Chamber Music Concert 1

Over the past few years, French clarinettist Nicolas Baldeyrou has naturally established himself as one of the most remarkable soloists of his generation. Carving a unique path in today's musical landscape, this "concert artist armed for any challenge" (Diapason) demonstrates a mastery and versatility that transcends eras and styles, navigating with ease through all repertoires, on both historical and modern instruments.

Winning prestigious competitions like the Munich ARD Competition in Munich (Germany), the Dos Hermanas Competition in Sevilla (Spain), and finally, the ICA Young Artist Competition (United States) opened to Nicolas the doors of the most prestigious concert halls all over the world - Carnegie Hall in New York, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Philharmonie de Paris, Salzburg Mozarteum, Wiener Konzerthaus, Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Tokyo, Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.

As a soloist he is regularly invited to perform with renown orchestras: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Czech Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia and Saint-Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Starting his career at a very young age he had the chance to work with the legendary conductors – Carlo-Maria Giulini, Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Kurt Masur. Nowadays, Nicolas performs with Myung-Whun Chung, Alain Altinoglu, Pablo Heras Casado, Mikko Franck, Fabien Gabel.

Today Nicolas is one of the most demanded partners for chamber music – he shared the stage with such musicians as the pianists Bertrand Chamayou, Nikolai Lugansky; violinists Renaud Capuçon, Svetlin Roussev; violist Antoine Tamestit; Modigliani, Ébène, and Chiaroscuro quartets.

Thomas Law was generously supported by the Isobel and Tom Rolston Fellowships in Music Endowment

Chinese-Canadian flutist, Thomas Law, is a freelance performer, passionate educator and Music Director of the Capilano Flute Choir in Vancouver, Canada.He has performed with the Vancouver Symphony, Victoria Symphony, Vancouver Island Symphony, Kamloops Symphony, Okanagan Symphony (Acting Principal) and various local ensembles.

Thomas is well-known as a frequent recitalist, often performing with his flute-guitar and flutepiano duos, with a keen focus on performing works by women and Asian composers. He has presented these recitals at universities such as Capilano University and the University of Victoria.

Beyond his musical performances, Thomas is not only an accomplished musician but also passionately dedicated to education. He maintains a full studio of flutists across Vancouver and frequently serves as a flute workshop clinician and adjudicator. He is currently on faculty at the Vancouver Academy of Music. Thomas received his M.Mus from the University of British Columbia and further studies has taken him to Pender Island, Orford, and Miami Beach, where he has gotten to study with Lorna McGhee, William Bennett, Paula Robison and Marina Piccinini.

Yueyu Liu was generously supported by the Isobel and Tom Rolston Fellowships in Music Endowment

Yueyi Liu is a North America–based percussionist and educator currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of British Columbia. As Founder and Artistic Director of the Vancouver Youth Percussion Ensemble, she is dedicated to fostering music education and community engagement through percussion.

As a versatile percussionist, Liu’s performance career spans solo, chamber, and contemporary works. She has collaborated with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Turning Point Ensemble, Vancouver Brass Ensemble, and the Canadian Music Centre, and has participated in interdisciplinary projects at the Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery. Her international performance experience includes performances at Lincoln Center and New York City Center in collaboration with the Martha Graham Dance Company, as well as numerous orchestral performances in China.

As an educator with over a decade of teaching experience, she has mentored students who have earned top prizes in international percussion competitions and gained admission to prestigious ensembles, guiding young musicians toward both artistic excellence and professional development.
 

Kailan Fournier was generously supported by the Helen Graham Artist Award

Kailan Fournier is a freelance clarinetist based in Toronto. As an orchestral freelancer, Kailan has performed with ensembles such as Les Violons du Roy, the Ontario Philharmonic, Hamilton Philharmonic, the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and various others. Kailan completed his Bachelors degree at The Glenn Gould School with Joaquin Valdepeñas, a Graduate degree at McGill University with Todd Cope and recently finished his Advanced Diploma in Performance at the Eastman School of Music with Michael Wayne. Kailan started his musical education on bass clarinet, which is quite uncommon, and loves to get a chance to explore contemporary music and the unique sounds possible on bass clarinet. In his spare time, Kailan also manages a cafe in Yorkville and enjoys rock climbing.

