Thursday, May 22
L.E. Shore Memorial Library
Thornbury, ON
Performing Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet
Friday, May 23
Historic Leith Church
Leith, ON
TICKETS ON SALE IN MARCH!
About Our Performers
Sheila Jaffé was born into a family of musicians and was fascinated by classical music from a young age. Born in Montreal and raised in South Florida, she returned to her native Quebec at the age of thirteen to live and study with her second cousin Catherine Dallaire, concertmaster of the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec and professor of violin at the Conservatoire de Musique de Québec. After completing high school as part of the arts intensive program at l'École Secondaire Pierre-Laporte in Montreal, Sheila completed her Bachelor's degree in violin performance at the Université de Montréal.
Sheila continued her studies in Berlin, Germany with a Master's program at the Hanns Eisler Hochschüle für Musik, during which she also was accepted into the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Akademie for a one-year position. During this time she also co-founded the Alondra String Quartet, the members of this quartet are now in leading orchestras around the world. In 2013, at the Rosebud Chamber Music Festival in Alberta, Canada, she co-founded the Rosebud String Quartet (RSQ), with whom she currently performs regularly. Sheila is also the violinist and violist of the Array Ensemble, specializing in new music. In 2015, Sheila joined the Canadian Opera Company as a violist while continuing to nurture her love of chamber music on the violin with her string quartet as well as other chamber ensembles and various solo performances.
She is now principal viola of the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada orchestras. Her first album, "Lachrymae", a tribute to her late husband Peter Longworth and featuring works by Franck, Elgar and Britten in collaboration with Welsh pianist Huw Watkins (Coviello Classics), came out in 2022, closely followed in 2023 by her string quartet's first album of Haydn and Mozart featuring Canadian violist Steven Dann and the Rosebud String Quartet (Leaf Music).
Sheila Jaffe, Violinist
Keith Hamm is a native of Rosebud, Alberta. He received his training at the Glenn Gould School of Music under the instruction of Steven Dann, and at the Mount Royal Conservatory with Nicholas Pulos. Other influences include Pinchas Zukerman, Mark Fewer, Richard Lester, the London Haydn Quartet, and especially formative summers at the Chamber Music Program at Le Domaine Forget. While still a student, Keith was named Principal Violist of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and performed there for eight seasons. In the fall of 2019, Keith took up that same position with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Keith is an alumnus of the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove; the Sarasota Music Festival and programs at the Banff Centre. He has been featured on CBC Radio, Toronto’s Classical 96.3, Minnesota Public Radio and was named one of Canada’s Hottest 30 Classical Musicians Under 30 by CBC. His recording catalogue includes releases from the Leaf Music, Stone Records and Centaur record Labels.
Keith is Founder and Artistic Director of the Rosebud Chamber Music Festival in Rosebud, Alberta and co-founder of the Rosebud String Quartet.
Keith Hamm, Viola
Julie Hereish pursued her studies in Montreal and then in Vienna, Austria. She was a pupil of Denis Brott, Johanne Perron, Carole Sirois and Stefan Kropfitsch.
In 2019, she joined the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Principal Cello. Previously, she held the same position in the Quebec Symphony Orchestra. During her time in Quebec City, she cofounded the piano quartet Quatuor Philanthros and the cello octet Élément 8.
Winner of the 2014 Zara Nelsova Memorial Award and the 2011 Peter Mendell Award, Julie has been broadcasted on CBC Radio 2 and Radio-Canada. Her chamber music performances have taken her across Canada, where she’s toured with Debut Atlantic and Jeunesses Musicales du Canada. Julie has performed in festivals across North America, including Music By The Sea in Bamfield (BC), Sweetwater Music Festival in Owen Sound (ON), Rosebud Chamber Music Festival (AB), Rendez-vous musical de Laterrière in Saguenay (QC) and Rockport Music Festival (Massachusetts).
Together with actor Pierre Mayer, Julie created Charlot et Mlle Cello, a family theatrical concert experience based on Charlie Chaplin’s famous character. The show has been presented in its symphonic version with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra and the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, in Switzerland.
As a guest artist, Julie joined the Grammy Award winning ARC Ensemble in performance in Toronto. She has also performed with the Canadian Opera Company as guest continuo cellist. Julie has performed extensively with the chamber orchestra Violons du Roy in Quebec City and throughout Europe and North America.
Julie is currently a member of the Polyphonie String Quartet, based in Edmonton, AB. Alongside husband and violist Keith Hamm, she cofounded The New Cohort, a viola and cello ensemble born at the beginning of the COVID pandemic.
Julie Hereish, Cello
“A pianist-painter who transforms each musical idea into a beautiful array of colours” (La Presse), Philip Chiu is acclaimed for his brilliant pianism, sensitive listening, and a stage presence that eschews the hermit-pianist image in favour of dialogue, openness and authenticity. Soloist and chamber musician, he performs recitals and chamber music concerts across Canada, as well as France, Japan and the United States. Chamber music partners have included James Ehnes, Emmanuel Pahud, Regis Pasquier, Bomsori Kim and Johannes Moser. He has a long-standing violin-piano duo with violinist Jonathan Crow. He has recorded for ATMA Classique, Warner Music, Analekta, Leaf Music and CBC Music, and can be heard on BBC Radio, France Musique, ICI Musique, and CBC Music.
Philip is grateful for the support of Mécénat Musica, the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation, and the Canada Council for the Arts. He also wishes to acknowledge his teachers and mentors: Marc Durand, Jenny Regehr, Susan Steele, and the late Peter Longworth.
Philip Chiu, Pianist
Edwin Huizinga is SweetWater Music Festival's Artistic Director and an esteemed violinist. Edwin's combination of his unique and warm style plus his unparalleled musicianship connect him with audiences around the world. Edwin teaches violin at Oberlin, he's a composer, conductor, and a performer.
He has performed with orchestras and ensembles worldwide including Carmel Bach Festival, Amsterdam Conservatory, Baroque Orchestra, and Tafelmusik. Huizinga has released numerous recordings including Partita Americana, fusing classical and bluegrass music. He premiered a new composition commissioned by Opera Atelier for soprano Measha Brueggergosman in late October 2020.