2024 – 2025 Guest Artists
JOAN E BARRETT violin
Canadian violinist Joan Barrett has a wealth of experience as performer, teacher, adjudicator and coach. Her performing experience includes chamber music, solo recitals and performances with orchestra in addition to serving as Principal, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Assistant Concert Master, Stratford Festival Orchestra, and member of Kensington Sinfonia.
Prior to leaving Calgary for Toronto, Joan Barrett was deeply involved in the founding of the Academy program at MRU’s Conservatory where she taught violin, chamber music and conducted one of the orchestras. A recipient of Mount Royal University’s Distinguished Teaching Award, her students have been competition winners at the national level and are active professionally.
Raised in Ontario and furthering her education at Indiana University, Joan Barrett is grateful to have been taught and mentored by outstanding teachers and musicians such as Josef Gingold, David Zafer, Paul Rolland, Ivan Galamian and Ruggiero Ricci. Subsequently she has been influenced by the work of Moshe Feldenkrais, M.F. Alexander, Carol Ann Erickson and Andover Educators (Bodymapping.)
A passionate educator, Ms. Barrett has taught at the University of Calgary, University of Toronto, The Royal Conservatory of Music, as well as being the first String Co-ordinator of its Young Artists Performance Academy. In 2012 she was the Artistic Consultant in the creation of nine recordings to accompany The Royal Conservatory’s new Violin Series publications.
An accredited professional coach (OISE/Adler), Joan Barrett also has a successful coaching practice working with leaders, professionals in the arts and students to address challenges with performing, and career and life transitions. She currently teaches and coaches privately, and creates professional development for interested teachers and performers. Ms. Barrett is most pleased to be returning to work at Amici with its enthusiastic students and dedicated teachers.
DIANA COHEN violin
Diana Cohen has a multifaceted career as a concertmaster, chamber musician, and soloist. She is the Concertmaster of the Calgary Philharmonic and Founder and Artistic Director of the acclaimed music festival ChamberFest Cleveland. Last July, Diana and her husband, pianist Roman Rabinovich launched ChamberFest West (chamberfestwest.com), an annual international summer chamber music festival bringing the most exciting musicians from around the globe to Calgary. Cohen has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras, has performed at some of the most prestigious festivals, and collaborated with renowned artists, including Garrick Ohlsson, Mitsuko Uchida, Jonathan Biss, and members of the Juilliard, Dover, Miro, and Parker string quartets. Cohen has toured and recorded with the Grammy Award-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and performed with the East Coast Chamber Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic. A Cleveland Institute of Music graduate, she studied with Donald Weilerstein and received the Jerome Gross Prize. In 2022, Diana received the prestigious Alumni Achievement Award from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Cohen’s father, Franklin, was longtime Principal Clarinet of the Cleveland Orchestra, and her brother Alexander is Principal Timpani for the Calgary Phil. Her late mother, Lynette Diers Cohen, was an esteemed bassoonist. Cohen lives in Calgary with her husband and her five-year-old, Noa Lynette, who sings and dances all day long.
KATARINA STRING QUARTET
Formed in 2022 at the Schulich School of Music under the tutelage of André Roy, the Katarina String Quartet has quickly emerged as one of Canada’s leading young string quartets. The KSQ are recent Gold Medal and BIPOC Prize winners of the 2024 St. Paul Chamber Music Competition. In 2023, they were first prize winners of the Canadian Music Competition and semi-finalists of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. They are the current Graduate String Quartet in Residence at The Juilliard School.
Known for their evocative interpretations and deeply personal sound, the KSQ has worked with members of the Alban Berg Quartet, Dover Quartet, and the Danel Quartet. The quartet has studied extensively with Prof. Gerhard Schulz at the International Musicians Seminar, Prussia Cove as well as with the Pacifica Quartet and Atar Arad at the 2023 Professional String Quartet Studies program in Bloomington, Indiana. The quartet participated as a senior quartet at the McGill International String Quartet Academy (MISQA) in August 2023 and was most recently featured at the Robert Mann String Quartet Institute in New York City. The KSQ have also been featured artists at central classical music societies in Montreal and cherish their connection to the city.
The members of the KSQ aim to pursue repertoire and projects that intersect with their musical and moral values, with a focus on centering inclusivity, sustainability, and accessibility. The quartet takes its name from Katarina Guarneri, the wife of the legendary violinmaker Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu; she made violins under her husband’s guise during the most productive years of his career and is rumored to be responsible for many of del Gesu’s most successful violins. Inspired by Katarina, the KSQ pays tribute to the many forgotten people whose uncredited contribution to the industry paved the way for music to be shared for years to come.
