Pianist Erika Crino is very active both as a chamber musician and a soloist, performing extensively both in North America and Europe. Several of her performances have been featured on CBC Radio both as a soloist, as the winner of the Debut Series, and in chamber music settings, collaborating with percussionist Salvador Ferreras, clarinetist Francois Houle, and pianist Brett Kingsbury. Since her move to Toronto, Erika has been regularly heard in several important venues, among which, the Glenn Gould Studio, where she performed and recorded Bach’s Triple Concerto with pianists Robert Silverman and Brett Kingsbury, and the Koffler Chamber Orchestra directed by Jacques Israelievitch, as well as premiered Michael Pepa’s TREMA, for piano, percussion and orchestra , with the Canadian Sinfonietta. Erika has performed at the historic Massey Hall directed by William Shookoff, at the University of Toronto where she collaborated with cellist David Hetherington. In duo with Marianna Humetska, she was also invited to perform at the 7th Meridian-ISCM International Festival in Bucharest, Romania. After obtaining the Diploma in Piano at the conservatory of her own town, Trieste, and the Diploma in Chamber Music with the Trio di Trieste, Erika studied with M. Bruno Canino in Milan. Shortly after, she moved to Canada where she completed her Doctorate in Piano Performance with Dr. Robert Silverman at the University of British Columbia. Erika is currently faculty at the Kingsway Conservatory and teaches part time at U of T.

Joyce Lai enjoys a career as a violin soloist and chamber musician. She has been featured as a guest artist with orchestras around the world, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Szeged Symphony Orchestra of Hungary, the Canadian Chamber Academy, and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. Locally, Joyce has been guest soloist with, among others,  the Stratford Symphony Orchestra, Etobicoke Philharmonic, Scarborough Philharmonic, as well as the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra. As an avid chamber musician, Joyce performs regularly in chamber settings and has been participated at various festivals including the Clear Lake Chamber Music Festival in Manitoba, the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Festival and the Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival in B.C. In 2017, Joyce, along with pianist Erika Crino, presented a series of duo recitals featuring all Canadian works in Croatia, Serbia and Italy. These concerts were hosted by the Canadian Embassy in celebration of Canada’s 150th.

Joyce was first violinist in the Riverdale Ensemble, a chamber group that specialized in performing rare and unique works, as well as premiering new Canadian works. The Riverdale Ensemble’s highly praised CD, Twelve by the Moon-dial, was released in 2008. In addition to her performing career, Joyce is also an enthusiastic educator as well as a pianist and has a private studio of violin and piano students ranging from ages 3 to 73. She has taught at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Baptist University, in addition to giving violin clinics in the Ontario area. She is currently the conductor for the Canadian Sinfonietta Youth Orchestra (CSYO) Junior Strings. Joyce holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Masters of Music Degree and Performer Diploma from the Indiana University.

Toronto violinist and violist, Ian Clarke is a member of the viola section in the Canadian Sinfonietta (CS), in addition to being concertmaster of the York Chamber Ensemble, he is also a frequent guest soloist. Ian was concertmaster of the Matsumoto Symphony Orchestra in Japan from 1998-2000 and still returns several times a year to perform. Ian is an avid chamber musician and in addition to working regularly with members of the CS and other prominent Canadian musicians. Ian enjoys performing in summer festivals and has participated in the Kitchener- Waterloo Chamber Music Festival, the Clear Lake Chamber Music Festival in Manitoba and the Pender Harbour Music Festival in B.C. In addition to his musical career, Ian also holds an engineering degree from the University of Waterloo and is currently Director of the Software Research & Development department at EPSON.

Tim FitzGerald was a member of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra for over 15 years and formerly played with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra London.

Over the past several years Tim has composed and performed vocal settings, in various styles, of Bahá’í Sacred text. Other performing interests include jazz bass, traditional Irish music, and singing: in a chorus and as a soloist, often for groups of children. His own two daughters, Julie and Zoë, have reached the ages of 20 and 30 in spite of being subjected to many of these performances early on.

