Conductor

Lidia Khaner

Craig and Karen Banks Chair

Artistic Director & Conductor

In 2019, after 23 remarkable seasons as Principal Oboe of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO), Lidia Khaner retired from that position, eager to take on new musical challenges.

She completed a Master's Degree in conducting from the University of Alberta in 2017, and has begun to gain additional experience and training in ensemble leadership. She has participated in workshops with Neil Varon (Eastman School of Music), Dirk Brossé and John Farrer (New York Chamber Orchestra Workshop), as well as with Robert Taylor, Mallory Thompson, Dale Lonis, and Craig Kirchoff. In the summer of 2019, she participated in a workshop with the National Presidential Orchestra of Ukraine in Kyiv, led by Christopher Lyndon-Gee. She has also been chosen for the Emerging Conductor Program with Pro Coro Canada, Edmonton's professional choir.

Ms. Khaner studied oboe in her native Poland at the Warsaw Academy of Music and graduated with distinction in 1987. As a member of the Sinfonia Varsovia and the Polish Chamber Orchestra, she toured

around the world playing both orchestral parts and solo concerts. During a sabbatical, she studied in Germany at the Stuttgart Hochshule für Musik with Ingo Goritzki, and played with the Deutsche Kammerakademie. Ms. Khaner played Principal Oboe with Sinfonia Helvetica from 1992 to 1997, when she came to Canada to join the Edmonton Symphony.

Her ESO tenure was marked with countless achievements, including dozens of performances and recordings as oboe soloist, not only with the ESO, but also with the Alberta Baroque Ensemble, the Red Deer Symphony, and the Edmonton Chamber Orchestra. Now that she has turned her wealth of experience and superb musicianship to a new arena, Lidia is particularly interested in using her skills to provide opportunities for emerging musicians to play alongside experienced professional musicians in a performance setting. She is a founder, Artistic Director, and Conductor of Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton, a professional ensemble only one of its kind in Edmonton.

Lidia Khaner continues to teach oboe and chamber music at the University of Alberta. Married for 18 years (now widowed) to former ESO cellist Timothy Khaner, she has two children, Jacob and Maria. Lidia is also a third degree black belt and certified instructor in Taekwon-do. Her latest recording reunites her 

with frequent musical partner, pianist Janet Scott Hoyt, in music by Schumann, Hindemith, Archer, and McPherson. and is now available on iTunes, Spotify, and other popular music distributors.

Violins

Laura Veeze

Marion Perrin Chair

Concertmaster
Violin I

Dutch violinist and violist, Laura Veeze, has reached audiences on three continents as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. She has held Principal Second Violin positions with the Radio Chamber Philharmonic in the Netherlands and with Symphony Nova Scotia in Canada. In addition to the Edmonton Symphony, she is Concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton and Principal Second Violin of the Alberta Baroque Ensemble.

As a chamber musician, Ms. Veeze was a member of the piano trio Ensemble Pavone, the Blue Engine String Quartet in Nova Scotia, and is a frequent guest artist at festivals such as Music by the Sea, Great Lakes International Summer Music Institute, Summer Solstice Music Festival, Scotia Festival, Musique Royale, New Music Edmonton, Early Music Alberta, and the Acadia Summer Strings Festival.  Laura also enjoys playing baroque violin and viola and is currently on faculty at the Alberta Conservatory. Ms. Veeze studied in Amsterdam and New York with Alexander Kerr and Sylvia Rosenberg. Laura is married to ESO concertmaster Robert Uchida. They enjoy the wonderful Edmonton community with their children, Marten and Noemi.

Ewald Cheung

Craig and Karen Banks Chair

Violin I

Ewald Cheung is an emerging violinist and has performed as soloist with orchestras around Canada, including the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec.  He has also performed in recital series in Trois-Rivieres, CAMMAC, Edmonton and Muzewest with pianists Philip Chiu, Henry Mokken, and Michael Massey. In 2015, Ewald and pianist Philip Chiu were featured in a 34-concert tour with Jeunesses Musicales Canada and also recorded their album, “A Tribute to Fritz Kreisler.”

Ewald is the recipient of the 2010 Golden Violin Award from McGill University, where he also received his Bachelor of Music and Artist Diploma. He recently obtained his Masters’ degree from The Juilliard School. His teachers include Daniel Phillips, Felicia Moye, André Roy, Jonathan Crow and James Keene.

Other awards include First Prize in the Shean Strings Competition in 2009, First Prize in the Trois-Riviéres Competition in 2010 and Second Prize in the Standard Life OSM Competition in 2007. Ewald is extremely grateful of the support from the Anne Burrows Music Foundation, the Winspear Fund and the Victoria Foundation throughout his studies.