Enzo Kok was generously supported by the Maria Francisca Josepha Brouwer Fund for Dutch Artists

Enzo Kok (14th of August, 2002) born and raised in Kerkrade, The Netherlands, got his first violin lesson at the age of 6. With guidance of his teachers Ilya Grubert and Eliot Lawson he finished his bachelor studies in 2023 at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with the highest score. From October 2023-2025, Enzo continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin with Professor Ulf Wallin. Since October 2025 he’s studying at the Hochschule für Musik in Hannover with Liza Ferschtman.

In 2018 he was one of the three finalists of the Dutch Violin Competition ‘Davina van Wely’. In 2019 he received the 1st prize during the national finals of the Prinses Christina Concours. In 2024 Enzo won the 3rd prize as well as the audience prize at the Dutch Violin Competition “Oskar Back Prijs” during the finals. Enzo performed on multiple occasions in concert halls such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Tivoli Vredenburg Utrecht. He gave concerts all across Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. As a soloist he appeared with orchestra’s such as the Residente Orchestra and the Hamburger Kamerata. Enzo performed with musicians as: Daniel Rowland, Lisa Jacobs, Iris Hond, Anna Federova and members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Enzo plays a violin built by J.B. Vuillaume generously in loan from André Rieu.

Sarah Song was generously supported by the Sylvia and Jack Chetner Endowment

Korean-American cellist Sarah Song has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in venues across North America, Europe, and Iceland. As a soloist she has appeared with the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Space and the Aaron Copland School of Music Orchestra. She has collaborated with artists like Kronos Quartet, Sæunn Thorsteinsdottir, the Metropolitan Opera, Itamar Zorman, Emannuel Ceysson, and Martha Graham Dance Company. Song is a founding member of the all-female Ondine Quartet, which received the Ensemble Forward Grant working with Todd Philips and Ayane Kozasa. She performs regularly in venues like Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, The LGBTQ Center, and Flushing Town Hall. Sarah holds degrees from Indiana University, The Eastman School of Music, and CUNY Queens College. She is pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts at The CUNY Graduate Center with Marcy Rosen. Her research concerns musical hybridity in cello music by diasporic Korean composers. Song lives in Brooklyn where she heads her adult cello studio and teaches at Long Island University BK.

Nina Wang was generously supported by the Cyril and Elizabeth Challice Fund for Musicians

Nina Wang is a classical pianist passionate about bringing communities together through music and storytelling. Through performance, collaboration, and the organization of concerts/outreach initiatives, she explores music’s ability to connect people across cultures and generations. Nina is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at the University of British Columbia, studying with Dr. David Fung. She earned her ARCT Diploma in Piano Performance in 2019 and has since performed across North America as both a soloist and collaborative artist.

An active and versatile collaborator, Nina works regularly with instrumentalists, vocalists, and chamber ensembles. She has participated in the Orford Academy of Music and the Anchorage Chamber Music Festival and has performed in masterclasses for artists including Janina Fialkowska, Sara Davis Buechner, and Emely Phelps.

Her achievements include the Bronze Prize in the College & Adult Category of the Ambrose Matilda International Music Competition (2025), First Place in the Senior Canadian Composers Category at the Performing Arts BC Provincial Festival (2022), and the Vancouver WestCoast Music Society’s 2026 Tony Roper Award for Diversity in Programming. An enthusiastic chamber musician, she enjoys collaborating with fellow artists and composers to bring a wide range of repertoire to audiences.

Lorena Navarro was generously supported by the David and Peggy Leighton Endowment

Lorena Navarro is a percussionist, educator, and composer. She has had the honor of sharing the stage with members from Sō Percussion, Sandbox Percussion, Bang on a Can All-Stars, and Akropolis Reed Quintet. She has performed internationally as an Artist in Residence at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada. As an educator, Lorena serves as the Assistant Instructor of Percussion at University of Central Missouri, where she teaches private lessons, coaches percussion ensemble, and teaches the UCM Marching section. As a composer, she explores writing for percussion and mixed chamber ensembles. She premiered her first solo written for marimba at the 2024 Gather Listen Hear Festival at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Her arrangement, My Neighbor Totoro: 3 Movements for Percussion Ensemble, was premiered by the Michigan State University Percussion Ensemble. She currently arranges for the UCM Marching percussion section and has previously written for the MSU Spartan Drumline. Lorena is currently pursuing her D.M.A. in Music Performance at Michigan State University. She earned her M.M. in Percussion Performance from Michigan State University and her B.S. in Music Education from Utah Valley University.

