2025/26 PROGRAM
Join us for the new season beginning on Sunday, September 21.
Hello loyal (and lovely) Township Classics fans
WELCOME to the 11th season of TOWNSHIP CLASSICS!
There are 5 chamber music concerts for you to attend - each one featuring prominent members of the performing arts scene in Victoria and beyond. I’ve sought to put together a wonderful variety of music and combinations of instruments and voices for your listening pleasure as you enjoy your favourite beverage in the relaxed and intimate surroundings of the Wardroom on CFB Esquimalt. Township Classics proceeds continue to provide the majority of funding for the Youth Mentorship Program.
WELCOME to the 11th season of TOWNSHIP CLASSICS!
There are 5 chamber music concerts for you to attend - each one featuring prominent members of the performing arts scene in Victoria and beyond. I’ve sought to put together a wonderful variety of music and combinations of instruments and voices for your listening pleasure as you enjoy your favourite beverage in the relaxed and intimate surroundings of the Wardroom on CFB Esquimalt. Township Classics proceeds continue to provide the majority of funding for the Youth Mentorship Program.
September 21, 2025 - The opening concert features performances by alumni and current students from the Youth Mentorship program, alongside Robert Holliston, piano; Anna Van der Hooft, soprano; Joanna Hood, viola; and Christi Meyers, violin. It’s a celebration of the success of this program in honour of the long standing contributions of organizer Rick Underwood, who passed away in May of this year.
Christi Meyers, violin
Mozart: Sonata in B Flat, K378, Allegro moderato
Joanna Hood, viola
Schumann: Märchenbilder, op. 113, Langsam
Scott Gordon, tuba
Baadsvik: It’ll Be Alright
Alina Carrie, clarinet
Verdi: Prelude to Act 3 from “La Forza del Destino”, clarinet solo
Emilia Vozian, flute
Hüe: Fantasie for Flute and Piano
Robert Holliston, piano
Piazolla: Suite del Ángel, Milonga del Ángel
Villa-Lobos: Chôros, no. 5, W207
Anna van der Hooft, soprano
Strauss: Schlichte Weisen, op. 21
Piano Collaboration: Robert Holliston
Christi Meyers, violin
Mozart: Sonata in B Flat, K378, Allegro moderato
Joanna Hood, viola
Schumann: Märchenbilder, op. 113, Langsam
Scott Gordon, tuba
Baadsvik: It’ll Be Alright
Alina Carrie, clarinet
Verdi: Prelude to Act 3 from “La Forza del Destino”, clarinet solo
Emilia Vozian, flute
Hüe: Fantasie for Flute and Piano
Robert Holliston, piano
Piazolla: Suite del Ángel, Milonga del Ángel
Villa-Lobos: Chôros, no. 5, W207
Anna van der Hooft, soprano
Strauss: Schlichte Weisen, op. 21
Piano Collaboration: Robert Holliston
November 2, 2025 - Playing on early instruments and gut strings, the newly formed Mimosa String Quintet will perform Schubert’s monumental final chamber music composition, the Cello Quintet in C Major.
Franz Schubert, String Quintet in C Major, D. 956 (Op. post. 163)
Composed in the final months of Schubert’s life in 1828, the String Quintet in C Major is one of his most powerful and loved works. Written just two months before his death and not published until 1853, it wasn’t performed publicly until 1850 at the Musikverein in Vienna by the Hellmesberger Quartet with Josef Stransky as the second cellist.
At first, the piece wasn’t often performed because of its unusual setup—two violins, one viola, and two cellos—but that choice is exactly what gives it such a rich, deep sound. Instead of the lighter texture you get from the typical two-viola quintet, Schubert’s version adds warmth, depth, and emotional intensity. Though this wasn’t common at the time, the cellist-composer Luigi Boccherini had written similar quintets decades earlier.
The piece unfolds in four movements: a grand Allegro ma non troppo, a radiant Adagio, a lively Scherzo with a wistful trio, and a joyful, folk-like Allegretto. The interplay between the two cellos is one of the most beautiful aspects—one sings while the other grounds the sound. The heart of the work is the Adagio, a movement often described as transcendent, full of serenity and humanity that still touches listeners today.
Come enjoy this amazing piece, performed on gut strings and early instruments.
Musicians:
Christi and Chloe Meyers, violins
Mieka Michaux, viola
Mimé Yamahiro Brinkmann and Christina Mahler, cello
Franz Schubert, String Quintet in C Major, D. 956 (Op. post. 163)
Composed in the final months of Schubert’s life in 1828, the String Quintet in C Major is one of his most powerful and loved works. Written just two months before his death and not published until 1853, it wasn’t performed publicly until 1850 at the Musikverein in Vienna by the Hellmesberger Quartet with Josef Stransky as the second cellist.
At first, the piece wasn’t often performed because of its unusual setup—two violins, one viola, and two cellos—but that choice is exactly what gives it such a rich, deep sound. Instead of the lighter texture you get from the typical two-viola quintet, Schubert’s version adds warmth, depth, and emotional intensity. Though this wasn’t common at the time, the cellist-composer Luigi Boccherini had written similar quintets decades earlier.