As an avid chamber musician, Ewald was a founding member of the Roddick String Quartet and Geistrio.

With the Roddick String Quartet, he competed at the London International String Quartet Competition and performed at the Montreal Chamber Music Festival. He also competed at the Fischoff National Chamber Competition and performed at the Canadian Opera Company’s Free Concert Series with Geistrio. In 2015, he performed in Arte Musica’s Jeunes et Pros series, with Axel Strauss, Douglas McNabney, Peter Wiley and Matt Haimovitz. He also attended the McGill International String Quartet Academy, studying with members of the Alban Berg, Cleveland and Guarneri String Quartets.

Yeeun Ha

Ernie Howe Chair

Violin I

Yeeun, a highly accomplished musician, earned both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Music from The Royal Conservatory of the Hague under the guidance of Kees Hülsmann, complemented by a minor degree in Baroque violin with the esteemed Walter Reiter.

During her tenure in the Netherlands, Yeeun held a position in the Hague Symphony Orchestra (Residentie Orkest). She was also frequently invited to perform with renowned orchestras such as the Noord Nederlands Orkest, the Nieuw Bach Ensemble, and Camerata Ardesko.

Yeeun’s musical journey extended beyond orchestral settings, as she engaged in chamber music concerts with fellow members of her previous orchestra and collaborated with her cellist husband, David Bordeleau. Her diverse musical interests, spanning from baroque to jazz, were showcased in her annual presentations of baroque music, including performances of Mathew’s Passion at prestigious venues such as Peters Kerk in Leiden, Grote Kerk in The Hague, Joris Kerk in Amersfoort, and Laurenskerk in Rotterdam. Notably, she contributed to the jazz CD recording “Bright Green, Almost White” alongside jazz trumpeter Alex Sipiagin and her string quartet.

Yeeun actively participated in prominent festivals like the Bach Festival and Grachten Festival in Holland. Her musical presence can be heard in various recordings, including the complete series of Schubert symphonies with the Hague Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Jan Willem de Vriend. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in Camerata Ardesko’s debut project album, “Our World,” recorded in Amsterdam.

Having settled in Edmonton in 2022, Yeeun has continued to make significant contributions to the musical scene. In the preceding years, from 2019 to 2021, she showcased her talents in Quebec, collaborating with the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec and performing diverse quartet repertoires in venues such as Musée de la Civilisation and Salle des Promotions in Quebec City.

In 2022, Yeeun embarked on a new chapter, joining the prestigious Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, followed by her addition to the Edmonton Chamber Orchestra in 2023. Her musical journey reflects a rich tapestry of experiences and a deep commitment to bringing the beauty of music to audiences in both Quebec and her current home in Edmonton, as well as worldwide.

Anna Kozak

John and Frances Scotvold Chair

Principal
Violin II

Anna Kozak is a violinist with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Alberta Baroque Ensemble. She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Toronto and a Master of Music Degree from the University of Calgary.

Anna loves being an orchestral musician. It’s a profession that has taken her to concert halls all over Europe as well as Carnegie Hall in New York. She has performed with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Kensington Sinfonia, Red Deer Symphony and Okanagan Symphony.

Anna is also a passionate chamber musician. She has been a member of many ensembles, including Vad Ensemble, Strathcona String Quartet, Obsessions Octet and was a founding member of the Onyx String Quartet and Tersona Piano Trio.

Besides performing, Anna finds it fulfilling to share her passion and knowledge with her students. She holds a small private studio, teaches at the annual Wye Strings Camp, and on occasion leads coaching sessions for local amateur groups.

Anna has the privilege to perform on a violin made in 1770 in Florence by Giovanni Battista Gabrielli. Once she is done practicing, performing, and teaching, Anna enjoys traveling, gardening or just relaxing with her husband and their Great Dane, “George”.

Alison Zdunich

Dr Piotr Grella-Mozejko Chair

Violin II

Alison Zdunich received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in violin performance, as well as her Performer Diploma from Indiana University where she studied with Mauricio Fuks and Kevork Mardirossian. There she also studied violin/viola pedagogy with the renowned Mimi Zweig, as well as orchestral playing with former Royal Concertgebouw and Minnesota Orchestra concertmasters.

Alison has played with numerous orchestras throughout North America; she has served as guest Principal Second Violin with the Regina Symphony, acting Associate-Concertmaster with Tulsa Opera, and Assistant Principal Second with Tulsa Symphony and the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. She has played at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, and the Berlin Philharmonie Hall as a member of festival orchestras. She is currently a member of the Alberta Baroque Ensemble, the Red Deer Symphony, and a regular player with the Edmonton Symphony.

