Classical

Juno winnerJames Campbell has been called “Canada’s pre-eminent clarinetist and wind soloist, by the Toronto Star, "Canada's premiere clarinetist" by the Ottawa Citizen, “a national treasure” by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and “one of the top half-dozen clarinetists in the world today” by Fanfare Magazine. He has performed as soloist and chamber musician in over 35 countries with over 65 orchestras including the Boston Pops, Montreal Symphony and the London Symphony. He has collaborated with Glenn Gould and Aaron Copland and toured with over 35 string quartets, including the Guarneri, Amadeus(when he replaced an ailing Benny Goodman on a tour of California) and Vermeer. Of his over 60 recordings, the BBC and The Times of London rated his recording of the Brahms Clarinet Quintet as the best available. He has been named Canada’s Artist of the Year, awarded the Queen’s Gold and Diamond Jubilee Medal, an Honourary Doctor of Laws, and Canada’s highest honour, the Order of Canada. He has recently been inducted into the Canadian Broadcasting Company’s Classical Music Hall of Fame. James was Professor of Music at the famed Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University from 1988-2019 and continues to give concerts and masterclasses throughout the world.

James has been Artistic Director of the Festival of the Sound since 1985. Under his direction the Festival has traveled to England, Japan, and the Netherlands and it has been the subject of documentaries by BBC Television, CBC Television and TV Ontario.

Reviewing Leslie Fagan's New York appearances, Opera News names her performance of the Poulenc Gloria as “ one of the most memorable performances of the season,” and the New York Times noted the soprano's “transcendent moments” in Handel's Messiah  at Carnegie Hall.  In demand for concert appearances from North America to Europe and Asia, Ms. Fagan's engagements include Mahler's Symphony No. 2 under the direction of Hans Graf; a Stravinsky and Debussy concert with The Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine in France; Bach's Das Weinachtsoratorium BWV 248 in Stuttgart, Germany; Handel's Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall in England and with Tafelmusik Orchestra and Choir in Canada; and an engagement as guest soloist at the International Choral Festival in The Netherlands.  She has performed with conductors Sir David Willcocks, Boris Brott, Jukke-Pekke Saraste, Elmer Iseler, and Kent Tritle with orchestras such as the National Symphony, the Rochester Philharmonic and the Toronto Symphony, as well as the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.  Her recent engagements include concerts in New York, Spain, Japan and in the United Arab Emirates.

Leslie is co-founder of the Canadian Art Song Project, whose mandate is to champion the legacy of Canadian song. The first two CD’s in the series, “Thread of Winter” and “Halibut Cheeks and other Love Songs” have been received with rave reviews.  www.canadianartsong.ca

When not on the world stages, Leslie is an Assistant Professor who teaches aspiring singers at Wilfrid Laurier University. Recently, Leslie received the honour of being appointed to The Order of Ontario. www.lesliefagan.com

Canadian pianist Angela Park has been praised for her “stunningly beautiful pianism” (Grace Welsh Prize, Chicago), “beautiful tone and sensitivity” (American Record Guide), and for performing “with such brilliant clarity it took your breath away” (Chapala, Mexico). Angela’s versatility as both soloist and chamber musician has led to performances across Canada, as well as in the United States, Europe, Japan and Mexico. She has performed for such notable series as Montreal’s Pro Musica, Ottawa Chamberfest, Toronto Summer Music Festival, Parry Sound’s Festival of the Sound, Winnipeg Virtuosi, Debut Atlantic and Prairie Debut Tours, Orchestra London Canada, Sinfonia Toronto, Stratford Symphony, and the Northern Lights Music Festival in Mexico. She is a founding member of the JUNO Award-winning Ensemble Made In Canada, a group she performed with from 2006-2020. Angela has numerous projects with her duo partner, cellist Rachel Mercer, including the Mercer-Park Duo, St. John-Mercer-Park Trio with violinist Scott St. John, and the Seiler Trio with violinist Mayumi Seiler.  Angela is also lucky to collaborate frequently with artists including clarinetist James Campbell, soprano Leslie Fagan, violist Rivka Golani, violinist Bénédicte Lauzière, pianist Stéphan Sylvestre, and violist Sharon Wei. Angela has recorded solo albums, and collaborative discs with cellist Rachel Mercer, St. John-Mercer-Park Trio, and Ensemble Made In Canada for labels including NAXOS Canadian Classics, Centrediscs, Leaf Music, and Enharmonic Records.  In 2010 Angela earned her DMA in Performance from the Université de Montréal, and previously received her MMus and BMus degrees from the University of Toronto. From 2011-2014, Angela was Visiting Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano-Woodwinds at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. She is currently Assistant Professor of Piano and Collaborative Piano at Western University in London, Ontario.