The piece unfolds in four movements: a grand Allegro ma non troppo, a radiant Adagio, a lively Scherzo with a wistful trio, and a joyful, folk-like Allegretto. The interplay between the two cellos is one of the most beautiful aspects—one sings while the other grounds the sound. The heart of the work is the Adagio, a movement often described as transcendent, full of serenity and humanity that still touches listeners today.
Come enjoy this amazing piece, performed on gut strings and early instruments.
Musicians:
Christi and Chloe Meyers, violins
Mieka Michaux, viola
Mimé Yamahiro Brinkmann and Christina Mahler, cello
January 25, 2026 - Township Classics is delighted to present Victoria Symphony musicians David Boutin-Bourque and Hannah Craig, who will be joined by TC favourite, Kimberley Bartczak, to play Brahms’ sublime Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano in a minor, Op 114 and two other short trios by Connesons and Juon.
February 22, 2026 - Well known Canadian mezzo-soprano Marion Newman, Joanna Hood, viola, and Robert Holliston, piano, will feature two song cycles by Brahms and Frank Bridge, where the lovely tenor timbre of the viola takes on the role of a voice in duo with the mezzo.
March 22, 2026 - The final concert of the TC season features Dohnanyi’s Serenade, op 10, along with trios by Eybler and Beethoven exuberantly played by Tori Gould, violin, Joanna Hood, viola, and Amy Laing, cello.
All concerts are Sunday evenings at 7pm, doors open at 6:30. Bar is open!
CFB Esquimalt Wardroom: 1586 Esquimalt Rd. Lots of free parking available.
Single tickets are $25 (cash or cheque) at The Sharkz Store (#110-525 Head St.) or online at eventbrite.ca (township community arts council).
NB! Cheques need to be made out “Township Community Arts Council” with
“Township Classics” in the subject line.
Purchase all 5 concerts and save! Subscriptions are available for $110 either online or at The Sharkz Store.
Please email [email protected] to arrange for purchase and/or promo code.
TICKETS ON SALE STARTING AUGUST 25!
Looking forward to welcoming you!
Christi Meyers
Artistic Director
PERFORMER BIOGRAPHIES
Christi Meyers is the current Artistic Director of the Township Classics.
An accomplished performer on both modern and baroque violin, Christi Meyers has played a prominent role in the musical life of Victoria for more than 20 years. She has been Assistant Concertmaster of the Victoria Symphony since 2001, and has appeared frequently as soloist with the orchestra, most recently twice in 2022, playing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for Ballet Victoria, and Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 2 & 5.
She is a founding member of the period performance ensemble, Victoria Baroque, is a member of Vancouver’s Pacific Baroque Orchestra, and annually plays in chamber music concerts for Early Music Vancouver. She has also been the first violinist of the Odyssey String Quartet since its inception in 2002.
In 2011, while on sabbatical in the Netherlands, she was Assistant Concertmaster of Sinfonia Rotterdam (NL) and a member of European Camerata (UK).
Over the past 3 decades Christi has played in major halls all over Canada, and in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, France, the Netherlands, Britain, Columbia, Mexico, and the USA. She has shared the stage with artists ranging from Michael Buble to Pavarotti to Yo-Yo Ma.
A dedicated educator, she has been on faculty at the University of Victoria, the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and had a long association as a violin coach with the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra.
In 2021 she became the Artistic Director of Township Classics, an Esquimalt based chamber music concert series that funds the Youth Mentorship Program, an initiative providing scholarships, mentoring, and concert opportunities for talented musical teens from the public school system in the greater Victoria area.
Born in Montreal and raised in northern Alberta, Christi holds music performance degrees from McGill and Western Universities, under the tutelage of Gwen Thompson-Robinow and Sonia Jelinkova.
She is married to a great guy, and is the mom of two university students (!) and one ginger cat with attitude.
An accomplished performer on both modern and baroque violin, Christi Meyers has played a prominent role in the musical life of Victoria for more than 20 years. She has been Assistant Concertmaster of the Victoria Symphony since 2001, and has appeared frequently as soloist with the orchestra, most recently twice in 2022, playing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for Ballet Victoria, and Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 2 & 5.
She is a founding member of the period performance ensemble, Victoria Baroque, is a member of Vancouver’s Pacific Baroque Orchestra, and annually plays in chamber music concerts for Early Music Vancouver. She has also been the first violinist of the Odyssey String Quartet since its inception in 2002.
In 2011, while on sabbatical in the Netherlands, she was Assistant Concertmaster of Sinfonia Rotterdam (NL) and a member of European Camerata (UK).
Over the past 3 decades Christi has played in major halls all over Canada, and in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, France, the Netherlands, Britain, Columbia, Mexico, and the USA. She has shared the stage with artists ranging from Michael Buble to Pavarotti to Yo-Yo Ma.
A dedicated educator, she has been on faculty at the University of Victoria, the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and had a long association as a violin coach with the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra.