As well as her private teaching studio, Alison has taught for many programs catering to underserved communities, including Edmonton Symphony’s YONA Sistema program, Tulsa Symphony’s String program, Tulsa Symphony’s Fiddle Camp, and Porterville Summer Strings.

Besides "classical" violin playing, Alison is an adept Irish fiddler, and was a frequent violinist with the Tulsa Rock Quartet. She has been broadcast as a member of ensembles on CBC in Canada, and on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor in the USA.

Joshua Ryu

Tim & Nancy Muzyka Chair

Violin II

Joshua Ryu is a Canadian violinist who has established a performing career that has taken him nationwide. He has performed in reputable venues such as Jordan Hall (Boston), Stude Hall (Houston), and Jack Singer Hall (Calgary). Currently, he is a substitute-member of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. In addition to performing, Joshua is passionate about teaching and supporting youth. He is a teaching artist for ESO’s El Sistema program “YONA”, and was previously part of the Calgary Multicultural Organization. Joshua received his training from the New England Conservatory, and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, studying with Soovin Kim and Paul Kantor. Joshua joined the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton in late 2021.

Viola

Clayton Leung

SAndi Darrell Chair

Principal
Viola

After joining the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 2013, Clayton has immersed himself in the local arts scene; making appearances at the Alberta Baroque Society, C'mon Festival, Early Music Alberta, Edmonton Chamber Music Society, Edmonton Recital Society, Candlelight concerts, and with the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton. He has collaborated with Edmonton locals Nuela Charles and Martin Kerr, and performed locally, nationally and internationally with Kent Sangster's jazz ensemble, Obsessions Octet. Clayton is a proud member of the Health Arts Society of Alberta.

Before moving to Edmonton, Clayton was the principal violist with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and violist of the Atlantic String Quartet and regularly performed with the Victoria and Vancouver Island Symphonies.

Clayton has performed as a soloist with the Alberta Baroque Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton, Edmonton Symphony, National Repertory Orchestra, Newfoundland Symphony, and the University of Victoria Orchestra. He has been featured in YEG fitness magazine and performed in the film industry and for Royalty.

A spirited educator, Clayton teaches at the MacEwan Conservatory. He has taught in the Cleveland Institute of Music Preparatory division and has been an orchestral mentor and chamber music coach at the Courtenay Youth Music Centre, Langley Community Music School, Youth Orchestra of Northern Alberta, Music Enrichment Edmonton, Strathcona County String Music Camp and at the University of Victoria.

A native of Fort Langley BC, he began violin lessons at the Langley Community Music School. He continued his studies at the University of Victoria, and then pursued the viola at the University of Minnesota and the Cleveland Institute of Music. His mentors include Yariv Aloni, Heilwig von Koenigslow, Korey Konkol, the Lafayette String Quartet, Lucia Shipperus, Sharon Stanis and Robert Vernon.

Aside from playing violin and viola, Clayton is fond of the piano and ukulele, and in his free time he may be spotted around Edmonton playing soccer and lifting weights at the gym.

Ethan Filner

Brian Dunsmore & Frances Elgaard Chair

Viola

Ethan Filner is delighted to have joined the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton’s viola section beginning in the 2023-24 season. He has also been performing with the Alberta Baroque Ensemble as their Principal Viola since 2021, and as Assistant Principal Viola with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra since 2019. Prior to that, Ethan held the same position with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony from 2017-19, and from 2001-2016 he played viola in the internationally acclaimed San Francisco-based Cypress String Quartet.

In addition to his career as a performer, Ethan has taught viola at the University of Toronto (2016-19), directed the pre-college chamber music program at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (2015-16), run the Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop in Arcata, California as its Associate Director (2009-12), and led the Northern California Viola Society as its President from 2008-2013.

His work with the Cypress Quartet led Ethan to perform extensively throughout North America and Europe; record nearly twenty string quartet albums; commission and premiere dozens of new works; and present hundreds of educational outreach programs reaching thousands of students of all ages. Notable chamber music collaborations since his move to Canada have included performances with the Gryphon Trio, the Penderecki and Zemlinsky String Quartets, Mark Fewer and James Campbell, music faculty at the University of Toronto and Wilfred Laurier in Waterloo, members of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and the Toronto Symphony, National Arts Centre, Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet of Canada, Hamilton Philharmonic orchestras — and of course with many of his colleagues in the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

In 2020-21 Ethan co-founded the High Level Trio along with COE/ESO First Violinist Ewald Cheung and ESO Assistant Principal Cellist Julie Hereish. Since then the HLT has performed throughout Alberta, and in 2022 commissioned a new string trio from Order of Canada inductee John Estacio with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Province of Alberta through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Also in 2022, together with his HLT and ESO colleague Ewald Cheung, Ethan created the Windsor Park Chamber Music Workshop for school-aged students in Edmonton. For the 2023-24 season the Trio has just embarked upon the creation of a new 1-hour Tuesday night concert series taking place at Trinity Lutheran Church in Edmonton: High Level Trio and Friends.