Andrew Johnson has been Principal Percussionist of the National Arts Centre Orchestra since June 2025, and was previously in the same position with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and l’Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec. Andrew is a former fellow at the New World Symphony, and has appeared professionally with the Toronto Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Sarasota Orchestra, and the Boston Philharmonic. He has performed with conductors Christoph von Dohnanyi, Michael Tilson Thomas, Robert Spano, and Stéphane Denève, and has attended a variety of summer festivals including Tanglewood Music Center, Spoleto Festival USA, Texas Music Festival, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.

In addition to orchestral playing, Andrew enjoys performing contemporary solo and chamber music, and within this context has worked under the guidance of Steve Reich, Dawn Upshaw, Steven Drury, and Steve Mackey. Andrew grew up in Nova Scotia and studied at New England Conservatory and Boston University. He is a student of Will Hudgins, Timothy Genis, and Mark Adam. In his spare time, he enjoys playing and watching hockey, and spending time with his wife, Lia, and their dog, Henry. Andrew is an endorser of Zildjian cymbals and Freer Percussion products.

Allie Su is an internationally recognized collaborative pianist and chamber musician whose performances and teaching engagements have taken her across the United States, Asia, and Europe. Acclaimed for her specialization in wind and brass repertoire, she has collaborated with leading artists including Christian Lindberg, Nitzan Haroz, Carol Jantsch, Charles Neidich, Carol Wincenc, Benjamin Kamins, and Alexa Still. Her festival appearances include the Perlman Music Program, Interlochen Center for the Arts, American Viola Society Festival, Cooper International Violin Competition, and the Meadowmount School of Music. In 2025, Su presented a lecture on the topic of “The Collaborative Piano Landscape in China” at the CollabFest, the leading festival dedicated to advancing the art of collaborative piano.

As an active chamber musician and educator, Su has performed and presented masterclasses at Oberlin Conservatory, the University of Texas at Austin, University of Denver, University of Colorado Boulder, Cleveland State University, Taipei University, Tunghai University, Sun Yat-sen University, Seoul National University, and Yonsei University. She is also a versatile vocal collaborator, having served as a coach and pianist for the Land of Enchantment Opera, Butler Opera Center, Franco-American Vocal Academy, ISING Festival in Suzhou, and Lingua e Canto in Italy.

Su is currently on the faculty of The Tianjin Juilliard School, where she teaches in the Graduate Studies program, coaches chamber ensembles, and coordinates the staff pianist area. She earned her DMA in Collaborative Piano from the University of Texas at Austin and her MM in Piano Performance from Arizona State University.

Olivier Doise, is a french oboist. He is soloist at Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra.
He studied in Douai, then became Maurice Bourgue and David Walter’s student at Paris CNSMDP. He then obtained oboe and music chamber first prices unanimously.

He is chosen by the very appreciated M-W Chung at the age of 23. He is nominated as Paris Opera soloist. In 2010, he obtains the same post at Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra.

He undertakes his orchestra activities with a chamber musician career together. With his colleague François Leleux, he is a member of Paris-Bastille wind octet, who receives a first price at Paris Interna-tional Competition. He gives worldwide performances.
Concerned by the development of new perspectives, he is involved in the making of several works dedicated to him: "Concerto Sacra" (Richard Dubugnon), "L’Ange double" (Laurent Cunio).

Since 2009, he is a professor at Boulogne-Billancourt High School of Music and he teaches at several international academies and gives masterclass around the world.

Ben Gannon was generously supported by the Richard and Sidney Killmer Oboe Endowment Fund

Ben Gannon is an Irish oboist known for his thoughtful musicianship and versatility as a performer. In March 2025, he made his solo debut with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, performing Françaix’s L’Horloge de Flore under the baton of Stephen Bell.

A finalist in the Irish Freemason’s Young Musician of the Year 2019, Ben has received support and recognition from the Willem Mengelberg Fund of the Concertgebouworkest, the Trench Award at the Birr Festival of Music, the Arts Council of Ireland, and Music Network Ireland.

He has performed with Camerata Ireland, the Ulster Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. His engagements have taken him to leading venues including Carnegie Hall, Het Concertgebouw, the National Theatre of São Carlos, and Ireland’s National Concert Hall, with recent festival appearances at Birr and Clandeboye in 2023.

Ben holds a Bachelor of Performance with First Class Honours and a Licentiate from the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and a Master of Music from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He is a Howarth of London Artist and plays on an XM model oboe.

Ben Gannon was generously supported by the Richard and Sidney Killmer Oboe Endowment Fund.