In 2021 she became the Artistic Director of Township Classics, an Esquimalt based chamber music concert series that funds the Youth Mentorship Program, an initiative providing scholarships, mentoring, and concert opportunities for talented musical teens from the public school system in the greater Victoria area.
Born in Montreal and raised in northern Alberta, Christi holds music performance degrees from McGill and Western Universities, under the tutelage of Gwen Thompson-Robinow and Sonia Jelinkova.
She is married to a great guy, and is the mom of two university students (!) and one ginger cat with attitude.
In memoriam for Gwen Thompson-Robinow, who passed away in December 2025.
Gwen Thompson-Robinow, Canadian violinist and member of the Order of Canada, has enjoyed a more than fifty- year career as performer, educator, teacher, and coach. She has nurtured young musicians in her role as professor of violin at Western University, the University of British Columbia, the Vancouver Academy of Music, the University of Manitoba, the University of Victoria, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. She has performed, taught and mentored at summer festivals and string and chamber music workshops across Canada and in the United States. She has acted as concertmaster of Orchestra London, the CBC Chamber Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the Victoria Symphony, as well as leading the Baroque Strings of Vancouver. She has recorded for CBC radio and television, both as soloist and chamber player.
Her signature group, “Viveza”, released five internationally highly acclaimed CDs. Viveza toured throughout Canada, the United States, and Korea.
Her interest in and commitment to new music led her to commission Vancouver composer Stephen Chatman to write a work for violin and cello, “From Pent-up Aching Rivers”, which had its premiere in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall.
Since moving to Esquimalt B.C. Ms. Thompson-Robinow has continued performing, giving master classes and workshops, as well as mentoring a select number of talented violinists. As a founding board member of the Township Community Arts Council, she created “Township Classics”, a series earmarked to raise funds for a Youth Mentorship Program. It is an innovative program that provides young instrumentalists and singers with opportunities to broaden their musical experience.
Ms. Thompson-Robinow’s highly successful book, “The Embodied Violinist: Teaching Violin with Passion and Practicality” is a distillation of violinistic techniques and musical philosophies which she inherited from her teachers and mentors, focused and refined through her own experience. The book continues to be a reliable resource be teachers who want to build their teaching on a compelling historical foundation.
Ms. Thompson-Robinow is supported in her efforts and passions by her husband, Dr. Oliver Robinow and their two adult children Richard and Elizabeth.
Gwen Thompson-Robinow, Canadian violinist and member of the Order of Canada, has enjoyed a more than fifty- year career as performer, educator, teacher, and coach. She has nurtured young musicians in her role as professor of violin at Western University, the University of British Columbia, the Vancouver Academy of Music, the University of Manitoba, the University of Victoria, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. She has performed, taught and mentored at summer festivals and string and chamber music workshops across Canada and in the United States. She has acted as concertmaster of Orchestra London, the CBC Chamber Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the Victoria Symphony, as well as leading the Baroque Strings of Vancouver. She has recorded for CBC radio and television, both as soloist and chamber player.
Her signature group, “Viveza”, released five internationally highly acclaimed CDs. Viveza toured throughout Canada, the United States, and Korea.
Her interest in and commitment to new music led her to commission Vancouver composer Stephen Chatman to write a work for violin and cello, “From Pent-up Aching Rivers”, which had its premiere in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall.
Since moving to Esquimalt B.C. Ms. Thompson-Robinow has continued performing, giving master classes and workshops, as well as mentoring a select number of talented violinists. As a founding board member of the Township Community Arts Council, she created “Township Classics”, a series earmarked to raise funds for a Youth Mentorship Program. It is an innovative program that provides young instrumentalists and singers with opportunities to broaden their musical experience.
Ms. Thompson-Robinow’s highly successful book, “The Embodied Violinist: Teaching Violin with Passion and Practicality” is a distillation of violinistic techniques and musical philosophies which she inherited from her teachers and mentors, focused and refined through her own experience. The book continues to be a reliable resource be teachers who want to build their teaching on a compelling historical foundation.
Ms. Thompson-Robinow is supported in her efforts and passions by her husband, Dr. Oliver Robinow and their two adult children Richard and Elizabeth.
A native of Montreal, Kimberley-Ann Bartczak is a conductor, pianist and vocal coach. Currently the Principal Coach and Accompanist at Pacific Opera Victoria, and recently appointed the Recital Choir Director at Victoria Children’s Chorus, she was Associate Artistic Director for Manitoba Underground Opera, Resident Conductor and Repetiteur at Calgary Opera, was on staff at Opera on the Avalon, and an alumna of Vancouver Opera's Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program. Recent appearances include: Music Director for the world premiere of Veronika Krausas' Ghost Opera at Calgary Opera and Sokolovic/Bartok’s Svadba/Bluebeard’s Castle double bill at Manitoba Underground Opera, and principal coach for Mozart’s Così fan Tutte at Pacific Opera Victoria. She is an active performer, having performed and conducted coast to coast across Canada as well as in the United States, Mexico and Europe. She also teaches at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and is a regular vocal coach at University of Victoria.