Ethan plays a modern Italian viola made by Vittorio Bellarosa in Naples in 1947, and a bow by Garner Wilson. Learn more at his website, www.ethanfilner.com

Leanne Maitland

RANDY REICHARDT CHAIR

Viola

A native of Edmonton, violist Leanne Maitland is an active chamber musician, orchestral player, soloist, teacher, and adjudicator in the Edmonton area. She performs regularly with the Obsessions Octet and as a substitute with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Other past and up-coming projects include playing with the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton, Vif String Quartet, touring Europe with the Obsessions Octet, playing at the Citadel Theatre, with Early Music Alberta, Alberta Baroque Ensemble, the Bicycle Symphony at the Kaleido Arts Festival, SkirtsAFire festival, Dead Red Pine, and Plexoos Ensemble, and organizing Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night in Edmonton.

 Previously, Leanne has played with the National Academy Orchestra, Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, at the Banff Centre, Domaine Forget Chamber Music program, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and the Montreal International String Quartet Academy.  She has studied at the University of Alberta (Dr. Aaron Au), Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester (Prof. George Taylor), and Schulich School of Music, McGill University (André Roy).

Leanne is a viola, violin, and chamber music instructor at Society for Talent Education, and privately at her home studio in west Edmonton. She has also adjudicated at music festivals across Alberta. Leanne is also an active runner, foodie (eating and cooking), and loves going on river valley adventures with her husband and two daughters.

Cellos

Rafael Hoekman

Joyce M. Clark Chair

Principal
Cello

Hailed by the Toronto Star as a “young musician with a bright future” and noted for his “spirited and fiery performances”, Rafael Hoekman’s varied career as a soloist, teacher, chamber musician and orchestral cellist has taken him on a journey across Canada. Rafael Hoekman grew up in St. John’s, Newfoundland and began his musical training with his parents at the age of three.

His principal teachers were Theo Weber in St. John’s, Yuli Turovsky in Montreal, and he completed his Master’s Degree with Shauna Rolston at the University of Toronto. With his recent appointment to the position of Principal Cello for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Rafael has come full circle - his father was born in Lethbridge, and his mother was born in Conrad, Montana, a short drive from the Canadian border. As a young soloist, Rafael first attracted attention by winning First Prize at the Orford International Competition. This award led to performances of the Boccherini Concerto with I Musici de Montreal and a subsequent CD on the Amberola Label. In quick succession, Rafael garnered awards from competitions including the Montreal Symphony Competition, the CMC Stepping Stones Competition, the Debut Young Artist Competition and the Quebec Symphony’s Canadian Concerto Competition. In addition to performing with I Musici de Montreal, Rafael has appeared as soloist with the Calgary Philharmonic, the Quebec Symphony, the Newfoundland Symphony, Sinfonia Toronto, the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Etobicoke Philharmonic. Rafael makes his solo debut with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 2017.

As a chamber musician and founding member of the Tokai String Quartet, Rafael won Fourth Prize in the Banff International String Quartet Competition as well as the Felix Galimir Chamber Music Award and the Sir Ernest MacMillan Grant for a young Canadian chamber ensemble. Rafael’s chamber music performances have been featured on several national broadcasts for the CBC. He has been heard all across Canada on tours for Jeunesses Musicales and Debut Atlantic. He counts as his chamber music partners James Ehnes, Alexander Tselyakov, Anton Kuerti, and the St. Lawrence String Quartet. Prior to joining the Edmonton Symphony as Principal Cello in 2015, Rafael was a member of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and held assistant principal positions with both the Winnipeg and Windsor Symphony Orchestras. He has also held positions with Orchestra London Canada and Sinfonia Toronto (principal cello) and has played frequently with the Detroit and Toronto Symphony Orchestras. In the summer of 2017, Rafael will join the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra as Principal Cello.