This is Tim’s fifth season with Canadian Sinfonietta.

DANIEL LICHTI, BASS-BARITONE Celebrating 45 years of professional life since his operatic debut at the 1974 Stratford Festival, Daniel Lichti has established himself as one of Canada’s finest bass-baritones, performing internationally and with many of North America’s leading Orchestras and Choral organizations (both modern and baroque). No stranger to the operatic stage, he is also a frequent performer at summer Festivals, a seasoned Bach interpreter, and has gained international acclaim as a recitalist and recording artist. Ongoing critical commentary indicates that his artistry continues to inspire admiration for the beauty, warmth and richness of his voice, and respect for the dignity and sincerity of his interpretations.

Recently retired from Academia, after 19 years of teaching and Coordinating Voice for the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University, Associate Professor Emeritus Lichti continues to teach at the annual Académie Internationale d’été de Musique de Lyon, and has just committed to restarting a voice program at the Casalmaggiore Festival in Italy next July.

This season’s performance highlights include the Bassariasin Bach’s St.Matthew Passion with the Grand Philharmonic Choir and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony under Mark Vuorinen, the world premiere of Ruth Fazal’s Jerusalem with the North Bay Symphony Orchestra, the role of Bartolo in concert performances of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with the National Arts Centre Orchestra under Alexander Shelley, performances of Schubert’s Winterreise with the Penderecki String Quartet in Toronto, at Quartetfest in Waterloo, and the Elora Festival; and a performance of Fauré’s Requiem in the Notre Dame Basilica of Lyon under Bernard Tétu.

Violinist Alain Bouvier graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree in violin performance from the Glenn Gould School, where he studied with such notable violinists Atis Bankas (Toronto Symphony), Mark Fewer, and Annalee Patipatanakoon (Gryphon Trio). He was also was a mainstay member of the Glenn Gould School’s Ensemble in Residence “The Veritas Piano Quartet”, which performed in various cities in Ontario and Quebec.

He is currently the concertmaster of Masterworks of Oakville, principal 2nd of The Oakville Chamber Orchestra, associate concertmaster of The Canadian Sinfonietta and section violin in the Scarborough Philharmonic, the Brantford Symphony, the Georgetown Bach Chorale, as well as the Toronto Beaches Chorale. Between Mr. Bouvier’s busy orchestral schedule, he also performs with The Alexsandre Ensemble, of which he is the founding member, as well as GTA strings. Both of these ensembles perform regularly throughout the city for various concerts and events. Alain also keeps a busy teaching schedule at his home studio. Besides performing regularly in the city, he is also a French Immersion teacher with the York Region District School Board (intermediate division). He is also an avid keelboat racer and races out of the Scarborough Bluffs area.

András Weber received his musical training in Budapest, Hungary. His mentor, Janos Starker, has been a major influence in his work. He has been principal cellist with orchestras in Hungary, Mexico City and Canda. Has given concerts in North America, Europe, and Korea. He was the winner of DEBUT in Montreal where The Gazette called him a “generously gifted” musician who plays with a “nicely colored and singing tone.”

Mr. Weber has recorded in Hungary and Canada and plans to release some CD’s: music for cello and organ with his wife Ran Kim, works for harp and cello with the acclaimed Mexican harpist Mercedes Gómez and solo cello works.

Mr. Weber is the founding artistic director of the Toronto series ‘Music Alive!’ and teaches at the Royal Conservatory of Music. He is a member of Sinfonia Toronto and Canadian Sinfonietta chamber orchestras. He has played concertos with many orchestras around the world.

In May 2005 he toured in Hungary, appearing in recitals and chamber music ensembles and giving master classes. Over the summer he played in Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City in chamber music festivals. Mr. Weber plays the 17th century Mariani cello.