Originally from Peterborough, Ontario, David Boutin-Bourque currently serves as Principal Clarinet of the Victoria Symphony and Sessional Instructor of Clarinet at the University of Victoria. Previously, David held positions with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra as Acting Principal Clarinet, and the Erie Philharmonic as 3rd/Bass Clarinet. Additionally, he has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and Symphony Nova Scotia. In September 2024, David was featured as a soloist with the Victoria Symphony, performing Carl Nielsen’s Clarinet Concerto.
David is also an active chamber musician in British Columbia. He has been a featured artist at the Eine Kleine Summer Music Festival, the Quadra Island Festival of Chamber Music, the Victoria Summer Music Festival, and with the Emily Carr String Quartet. From 2016-2021, he attended the Aspen Music Festival and School, where he was the recipient of a Conducting Academy Orchestra Fellowship in 2017, and a Bass Clarinet Fellowship from 2018 to 2021. In 2018, David was the winner of the festival’s Winds Concerto Competition and performed Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto.
David holds an Undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto, a Master’s degree from Northwestern University, and a Performance Certificate from Carnegie Mellon University. His teachers include Michael Rusinek, David Bourque, Steve Cohen, and Lawrie Bloom.
David is also an active chamber musician in British Columbia. He has been a featured artist at the Eine Kleine Summer Music Festival, the Quadra Island Festival of Chamber Music, the Victoria Summer Music Festival, and with the Emily Carr String Quartet. From 2016-2021, he attended the Aspen Music Festival and School, where he was the recipient of a Conducting Academy Orchestra Fellowship in 2017, and a Bass Clarinet Fellowship from 2018 to 2021. In 2018, David was the winner of the festival’s Winds Concerto Competition and performed Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto.
David holds an Undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto, a Master’s degree from Northwestern University, and a Performance Certificate from Carnegie Mellon University. His teachers include Michael Rusinek, David Bourque, Steve Cohen, and Lawrie Bloom.
Mime Yamahiro Brinkmann is an active freelance cellist/gambist playing both as soloist, and as chamber and orchestra musician in the field of early music.
After receiving a Performance Diploma on modern cello at Toho Gakuen School of Music Tokyo, Japan, she received a scholarship from The Netherlands government and came to study historical performance, both cello and viola da gamba at The Royal Conservatory in the Hague where she graduated with a soloist diploma.
Mimé has been the prize winner of some of the most important early music competitions such as “Musica Antiqua Brugge Soloist” in Belgium and “The international competition for original string instruments” in Brescia, Italy.
Her performances can be heard regularly in different parts of the world – both as a solo recitalist and with some of the world leading orchestras such as Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra (Canada), Apollo’s Fire-Cleveland Baroque Orchestra (USA), Concerto Copenhagen (Denmark), Drottningholm Slott Opera orchestra and ensemble (Sweden), and the Paul Hillier Ensemble (Denmark).
In between her busy touring life, Mimé enjoys teaching at The Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. She has also given master classes at Early Music Festival Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Tchaikovsky Conservatory Moscow, Russia and enjoys working with the promising next generations.
After receiving a Performance Diploma on modern cello at Toho Gakuen School of Music Tokyo, Japan, she received a scholarship from The Netherlands government and came to study historical performance, both cello and viola da gamba at The Royal Conservatory in the Hague where she graduated with a soloist diploma.
Mimé has been the prize winner of some of the most important early music competitions such as “Musica Antiqua Brugge Soloist” in Belgium and “The international competition for original string instruments” in Brescia, Italy.
Her performances can be heard regularly in different parts of the world – both as a solo recitalist and with some of the world leading orchestras such as Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra (Canada), Apollo’s Fire-Cleveland Baroque Orchestra (USA), Concerto Copenhagen (Denmark), Drottningholm Slott Opera orchestra and ensemble (Sweden), and the Paul Hillier Ensemble (Denmark).
In between her busy touring life, Mimé enjoys teaching at The Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. She has also given master classes at Early Music Festival Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Tchaikovsky Conservatory Moscow, Russia and enjoys working with the promising next generations.
Described as having "authoritative command of her technique, a sumptuous full sound and expressively lyrical phrasing", Hannah Craig is a versatile Korean-Canadian cellist and currently a member of the Victoria Symphony.
Having begun her studies at age 6 with her mother, Joowon Kim, a prolific cello pedagogue in Toronto, and Hannah is greatly inspired by her Mother’s dedication to students. She is on faculty at the Victoria Conservatory of Music where she teaches, coaches chamber music and has been a regular masterclass clinician. Hannah has previously been a faculty member for the Toronto Summer Music Academy, CelloMania Toronto and the Vancouver Island Music Academy.
During her studies at the Glenn Gould School with Andres Diaz, Desmond Hoebig and Hans Jorgen Jensen, Hannah was a main prize winner for the GGS concerto competition, and had the great fortune to make her Koerner Hall Debut under the baton of Bramwell Tovey. Subsequently, Hannah Craig was named one of CBC’s “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30”.
