist include the Opera Ontario Christmas concert, with Richard Margison, Elaine Overholt, Glenn Morley, Cydney Speers and John Fanning, and Opera Ontario’s Champagne Auction in Burlington. In June 2006, she made her TD Toronto Jazz Festival solo debut as one of the Real Divas, sharing the stage at Nathan Phillips Square with some of Canada’s great jazz artists. She studies voice with Cydney Speers and Elaine Overholt.
Lisa Moody – viola
Lisa Moody was a finalist in major competitions in the United States and Canada, including the CBC’s Competition for Young Performers. Before coming to Ottawa, she held positions with the Vancouver and Winnipeg symphony orchestras. An active chamber musician, the has performed with a variety of ensembles including the Orford String Quartet, the Vancouver Chamber Music Society, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Thirteen Strings, and Bytown Players. She has performed as a soloist with the Calgary and Kamloops symphony orchestras. In Ottawa, she regularly plays as an additional musician with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and is on faculty with the National Capital Suzuki Music School, where she actively promotes the viola program. She has been featured on CBC Radio and has been recorded on a number of CDs.
Normand Forget – oboe
Normand Forget is an all-round musician. An
oboist second to none and a top-flight soloist
all rolled into one, he wears many hats as chamber
musician, artistic director, transcriber and
teacher. He commands a repertoire ranging from
the Baroque to the latest contemporary creations,
and he devotes himself fully to each work that
comes his way. He can zero in on the very notion
of the concert itself by recasting the creative
aspect of music making and the role of the musician
as stage performer. In addition to his credits
as founding member of the
Pentaèdre wind quintet, the Nouvel Ensemble
Moderne and several others, he has also toured
extensively throughout Europe, Japan, Australia
and North and South America. He also performs
on occasion with the Violons du Roy and I Musici
de Montréal. He teaches oboe and chamber
music at McGill’s Schulich School of Music
and is a member of the music faculty of the
Université du Québec à
Montreal.
Michael McMahon – piano
Michael McMahon maintains an active performing schedule appearing throughout Canada, in Europe and the United States with distinguished singers such as Wendy Nielsen, Annamaria Popescu, Maureen Forrester, Richard Margison, Russell Braun, Michael Schade, Benjamin Butterfield and Daniel Taylor, earning him the reputation of being a luxury partner. He has been a guest artist with, among others, Les Violons du Roy, Opéra de Montréal, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the André Turp Society, the Wexford Festival and Debut Atlantic. Recent highlights include recitals at the Konzerthaus in Berlin, The Great Performers Series at Lincoln Center and the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. He has made numerous broadcast recordings for CBC Radio and Radio-Canada, as well as for the BBC, RBTF, Radio Suisse Romande, and Radio France. His acclaimed discography includes five Juno nominations.
Anne Robert – violin
Acclaimed violinist Anne Robert has won many awards and was principal violin of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for twelve years. After studying with Josef Gingold, Manoug Parikian and Taras Gabora, she earned the most advanced diplomas in performance from the University of Indiana, the Royal Academy of Music in London, and the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal. She plays regularly as a chamber musician and recitalist in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia. Her twenty recordings speak for her eclectic repertoire and a marked interest in French music. She teaches at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal and is on the faculty at the Université de Montréal. She is also a member of the Trio Hochelaga, which she founded in 2000. She plays a 1735 Guarnerius del Gesù violin, on loan from the Canimex Foundation.
Rideau Lakes Brass Quintet
The Rideau Lakes Brass Quintet was formed in 1987 by five prominent Ottawa brass players, all associated with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Since 1988, when the Quintet played at the opening of the new National Gallery of Canada, the group has given recitals throughout eastern Ontario and west Quebec. In Ottawa, the Quintet has been featured in the National Arts Centre Orchestra’s concert series, frequently performs in the Music for a Sunday Afternoon series, and gives concerts every year in the Music in the Schools programme. The Quintet gave contemporary music recitals for Espace Musique, has performed at the University of Ottawa, and has been heard often on CBC Radio and Radio-Canada. The Quintet performs regularly at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, often combining forces with other brass players such as Canadian Brass and True Brass, to perform large-scale works. The Quintet’s members are Karen Donnelly – trumpet, Manon Lafrance – trumpet, Jill Kirwan – horn, Donald Renshaw – trombone, and Nicholas Atkinson – tuba.
Jennifer Snow – piano
Jennifer Snow is an accomplished performer who has appeared as a solo and collaborative pianist throughout Canada, the United States, Asia and Europe. She currently teaches collaborative piano at the University of California, Los Angeles and also presents workshops for teachers internationally. As a performer, she has recorded and is heard on NPR and CBC radio networks. In addition to her music career, her new creative projects include the creation and production of Brassfire, and video direction. She received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Western Ontario, where she graduated with honours. She pursued graduate studies at Northwestern University, where she obtained both a Master’s and a doctorate. She has been a resident artist at the Banff Centre for the Fine Arts. A native of Newfoundland, she currently resides in Los Angeles from where she is active internationally as a performer, teacher, guest lecturer, clinician and adjudicator.
East Village Opera Company
“The pomposity of Opera meets the majesty of Rock… and vice versa.” This self-description became a mantra when Peter Kiesewalter and Tyley Ross, both originally from Ottawa, formed EVOC two years ago after collaborating on a film score that married Italian arias with various modern treatments. A New York debut resulted in repeat engagements attracting listeners, music journalists and record executives, and a deal with Decca/Universal Records making EVOC the flagship of their new crossover division. Hailed by classical and rock critics as the first group to strike the balance between traditionalism and renewal correctly, EVOC’s debut CD weaves together swirling electric guitars, driving grooves, clever rock references to the early 1970’s, string orchestra arrangements, and melodies of opera’s most beloved arias. The record topped numerous crossover charts and garnered rave reviews worldwide. On a worldwide booking deal with the giant classical agency Columbia Artists, EVOC will tour extensively in support of their two records this fall before returning to the studio for their third recording and further developing the New York Public Theatre commission for a multi-media adaptation of Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida.
©2002-2004 Ottawa
Chamber Music Society.
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