Pianist Erika Crino is very active both as a chamber musician and a soloist, performing extensively both in North America and Europe. Several of her performances have been featured on CBC Radio both as a soloist, as the winner of the Debut Series, and in chamber music settings, collaborating with percussionist Salvador Ferreras, clarinetist Francois Houle, and pianist Brett Kingsbury. Since her move to Toronto, Erika has been regularly heard in several important venues, among which, the Glenn Gould Studio, where she performed and recorded Bach’s Triple Concerto with pianists Robert Silverman and Brett Kingsbury, and the Koffler Chamber Orchestra directed by Jacques Israelievitch, as well as premiered Michael Pepa’s TREMA, for piano, percussion and orchestra , with the Canadian Sinfonietta. Erika has performed at the historic Massey Hall directed by William Shookoff, at the University of Toronto where she collaborated with cellist David Hetherington. In duo with Marianna Humetska, she was also invited to perform at the 7th Meridian-ISCM International Festival in Bucharest, Romania. After obtaining the Diploma in Piano at the conservatory of her own town, Trieste, and the Diploma in Chamber Music with the Trio di Trieste, Erika studied with M. Bruno Canino in Milan. Shortly after, she moved to Canada where she completed her Doctorate in Piano Performance with Dr. Robert Silverman at the University of British Columbia. Erika is currently faculty at the Kingsway Conservatory and teaches part time at U of T.

DANIEL LICHTI, BASS-BARITONE Celebrating 45 years of professional life since his operatic debut at the 1974 Stratford Festival, Daniel Lichti has established himself as one of Canada’s finest bass-baritones, performing internationally and with many of North America’s leading Orchestras and Choral organizations (both modern and baroque). No stranger to the operatic stage, he is also a frequent performer at summer Festivals, a seasoned Bach interpreter, and has gained international acclaim as a recitalist and recording artist. Ongoing critical commentary indicates that his artistry continues to inspire admiration for the beauty, warmth and richness of his voice, and respect for the dignity and sincerity of his interpretations.

Recently retired from Academia, after 19 years of teaching and Coordinating Voice for the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University, Associate Professor Emeritus Lichti continues to teach at the annual Académie Internationale d’été de Musique de Lyon, and has just committed to restarting a voice program at the Casalmaggiore Festival in Italy next July.

This season’s performance highlights include the Bassariasin Bach’s St.Matthew Passion with the Grand Philharmonic Choir and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony under Mark Vuorinen, the world premiere of Ruth Fazal’s Jerusalem with the North Bay Symphony Orchestra, the role of Bartolo in concert performances of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with the National Arts Centre Orchestra under Alexander Shelley, performances of Schubert’s Winterreise with the Penderecki String Quartet in Toronto, at Quartetfest in Waterloo, and the Elora Festival; and a performance of Fauré’s Requiem in the Notre Dame Basilica of Lyon under Bernard Tétu.

Joyce Lai enjoys a career as a violin soloist and chamber musician. She has been featured as a guest artist with orchestras around the world, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Szeged Symphony Orchestra of Hungary, the Canadian Chamber Academy, and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. Locally, Joyce has been guest soloist with, among others,  the Stratford Symphony Orchestra, Etobicoke Philharmonic, Scarborough Philharmonic, as well as the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra. As an avid chamber musician, Joyce performs regularly in chamber settings and has been participated at various festivals including the Clear Lake Chamber Music Festival in Manitoba, the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Festival and the Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival in B.C. In 2017, Joyce, along with pianist Erika Crino, presented a series of duo recitals featuring all Canadian works in Croatia, Serbia and Italy. These concerts were hosted by the Canadian Embassy in celebration of Canada’s 150th.