Over the course of her studies, Hannah has had the chance to study with some of the industry’s most lauded cellists and pedagogues including David Hetherington, Ralph Kirshbaum, Fred Sherry, Colin Carr, Zvi Plesser, Clive Greensmith, Rachel Mercer, Richard Lester, and Richard Aaron.
Hannah plays on a 1920 Bourguignon cello, graciously handed down to her by her mother.
Having begun her studies at age 6 with her mother, Joowon Kim, a prolific cello pedagogue in Toronto, and Hannah is greatly inspired by her Mother’s dedication to students. She is on faculty at the Victoria Conservatory of Music where she teaches, coaches chamber music and has been a regular masterclass clinician. Hannah has previously been a faculty member for the Toronto Summer Music Academy, CelloMania Toronto and the Vancouver Island Music Academy.
During her studies at the Glenn Gould School with Andres Diaz, Desmond Hoebig and Hans Jorgen Jensen, Hannah was a main prize winner for the GGS concerto competition, and had the great fortune to make her Koerner Hall Debut under the baton of Bramwell Tovey. Subsequently, Hannah Craig was named one of CBC’s “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30”.
Over the course of her studies, Hannah has had the chance to study with some of the industry’s most lauded cellists and pedagogues including David Hetherington, Ralph Kirshbaum, Fred Sherry, Colin Carr, Zvi Plesser, Clive Greensmith, Rachel Mercer, Richard Lester, and Richard Aaron.
Hannah plays on a 1920 Bourguignon cello, graciously handed down to her by her mother.
With solo performances ranging from Bach and Mozart to Schnittke and Pärt, violinist Tori Gould has consistently distinguished herself as an exuberant and varied performer and instructor. As an orchestra musician, she was Principal Second with the Victoria Symphony for nearly two decades, and has also held the position of Assistant Principal Second Violin with the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony, acted as guest concertmaster with Symphony Nova Scotia, regularly performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and recently has played concerts with the Okanagan Symphony and Kelowna Opera.
Tori has a passion for chamber music, and her concerts with the Odyssey String Quartet feature a wide array of genres in classical and contemporary styles. She has collaborated with numerous renowned chamber music festivals and ensembles across North America, including the Eine Kleine Summer Music Festival, Kaimerata Concerts, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, the Galiano Ensemble, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Metamorphosen and Via Salzburg.
Before moving to Vernon, Tori taught violin and chamber music at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and coached the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra. She has taught at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, Laporte 6 th Grade Campus in Texas, and has frequently acted as a mentor at the National Academy Orchestra of Canada. Tori holds a master’s degree from Rice University.
Tori has a passion for chamber music, and her concerts with the Odyssey String Quartet feature a wide array of genres in classical and contemporary styles. She has collaborated with numerous renowned chamber music festivals and ensembles across North America, including the Eine Kleine Summer Music Festival, Kaimerata Concerts, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, the Galiano Ensemble, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Metamorphosen and Via Salzburg.
Before moving to Vernon, Tori taught violin and chamber music at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and coached the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra. She has taught at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, Laporte 6 th Grade Campus in Texas, and has frequently acted as a mentor at the National Academy Orchestra of Canada. Tori holds a master’s degree from Rice University.
Joanna Hood plays with Canada’s Lafayette String Quartet, the only all-female ensemble in the world to comprise of the four original members for more thirty years. As Artist-in-Residence at the University of Victoria, in Victoria, BC, she teaches viola and chamber music.
She also performs with Victoria's Galiano Ensemble, as well as the Loma Mar Quartet, Serenade Orchestra, and Orchestra of St. Luke's (in New York City). She has collaborated with and made arrangements for Sir Paul McCartney. Her EMI recording with the Loma Mar Quartet entitled Working Classical, orchestral and chamber music by Paul McCartney, was the number one selling classical album world wide. As a frequent collaborator with Canada’s Suddenly Dance Theatre, her original musical scores have been featured in NATURE ECSTASY, a silent film made for composers; the 24 min dance film OPIUM (Bravo!/Artv); SDT’s Bravo!FACT AISLING - We Saw a Vision; and the recent SKY EVENT, for SDT’s 2008 Tour to South Korea.
Also a baroque violist, Joanna frequently performs with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, and has worked with Pacific Music Works, the Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Victoria Baroque Players, the Eugene Bach Festival.
She is the co-founder of the SALT Festival of New Music, and is a founding member of the Tsilumos Ensemble. Dedicated to the music of our time, Tsilumos has commissioned and premiered works of Canadian, and international composers.
Joanna was a student of Isadore Tinkleman, Abraham Skernick, and Stanley Ritchie, and (with the Lafayette Quartet), Rostaslav Dubinsky, and the Cleveland String Quartet.
She also performs with Victoria's Galiano Ensemble, as well as the Loma Mar Quartet, Serenade Orchestra, and Orchestra of St. Luke's (in New York City). She has collaborated with and made arrangements for Sir Paul McCartney. Her EMI recording with the Loma Mar Quartet entitled Working Classical, orchestral and chamber music by Paul McCartney, was the number one selling classical album world wide. As a frequent collaborator with Canada’s Suddenly Dance Theatre, her original musical scores have been featured in NATURE ECSTASY, a silent film made for composers; the 24 min dance film OPIUM (Bravo!/Artv); SDT’s Bravo!FACT AISLING - We Saw a Vision; and the recent SKY EVENT, for SDT’s 2008 Tour to South Korea.
