2026 Guest Artists and Faculty
Jon Kimura Parker
Pianist Jon Kimura Parker is known for his charisma, enthusiasm, and dynamic performances. A veteran of the international concert stage, he has performed regularly in the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, London’s South Bank, the Sydney Opera House, and the Beijing Concert Hall. He is the Creative Partner of the Minnesota Orchestra, having hosted and given seven concerto performances with them in July 2021 with Osmo Vänska, Karina Canellakis, Ken-David Masur. He is Artistic Director of the Honens International Piano Competition and Artistic Advisor for the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival.
The Brentano String Quartet
With a career spanning over three decades, the Brentano Quartet has appeared throughout the world to popular and critical acclaim. TheNew York Times extols its “luxuriously warm sound [and] yearning lyricism; and the Times (London) hails their “wonderful, selfless music-making.” Known for its uniquesensibility, probing interpretive style, and original programming, the Quartet has performed across five continents in the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals, thus establishing itself as one of the world’s preeminent ensembles.
Duo Concertante
Duo Concertante (Nancy Dahn, violin and Timothy Steeves, piano) are Canada’s premiere violin and piano ensemble. Known for the passion and brilliance of their performances, their extraordinarily unified voice has become one of the most striking features of their work.
Trio Bessette, Djokic, Dominguez
A versatile musician and a piano wizard, Louise Bessette is much in demand as a concert artist in Europe, America, and Asia. Numerous organizations and international competitions have seen to reward her talent, and her reviews are constantly laudatory. Many composers write especially for her.
Violinist Marc Djokic is the concertmaster of the Orchestre classique de Montréal (2024 Juno Winner for Album of the Year) and co-director of the multidisciplinary ensemble ART CRUSH (Ensembl’arts). He is a Mécénat Musica Prix Goyer recipient, a Prix Opus recipient and winner of the 2020 ECMA Classical Recording of the Year for his debut album Solo Seven.
Chloé Dominguez est une violoncelliste solidement établie sur la scène québécoise.
Chambriste recherchée, elle a entre autres été membre du Trio Hochelaga pendant 4 ans en
plus d’avoir participé à de nombreux concerts notamment dans le cadre du Festival
International de Lanaudière, du Festival of the Sound ou encore de l’Ottawa Chamberfest.
Tom Allen
I was born in Montreal and went to school there, at Marianapolis College and McGill, before finishing degrees at Boston University and Yale. I worked as a bass trombonist in New York City when there were still places you just didn’t go, then in Toronto and on tour with the Great Lakes Brass. I began working for the CBC on my 30th birthday, a very long time ago, and at the time of writing I still am. I have since written three books, been a Resident Artist with Soulpepper Theatre, delivered storytelling workshops at various University music programs and at the Banff Centre, been named an honourary Doctor of Letters by Thompson Rivers University, hosted countless concerts across the country and written a series of cabaret storytelling shows we call Chamber Musicals, including From Weimar to Vaudeville, The Missing Pages, A Poe Cabaret, Being Lost and the latest: JS Bach’s Long Walk in the Snow.
Violaine Melançon
An artist deeply dedicated to the range of violin and chamber music repertoire, violinist Violaine Melançon is sought after both as a performer and pedagogue. She brings a sense of authenticity, curiosity, exploration and discovery to her interpretations, and enjoys presenting unusual gems of the repertoire. Violaine teaches at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University where she is Associate Professor of Violin. She regularly gives masterclasses and guest teaches at major peer institutions like the New England Conservatory in Boston, the Glenn Gould School in Toronto, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, UK.
Dr. Angela Pickett
Canadian violist, Dr. Angela Pickett has enjoyed an incredibly vast and varied performance
career. Since her first international tour as a violinist and fiddler with Irish tenor John McDermott
at age 18, Angela has performed consistently, and is adept in a multitude of performance styles
and settings.
Vernon Regehr
Cellist Vernon Regehr is an active recitalist, chamber and orchestral musician, conductor and teacher. He is a member of the Spectrolite and Arkora Ensembles, and currently on faculty at Memorial University’s School of Music.
Heather Tuach
Newfoundland-born cellist Heather Tuach is a member of the Greenwich Trio in London, UK. Among the highlights of her career was performing Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (NSO) in September 2025. A dedicated chamber musician, Heather thrives in collaborative performance and recently appeared with Duo Concertante at London’s Conway Hall Sunday Concerts in February 2026.
Deantha Edmunds
Deantha Edmunds is Canada’s first Inuk professional classical singer. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in December, 2023 for her activity as a performer, writer, composer, and mentor, work which seeks to empower Indigenous people and share their stories. She is currently based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Her work has international reverberation as well as community integrity. She brings a level of professional excellence to Canada’s Indigenous art scene that is unique and important.