Joyce was first violinist in the Riverdale Ensemble, a chamber group that specialized in performing rare and unique works, as well as premiering new Canadian works. The Riverdale Ensemble’s highly praised CD, Twelve by the Moon-dial, was released in 2008. In addition to her performing career, Joyce is also an enthusiastic educator as well as a pianist and has a private studio of violin and piano students ranging from ages 3 to 73. She has taught at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Baptist University, in addition to giving violin clinics in the Ontario area. She is currently the conductor for the Canadian Sinfonietta Youth Orchestra (CSYO) Junior Strings. Joyce holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Masters of Music Degree and Performer Diploma from the Indiana University.

Violinist Alain Bouvier graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree in violin performance from the Glenn Gould School, where he studied with such notable violinists Atis Bankas (Toronto Symphony), Mark Fewer, and Annalee Patipatanakoon (Gryphon Trio). He was also was a mainstay member of the Glenn Gould School’s Ensemble in Residence “The Veritas Piano Quartet”, which performed in various cities in Ontario and Quebec.

He is currently the concertmaster of Masterworks of Oakville, principal 2nd of The Oakville Chamber Orchestra, associate concertmaster of The Canadian Sinfonietta and section violin in the Scarborough Philharmonic, the Brantford Symphony, the Georgetown Bach Chorale, as well as the Toronto Beaches Chorale. Between Mr. Bouvier’s busy orchestral schedule, he also performs with The Alexsandre Ensemble, of which he is the founding member, as well as GTA strings. Both of these ensembles perform regularly throughout the city for various concerts and events. Alain also keeps a busy teaching schedule at his home studio. Besides performing regularly in the city, he is also a French Immersion teacher with the York Region District School Board (intermediate division). He is also an avid keelboat racer and races out of the Scarborough Bluffs area.

Toronto violinist and violist, Ian Clarke is a member of the viola section in the Canadian Sinfonietta (CS), in addition to being concertmaster of the York Chamber Ensemble, he is also a frequent guest soloist. Ian was concertmaster of the Matsumoto Symphony Orchestra in Japan from 1998-2000 and still returns several times a year to perform. Ian is an avid chamber musician and in addition to working regularly with members of the CS and other prominent Canadian musicians. Ian enjoys performing in summer festivals and has participated in the Kitchener- Waterloo Chamber Music Festival, the Clear Lake Chamber Music Festival in Manitoba and the Pender Harbour Music Festival in B.C. In addition to his musical career, Ian also holds an engineering degree from the University of Waterloo and is currently Director of the Software Research & Development department at EPSON.

András Weber received his musical training in Budapest, Hungary. His mentor, Janos Starker, has been a major influence in his work. He has been principal cellist with orchestras in Hungary, Mexico City and Canda. Has given concerts in North America, Europe, and Korea. He was the winner of DEBUT in Montreal where The Gazette called him a “generously gifted” musician who plays with a “nicely colored and singing tone.”

Mr. Weber has recorded in Hungary and Canada and plans to release some CD’s: music for cello and organ with his wife Ran Kim, works for harp and cello with the acclaimed Mexican harpist Mercedes Gómez and solo cello works.

Mr. Weber is the founding artistic director of the Toronto series ‘Music Alive!’ and teaches at the Royal Conservatory of Music. He is a member of Sinfonia Toronto and Canadian Sinfonietta chamber orchestras. He has played concertos with many orchestras around the world.

In May 2005 he toured in Hungary, appearing in recitals and chamber music ensembles and giving master classes. Over the summer he played in Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City in chamber music festivals. Mr. Weber plays the 17th century Mariani cello.

Tim FitzGerald was a member of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra for over 15 years and formerly played with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra London.

Over the past several years Tim has composed and performed vocal settings, in various styles, of Bahá’í Sacred text. Other performing interests include jazz bass, traditional Irish music, and singing: in a chorus and as a soloist, often for groups of children. His own two daughters, Julie and Zoë, have reached the ages of 20 and 30 in spite of being subjected to many of these performances early on.

This is Tim’s fifth season with Canadian Sinfonietta.