Also a baroque violist, Joanna frequently performs with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, and has worked with Pacific Music Works, the Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Victoria Baroque Players, the Eugene Bach Festival.
She is the co-founder of the SALT Festival of New Music, and is a founding member of the Tsilumos Ensemble. Dedicated to the music of our time, Tsilumos has commissioned and premiered works of Canadian, and international composers.
Joanna was a student of Isadore Tinkleman, Abraham Skernick, and Stanley Ritchie, and (with the Lafayette Quartet), Rostaslav Dubinsky, and the Cleveland String Quartet.
Robert Holliston studied at the Victoria Conservatory of Music under Robin Wood and Winifred Scott Wood, and at the University of British Columbia under Robert Rogers. He has performed in collaboration with many artists in a wide variety of repertoire throughout Canada and the USA, England, New Zealand and Australia, and has been heard frequently on CBC-Radio. Robert has recorded CDs with the popular salon ensemble Viveza, trombonist Ian McDougall, tenor Ken Lavigne, Tom Holliston, Show Business Giants, and members of the Hornby Island Ensemble.
Robert has collaborated with many of Canada's leading singers and instrumentalists, and has participated in such festivals as Juneau Jazz and Classics, Parry Sound, Caraquette, Adelaide, and the Ottawa, Sitka and Orcas Island Chamber Music festivals. During the past few seasons, Robert has been a featured concerto soloist with the Sidney Classical and Victoria Symphony Orchestras. He is currently Head of the Keyboard Department at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, where he also teaches music history and serves as vocal coach.
A popular public speaker, Robert has given pre-performance lectures for Pacific Opera Victoria since 1993 and, through UVic’s Continuing Studies program, has led several cultural tours to New York and Santa Fe; he is also POV’s Curator of Public Engagement and the host of the company’s new outreach series INSIDE OPERA.
Robert has collaborated with many of Canada's leading singers and instrumentalists, and has participated in such festivals as Juneau Jazz and Classics, Parry Sound, Caraquette, Adelaide, and the Ottawa, Sitka and Orcas Island Chamber Music festivals. During the past few seasons, Robert has been a featured concerto soloist with the Sidney Classical and Victoria Symphony Orchestras. He is currently Head of the Keyboard Department at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, where he also teaches music history and serves as vocal coach.
A popular public speaker, Robert has given pre-performance lectures for Pacific Opera Victoria since 1993 and, through UVic’s Continuing Studies program, has led several cultural tours to New York and Santa Fe; he is also POV’s Curator of Public Engagement and the host of the company’s new outreach series INSIDE OPERA.
Amy Laing, cellist, is originally from Nanaimo B.C. Amy earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton Florida, and her Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Prior to the shakeup of 2020, Amy was enjoying her first season as Principal cellist in the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in Ontario. She played regularly with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, as well as with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company, the Windsor Symphony, Niagara Symphony, Thunder Bay Symphony, and also held a six-month contract with Symphony Nova Scotia in Halifax. In 2011/12 Amy served as acting principal cello in the Victoria Symphony and taught at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and again joined the orchestra playing principal cello for the second part of their 2016 season.
Amy is an active chamber musician, and was a member of the Madawaska String Quartet, specializing in the performance and cultivation of contemporary works. Amy has also been the solo cellist in numerous major musical theatre productions, most recently “Hamilton”. Beyond the strictly classical music genre Amy has worked with Toronto’s Art of Time Ensemble, SoulPepper Theatre Company, Toronto Dance Theatre, the Stratford Festival and Music in the Barns. She has performed or recorded with leading artists including Stevie Wonder, Blue Rodeo, Jesse Cook, The Barenaked Ladies, Jim Cuddy, Steven Page, Sarah Slean, Molly Johnson, Royal Wood, Amelia Curran, Donovan Woods, and played a Canadian tour with Blue Rodeo including a performance in the JUNO’s.
Amy has played in music festivals around the world including the Spoleto Festivals in Italy and in Charleston, The National Orchestral Institute, the Banff Arts Festival, Musica Nel Chiostro in Tuscany, Cork Opera Festival Ireland, COSI festival in Italy, the Northern Lights Festival in Ajijic, Mexico, Festival of Sound in Parry Sound, the Phil Dwyer Music Festival in Qualicum BC, Salt Spring Chamber Music Festival, Tafelmusik’s Winter Institute, and also toured China with her cello quartet.
Amy is happy to call Vancouver Island home once again and is thrilled to be joining the faculty of the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Amy plays on a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume cello.