VIOLAINE MELANÇON violin
n artist deeply dedicated to the range of violin and chamber music repertoire, violinist Violaine Melançon is Associate Professor of Violin at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University, and serves on the violin and chamber music faculties of the Peabody Conservatory. She was for thirty years the founding violinist of the Peabody Trio which was ensemble-in-residence at the Peabody Conservatory from 1987 to 2016. After winning the prestigious Naumburg Chamber Music Award in 1989, the Peabody Trio established itself as an important presence in the chamber music world as vivid interpreters of the classics of the repertoire, advocates for new music, and dedicated teachers and mentors to a generation of young musicians. As a member of the Peabody Trio, Ms. Melançon gave a New York debut in 1990 at Alice Tully Hall and has performed in the most important chamber music series in North America, including New York, Washington, DC, Chicago, Denver, Vancouver, Montreal, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Indianapolis, Dallas, Honolulu, Memphis, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Portland, St. Louis, Boston and Philadelphia. With them, Ms. Melançon toured internationally, frequently performing in England, making repeat appearances at London’s Wigmore Hall, and in Japan and Israel.
She has a special affection for the music of today and is a serious interpreter of works of Gyorgy Kurtag, Mauricio Kagel and Zhou Long. The Israeli composer Shulamit Ran wrote a violin concerto for her and she has premiered several works by other leading composers. Among the artists with whom she enjoys collaborating are pianists Leon Fleisher, Gilbert Kalish and Peter Frankl, soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson, and violist Roger Tapping.
During the spring of 2012, she presented the complete works for solo violin by J.S.Bach. She performs recitals annually, exploring unusual gems of the solo and violin-piano duo repertoire. Ms. Melançon is from Québec, Canada. After receiving First Prize in violin at the Conservatoire de Musique, she continued her studies with Ivan Galamian at the Curtis Institute of Music, with Isadore Tinkleman at the San Francisco Conservatory and with Arthur Grumiaux in Belgium. While at Curtis, she was a member of the Nisaika Quartet, prize winner of the 8th International String Quartet competition in Evian, France. Ms. Melançon is also the recipient of many awards for solo performance including the 1984 Prix d’Europe. In 1983, she formed the Knopp-Melançon Duo, an artistic collaboration which would eventually expand to become the Pe body Trio. In 1987, as a result of having been appointed USIA Artistic Ambassadors, the duo toured abroad extensively and made their Washington, DC debut at the Kennedy Center. Since then, her activities as a chamber musician, soloist with orchestras, and teacher have taken her to major music centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Japan.
She has participated in many summer festivals as violinist, teacher and guest artists, including those of Tanglewood, Ravinia, Skaneateles, Rockport, Orford, and Domaine Forget. She gives yearly masterclasses at the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and teaches regularly at NOI, the National Orchestral Institute and Festival. For many years, she has served on the faculty of Yellow Barn (www.yellowbarn.org), an international gathering of artists who meet each summer to explore the vast riches of the chamber music repertoire. In 2018, she will also be on the faculty of Domaine Forget and the Summer Violin Institute at Northwestern University. Violaine Melançon’s performances can be heard on the Naxos, Artek, CRI, and New World Records labels.
ANNALEE PATIPATANAKOON violin
Violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon is one of Canada’s most respected performing artists. A graduate of Indiana University and the Curtis Institute of Music, Annalee is a laureate of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, and a first prize winner of both the Canadian Music Competition and Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition.
Annalee is a founding member of three-time Juno Award-winning Gryphon Trio. She can be heard on 22 recordings on Analekta, Naxos, and other labels. Annalee maintains a busy touring schedule across North America and Europe. From 2007 to 2020, she served as Artistic Advisor to the Ottawa Chamber Music Society. Annalee is currently Associate Professor of Violin and Performance Area Chair of Strings at University of Toronto Faculty of Music. She and Gryphon Trio members Roman Borys and Jamie Parker are ensemble-in-residence at the Isabel Bader Centre for Performing Arts in Kingston, Ontario and artists-in-residence at Trinity College, University of Toronto.
Equally in demand as a teacher of violin and chamber music, Annalee has conducted masterclasses at Rice University, Stanford University, Royal Conservatory of Music, Hochschule für Musik Mainz, Domaine Forget, Orford Music Academy, Tuckamore Festival and School, Mount Royal University, and many more. With Gryphon Trio members Roman Borys and Jamie Parker, Annalee leads educational projects in music schools and communities across the country.