Jonathan Huard was generously supported by the Helen Graham Artist Award

Born in Rimouski, Qc, Jonathan Huard holds a bachelor’s degree in percussion from the Rimouski Conservatory of Music, a master’s degree with distinction from the Quebec Conservatory of Music, and an Advanced Certificate in Performance from the University of Toronto. Passionate about contemporary music, improvisation, and orchestral music, he actively pursues these interests by collaborating with several specialized ensembles in Canada, including GGRIL (Rimouski), the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, and Esprit Orchestra (Toronto). Jonathan has participated in the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the So Percussion Summer Institute, and several competitions, including the Prix d’Europe and the Canadian Music Competition, where he twice won first prize in percussion. In 2026, he was awarded Fourth Prize, Prix de l’Académie de musique du Québec, and Prix du Centre de musique canadienne au Québec at the Prix d’Europe Competition. In recognition of his artistic quality, advanced playing skills, and determination to pursue his career, Jonathan has received the Award of Excellence from the Quebec City Symphony Orchestra Foundation.

He is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Charles Settle’s studio. His career is marked by a constant pursuit of artistic excellence, great musical versatility, and a sustained interest in contemporary composition.
 

Daniel Chong, violin | Ken Hamao, violin | Jessica Bodner, viola | Kee-Hyun Kim, cello

Internationally recognized for their “fearless, yet probingly beautiful” (The Strad) performances, the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet has rapidly distinguished itself as one of the preeminent ensembles of its generation, dedicated purely to the sound and depth of their music. Inspired performances and exceptional musicianship are hallmarks of the Quartet, having appeared at the world’s most illustrious venues since its founding in 2002.

Recent seasons included performances around the United States and Europe, including Wigmore Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, Music Toronto, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Strathmore, San Antonio Chamber Music Society, University of Chicago, the Schubert Club, and Kansas City’s Friends of Chamber Music.

This season the Quartet marks their 20th anniversary with The Beethoven Project, a multi-faceted initiative which includes performances of the complete cycle of Beethoven’s string quartets; the commissioning of six composers to write encores inspired by Beethoven’s quartets; the creation of a new video library spotlighting each Beethoven quartet; and bringing Beethoven’s music to non-traditional venues around the Quartet’s home base of Boston, including homeless shelters and youth programs.

The Quartet is committed to working with composers of today — recent commissions include works by Augusta Read Thomas, Felipe Lara, Jaehyuck Choi, and Zosha di Castri. Celebrating the process of creation, the Quartet recorded three new commissions by Kate Soper, Oscar Bettison, and Vijay Iyer as part of Miller Theatre’s Mission: Commission podcast.

Additionally, the Quartet regularly collaborates with a diverse range of artists, including pianists Menahem Pressler, Orion Weiss, Shai Wosner, Billy Childs, and Vijay Iyer; members of the Silk Road Ensemble; clarinetist and composer Jörg Widmann; clarinetists Anthony McGill and Charles Neidich; flutist Claire Chase; and violist Kim Kashkashian, featured on their recent Dvořák recording. The Quartet also continues to be a strong supporter of Kashkashian’s project Music for Food, participating in concerts throughout the United States for the benefit of various food banks and shelters.

Recording projects continue to be an important facet of the Quartet’s artistic output. Described by Gramophone Magazine as a ”string quartet defined by virtuosity so agile that it’s indistinguishable from the process of emotional expression,” their newest release for ECM Records features Dvořák's Viola Quintet as well as György Kurtág's Six Moments Musicaux and Officium breve in memoriam. The Strad also declared the album as “nothing short of astonishing.” Under the auspices of the Monte Carlo Festival Printemps des Arts, they recorded a disc of three Beethoven quartets, of which Diapason “admired the group’s fearlessness, exceptional control, and attention to detail.” The Quartet can also be heard playing Mendelssohn on Nimbus Records, Bartók on Zig-Zag Territoires, and the complete Ligeti Quartets on Naxos, for which they won a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance.

The members of the Parker Quartet serve as Professors of the Practice and Blodgett Artists-in-Residence at Harvard University’s Department of Music. The Quartet also holds a visiting residency at the University of South Carolina and spends its summers on faculty at the Banff Centre’s Evolution: Quartet program.

Founded and currently based in Boston, the Parker Quartet’s numerous honors include winning the Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Grand Prix and Mozart Prize at France’s Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, and Chamber Music America’s prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award.

Photo by Beowulf Sheehan