Amy is an active chamber musician, and was a member of the Madawaska String Quartet, specializing in the performance and cultivation of contemporary works. Amy has also been the solo cellist in numerous major musical theatre productions, most recently “Hamilton”. Beyond the strictly classical music genre Amy has worked with Toronto’s Art of Time Ensemble, SoulPepper Theatre Company, Toronto Dance Theatre, the Stratford Festival and Music in the Barns. She has performed or recorded with leading artists including Stevie Wonder, Blue Rodeo, Jesse Cook, The Barenaked Ladies, Jim Cuddy, Steven Page, Sarah Slean, Molly Johnson, Royal Wood, Amelia Curran, Donovan Woods, and played a Canadian tour with Blue Rodeo including a performance in the JUNO’s.
Amy has played in music festivals around the world including the Spoleto Festivals in Italy and in Charleston, The National Orchestral Institute, the Banff Arts Festival, Musica Nel Chiostro in Tuscany, Cork Opera Festival Ireland, COSI festival in Italy, the Northern Lights Festival in Ajijic, Mexico, Festival of Sound in Parry Sound, the Phil Dwyer Music Festival in Qualicum BC, Salt Spring Chamber Music Festival, Tafelmusik’s Winter Institute, and also toured China with her cello quartet.
Amy is happy to call Vancouver Island home once again and is thrilled to be joining the faculty of the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Amy plays on a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume cello.
Dutch cellist Christina Mahler immigrated to Canada in 1981 to serve as principalcellist of the Tafelmusik Orchestra, a position she held until June of 2019. Reviews often praise her rich sound, energetic playing, and insightful musicianship. Christina has played and recorded numerous concertos with Tafelmusik, including works by Boccherini, Haydn, Vivaldi, C.P.E. Bach, and Leonardo Leo. She is very fortunate to own a beautiful baroque cello made by José Contreras, the “Stradivarius” of Spain.
Christina is a very devoted and gifted teacher, and students have come from around the world to study with her, not only through the Tafelmusik Summer and Winter Institutes, but also at the University of Toronto and in her private studio. After 38 years as principal cellist of Tafelmusik, Christina has moved to Victoria where she is focusing on chamber music, teaching and pursuing her hobbies, such as pottery.
Christina is a very devoted and gifted teacher, and students have come from around the world to study with her, not only through the Tafelmusik Summer and Winter Institutes, but also at the University of Toronto and in her private studio. After 38 years as principal cellist of Tafelmusik, Christina has moved to Victoria where she is focusing on chamber music, teaching and pursuing her hobbies, such as pottery.
Violinist Chloe Meyers performs with early music ensembles across North America as leader, orchestra member, and chamber musician. She is the concertmaster of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra in Vancouver and co-concertmaster of Arion Baroque Orchestra in Montreal. She has led or appeared as soloist with groups including the Victoria Baroque Players, Pacific MusicWorks, Ensemble Les Boréades, the Theatre of Early Music, Ensemble Masques, and Les Voix Baroques, of which she was a founding member.
She has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with international violin stars, performing double concerti with Stefano Montanari, Enrico Onofri, Amandine Beyer, and Cecilia Bernardini. Chloe’s playing may be heard on many award-winning disks, including the 2022 Juno award winning recording “Solfeggio”… in which she leads the orchestra L’Harmonie des Saisons as concertmaster. In 2023 she was nominated as Best Musical Director for her work in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with the Edmonton Opera.
Alongside Chloe’s passion for performance and directing, is her love of teaching. As adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia, she trains young artists in the Baroque Orchestra Mentorship Program, chamber music and solo lessons. She has years of teaching children, university and students of all ages and levels! She is an active teacher in the summer Victoria Conservatory teaching programs, as well theUVic Collegium orchestral program.
She has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with international violin stars, performing double concerti with Stefano Montanari, Enrico Onofri, Amandine Beyer, and Cecilia Bernardini. Chloe’s playing may be heard on many award-winning disks, including the 2022 Juno award winning recording “Solfeggio”… in which she leads the orchestra L’Harmonie des Saisons as concertmaster. In 2023 she was nominated as Best Musical Director for her work in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with the Edmonton Opera.
Alongside Chloe’s passion for performance and directing, is her love of teaching. As adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia, she trains young artists in the Baroque Orchestra Mentorship Program, chamber music and solo lessons. She has years of teaching children, university and students of all ages and levels! She is an active teacher in the summer Victoria Conservatory teaching programs, as well theUVic Collegium orchestral program.
A native of Victoria, Mieka Michaux is a versatile orchestral and chamber musician performing in many ensembles on both modern and baroque viola and violin.
Mieka holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria, B.C. and a Master of Music from Rice University in Houston, Texas. She has also attended the Music Academy of the West, the Banff Centre for the Arts, Orford Centre for the Arts and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute. Her principal teachers include Yasuko Eastman, Joanna Hood, Karen Ritscher, and Karen Tuttle.
She is a core member of the Victoria Symphony and also regularly performs with one of Canada’s finest new music groups, the Aventa Ensemble, the newly formed ensemble, Victoria Baroque Players and the Emily Carr String Quartet. She has also performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Vancouver Island Symphony, Galiano Ensemble and is principal viola of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra.