ERIKA RAUM violin
Known for her “engaging sensitivity and a gorgeously full tone” [THE STRAD], Canadian violinist Erika Raum continues developing a following here in her native country and internationally. Playing professionally since the age of twelve, Ms. Raum quickly rose through the ranks by taking first place at the 1992 Joseph Szigeti International Violin Competition in Budapest as well as the award for best interpretation of a Mozart concerto. She has returned on many occasions to perform in Hungary, Portugal, Austria, Germany, England, Italy and France. She has appeared as guest artist with such orchestras as the Budapest Radio Orchestra, the Szombathely Symphony Orchestra, the Austro-Hungarian Orchestra, and the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra.
A distinguished musician abroad, Erika also performs frequently throughout her homeland with orchestral appearances in cities such as Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Ottawa, Victoria, Halifax, and Edmonton. Both a recitalist and chamber musician, some of her recent highlights international appearances include the Festival Pablo Casals in Prades France, Beethoven Festival in Warsaw, the BargeMusic Festival in New York and past invitation include the Budapest Spring Festival, Szombathely Festival in Hungary, Carnegie Hall as well as the Caramoor and Prussia Cove festivals. During the summer of 2004 Erika participated at the Seattle Chamber Music Festival, Caramoor Festival, Alpenglow Chamber Festival and the Orford Festival.
As a recording artist, Erika joined internationally renowned pianist Anton Kuerti in releasing the world premiere recording of Carl Czerny’s piano and violin works. Recorded on this country’s most active label, Musica Viva of CBC Records, this premiere recording highlights the masterfully composed, powerfully expressive works by the precocious composer during his teen years. Along with this recording, Ms. Raum’s performances are often heard on an array of CBC networks across Canada.
In 1993, composer Elizabeth Raum, Erika’s mother, wrote her a violin concerto entitled Faces of Woman. The work was commissioned by the Regina Symphony Orchestra and broadcast nationally by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Erika’s sister, Jessica Raum, produced and directed the award winning documentary Like Mother, Like Daughter which recorded the event.
Erika is a graduate of the University of Toronto where she studied with the late Professor Lorand Fenyves and was awarded the prestigious Eaton Scholarship upon her graduation. She is also a recipient of The Canada Council for the Arts – Career Development Grant. Ms. Raum is currently on the faculty of the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto and the Glenn Gould School at The Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto. During the summer season, she serves on the faculty of The Banff Centre for the Arts.
Past guest artists
Edmond Agopian, Aaron Au, Arthur Bachmann, Joan Barrett, Rune Bergmann, Nigel Boehm, Martin Bonham, Roman Borys, Christina Bouey, Christine Bootland, Clare Bradford, Margaret Carey, Cecilia Quartet, Arnold Choi, Jinjoo Cho, Danuta Ciring, Diana Cohen, Jonathan Crow, Kathleen de Caen, Kerry Dewors, Katherine Dowling, Pierre-André Doucet, Ann Elliott-Goldschmid, Escher String Quartet, Mary Findlay, Judith Fraser, Laurent Grillet-Kim, Philip Hansen, Rebecca Henry, Pamela Highbaugh Aloni, Lawrie Hill, Joanna Hood, Lafayette String Quartet, Lily String Quartet, Yuri Hooker, John Kadz, Caroline Kim, Janet Kuschak, Malcolm Lim, April Losey, John Lowry, Lysander Piano Trio, Veronique Mathieu, Thomas Megee, Violaine Melancon, David Morrissey, New Orford String Quartet, Annalee Patipatanakoon, Rob Penner (Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra), Players Ensemble, Ben Plotnick, Nick Pulos, Katharine Rapoport, Erika Raum , Laura Reid, Rolston String Quartet, Beth Root Sandvoss, Daniel Scholz, Liza Scriggins, Donovan Seidle, Gerald Stanick, Sharon Stanis, Scott St. John, Axel Strauss, Marcin Swoboda, Marina Thibeault, Trio Saint Laurent, John Thompson, Ton Beau String Quartet, Josué Valdepeñas, Andrew Wan, Julia Wedman, Sharon Wei, Winnipeg Chamber Music Society, Jasper Wood, The Ying Quartet, Mimi Zweig
Past guest coaches
Colleen Athparia, Joan Barrett, Dorothy Bishop, Clare Bradford, Daniel Brown, Andrea Case, Kathleen De Caen, Naomi Delafield, Marilyn Engle, Vanessa Goymour, Leila Linton, John Lowry, Kirill Kalmykoff, Steven Lubiarz, Thomas Megee, Genevieve Micheletti, Andrea Neumann, Morag Northey, Dean O’Brien, Andrea Poon, Jeffrey Plotnick, Theresa Plotnick, Nick Pulos, Laura Reid, Nancy Russell, Anne Scott, Donovan Seidle, Barbara Smith, Stephanie Soltice-Johnston, Louise Stuppard, Marcin Swoboda, Laurie Syer, Magdi Szebenyi, Keiko Takahashi, John Thompson, Diane Valentine, Karen Youngquist