Rafael is a passionate teacher and enjoys working with aspiring cellists as a faculty member at the University of Alberta and across the country at festivals including the Kincardine Music Festival, Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute, and Music at Port Milford. Rafael lives in Edmonton with his wife, cellist Meran Currie-Roberts, and their two children, Sam and Anastasia.

Meran Currie-Roberts

Mark and Nancy Heule Chair

Cello

Meran Currie-Roberts enjoys a successful career as a cellist, teacher, and music administrator. Former Dean of the Manitoba Conservatory, she is currently Executive & Artistic Director of the Health Arts Society of Alberta, where she brings hundreds of concerts to elders in care annually. As one of Edmonton’s busiest cellists, she plays frequently with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and has also appeared with the Calgary Philharmonic and Winnipeg, Kitchener-Waterloo, Windsor and Colorado Music Festival Orchestras. As a chamber musician, Meran has played for the Edmonton Recital Society, Festival of the Sound, Elora Festival, Festival Ibero Americano, Music at Port Milford, Kincardine Festival and Festival Vancouver. Meran is on faculty at MacEwan’s Conservatory where she shares her love of the cello with students from age 4 to retirement. She has an M.Mus from the University of Toronto, where she studied with Shauna Rolston.

Amy Nicholson

Dr. Srishti Nigam Chair

CELLO

Amy Nicholson holds an undergraduate music degree from Hannover Music and Theater School in Germany. She toured and performed in Germany and Poland with the German Chamber Academy, NDR Symphony and Molte Chorde String Quartet. Returning home to Alberta she completed her Master of Music degree as Tanya Prochaszka’s teaching assistant at the University of Alberta. Amy has received prestigious awards including an instrument loan for an 1864 Jaques-Pière Thibout cello from the Fritz Behrens Stiftung, Germany (2001-2004), Jacques Bombardier SSHRC Scholarship, Harriet Winspear Snowball award, Canadian Federation of University Women award and a University of Alberta Doctoral Recruitment award. Amy performs regularly with the UltraViolet ensemble, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Dave Babcock Jazz ensemble, String Beans Pop Quartet, Health Arts Society of Alberta, Opera Nuova Vocal Arts Festival and the John Cameron Changing lives foundation. She also enjoys playing with her long-time chamber music partner pianist Kyung-A Lee at the Algonquin Summer Music Festival in Ontario. Amy is a sessional cello instructor for MacEwan University Conservatory, Concordia University and King’s University.

Double Bass

Hilda Cowie

Drs Don and Valerie Massey Chair

PRINCIPAL

Double Bass

Double bassist Hilda Cowie has been active in the Canadian music scene for over two decades. Born and raised in Halifax NS, she grew up in the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium hanging out with the stage managers while her parents were in rehearsal with Symphony Nova Scotia.

As a teenager Hilda began studying the bass with her mother with support and training from the Halifax City Schools Music Dept and went on to the University of Toronto and the RCM Glenn Gould School as a student of renowned Canadian double bassist Joel Quarrington, with whom she would later form a partnership for eight seasons as assistant principal bass at the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa.

In 2001 Hilda won her first position in the NAC Orchestra where she has spent most of her career. A long the way she has held principal positions with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, and the Kingston Symphony Orchestra, as well as occasional work with many of the the major orchestras of eastern Canada. Hilda has performed in solo recital and loves to perform chamber music with colleagues and friends whenever the opportunity presents itself.

In 2022 Hilda began her tenure as principal bass of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

Hilda and her partner and young son have made Edmonton their home since 2022

Emerging Professional Musician

Mikaela Olsen

Joanne Kenny Chair

"Alberta born violinist, Mikaela Olsen, began learning the violin at the age of six, studying with Sharon Coulstring. She has also had the privilege of studying with Dr. Vladimir Rufino and currently with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster, Robert Uchida.

Mikaela is currently in her third year of study for an undergraduate degree in Music for Violin Performance at the University of Alberta. Mikaela is an alumni of the Edmonton Youth Orchestra and a current member of University Symphony Orchestra. She has her level 10 RCM and has received many scholarships and awards during her years of study; more notably receiving a formal invitation to the Cremona International Music Academy (Italy) following a festival performance won in Calgary. She also has had the opportunity to attend summer programs such as Rosamunde Academy (Winnipeg).

Mikaela has the privilege of participating in masterclasses with renowned pedagogues Mark Fewer, Gwen Hoebig, Ann Elliott- Goldschmid, David Stewart, and Karl Stobbe among others.

An active violin teacher since 2016, Mikaela has a small private studio and has found a passion for supporting youth and adults in their musical studies. Apart from the violin, she loves to backpack and spend time adventuring outdoors with her close family and friends. "