Mieka holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria, B.C. and a Master of Music from Rice University in Houston, Texas. She has also attended the Music Academy of the West, the Banff Centre for the Arts, Orford Centre for the Arts and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute. Her principal teachers include Yasuko Eastman, Joanna Hood, Karen Ritscher, and Karen Tuttle.
She is a core member of the Victoria Symphony and also regularly performs with one of Canada’s finest new music groups, the Aventa Ensemble, the newly formed ensemble, Victoria Baroque Players and the Emily Carr String Quartet. She has also performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Vancouver Island Symphony, Galiano Ensemble and is principal viola of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra.
Marion Newman is a Kwagiulth and Stó:lō First Nations mezzo-soprano with English, Irish and Scottish heritage. She is firmly established as one of Canada’s most accomplished singers in works ranging from Vivaldi to Vivier. Nominated for a Dora Award for her leading role in the world premiere of Shanawdithit (Nolan/Burry) with Tapestry Opera, Ian Ritchie wrote “she invests her character with towering dignity and courage”. Operatic roles include the Mother in Edmonton Opera’s Hansel and Gretel, Rosina in Barber of Seville (Opera Lyra Ottawa) and Carmen, (Opera 2005 Ireland).
Marion portrayed Dr. Wilson in the premiere of Missing (Clements/Current) with Vancouver City Opera/Pacific Opera Victoria, which gives voice in English and Gitxsanimaax to the story of Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women, and starred as Tsianina Redfeather in Jani Lauzon’s music-drama I Call Myself Princess at Regina’s Globe Theatre.
Concert highlights for Marion this season include Mozart’s Requiem with Canadian Opera Company and performing Ian Cusson’s Five Songs on Poems of Marilyn Dumont with New Orford String Quartet. Marion debuts with Anchorage Opera in a new production of Missing and creates the role of Dawn with the Welsh National Opera in the upcoming world premiere of Migrations, with stories by five writers based on their personal experiences of migration and their work with refugees.
In addition to her performing career Marion is a Co-Founder of Amplified Opera and is an often - invited guest for Masterclasses and diversity in opera speaking engagements. She is also the host of CBC Radio’s “Afternoon at the Opera” and is an Assistant Professor of Voice at UVic.
Marion portrayed Dr. Wilson in the premiere of Missing (Clements/Current) with Vancouver City Opera/Pacific Opera Victoria, which gives voice in English and Gitxsanimaax to the story of Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women, and starred as Tsianina Redfeather in Jani Lauzon’s music-drama I Call Myself Princess at Regina’s Globe Theatre.
Concert highlights for Marion this season include Mozart’s Requiem with Canadian Opera Company and performing Ian Cusson’s Five Songs on Poems of Marilyn Dumont with New Orford String Quartet. Marion debuts with Anchorage Opera in a new production of Missing and creates the role of Dawn with the Welsh National Opera in the upcoming world premiere of Migrations, with stories by five writers based on their personal experiences of migration and their work with refugees.
In addition to her performing career Marion is a Co-Founder of Amplified Opera and is an often - invited guest for Masterclasses and diversity in opera speaking engagements. She is also the host of CBC Radio’s “Afternoon at the Opera” and is an Assistant Professor of Voice at UVic.
"[Possessing] a lovely voice, artistry in spades and a delightful stage presence" (Music in Victoria), soprano Anna van der Hooft has been recognized for her work in concert and opera, performing repertoire from Bach to Boechler. Anna is a graduate of the UBC Opera Bachelors of Music Program, completing her Masters at UVic in Voice Performance.
Anna has performed a wide variety of opera and musical theatre roles. A few highlights include The Young Night in Ithaca, Despina in Cosi fan tutte, Noémie in Cendrillon, Belle in Beauty's Beast, Papagena in The Magic Flute, Hero in Beatrice and Benedict, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro and Tracey in Blisskrieg.
Most recently Anna performed the role of Jane Doe in Ride the Cyclone with Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre. “Anna van der Hooft plays Jane as a doll-like automaton with spooky black contact lenses. What made her performance truly stand out, however, was her robust soprano…The poignant Ballad of Jane Doe was dispatched with clarion brio and a needle-sharp sense of pitch.” (Times Colonist)
Anna van der Hooft is on faculty at Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People and is also the Digital Communications and Project Coordinator for the Anglican Diocese of British Columbia.
Anna has performed a wide variety of opera and musical theatre roles. A few highlights include The Young Night in Ithaca, Despina in Cosi fan tutte, Noémie in Cendrillon, Belle in Beauty's Beast, Papagena in The Magic Flute, Hero in Beatrice and Benedict, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro and Tracey in Blisskrieg.
Most recently Anna performed the role of Jane Doe in Ride the Cyclone with Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre. “Anna van der Hooft plays Jane as a doll-like automaton with spooky black contact lenses. What made her performance truly stand out, however, was her robust soprano…The poignant Ballad of Jane Doe was dispatched with clarion brio and a needle-sharp sense of pitch.” (Times Colonist)
Anna van der Hooft is on faculty at Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People and is also the Digital Communications and Project Coordinator for the Anglican Diocese of British Columbia.
Past Performances: