About the Performers
Ekaterina Shelehova, Soprano
Ekaterina Shelehova ( Chelekhova ) began studying music when she was 3 years old. She recorded her first children’s song album at the age of 4, and began performing on stage the same year.
Growing up in Hamilton, Ontario, she participated in many competitions and concerts, such as the famous Kiwanis Competition where she secured first place in 2008, 2010, and in 2012.When she was 10 years old she took part in her first opera, “Carmen” with the children’s choir, after which she developed a love not only for singing, but for opera as well.
Over the years, she has sung with Opera Bel Canto, StageToneScape and with Opera Ontario, where she performed in many productions such as Tosca, Cavaglieria Rusticana, Traviatta, and The Magic Flute. She also participated in many musical theater productions such as Sweet Charity, Grease, and Alice in Wonderland in leading roles.
Alongside frequenting lessons at her highschool, Ekaterina studied at the Conservatory of Music in Toronto where she received her diploma for Grade 10 Vocal and frequented masterclasses with Jean MacPhail, Alexandra Pasko and David Varjabed. During the winter of 2013, she was featured on Buffallo Radio and sang the music of Rossini and Rimsky Korsakov.
The same year, she recorded her debut album MOONLIGHT- Katya, which can still be found on all streaming platforms online.
Since then she has also finished her studies in Piano, and received her diploma for ARCT in Piano Pedagogy, and received the Gold Medal for highest mark in Grade 10 voice.
In 2014, Ekaterina auditioned for the Conservatorio G.Verdi in Milan, Italy, and was admitted after being selected from more than 50 other contestants.
She has now completed her Bachelors and Masters in Opera performance with the highest honors. She has since then participated in competitions where she has come up a finalist and prize winner, such as Concorso Lirico Salvatore Licitra in 2015, Concorso Internazionale Cleto Tomba in 2016, winning the Young Opera Hope award at the Magda Olivero International Competition in 2016, and The Public Choice Award at the Giuditta Pasta Competition in 2018. In 2020 she won first place in the Offenbach online competition and the Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2021.
In 2016, Ekaterina was invited to take part in the international Kostomuksha Music Festival in Russia, where she performed several solo concerts. During the same year she took part in an Improvisation Concerts Series where she created her own music and is a frequent performer at the Antonio Belloni Theater, which is very famous across Italy as one of the smallest opera houses in the world, where she has performed important roles such as Adalgisa in “Norma”, (V.Bellini) in 2017 and Rusalka in “Rusalka”, (A.Dvorak) in 2018.
In 2019 She performed the role of Zerlina from ‘Don Giovanni’ at Teatro Carcano, Milano. She was also a soloist in both Mozart’s Krönungsmesse and Requiem, as well as Stabat Mater (Pergolesi). In the same year, she traveled to China to tour with iSing Opera Academy and performed in cities such a Suzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzou. She also appeared in a mainstream tv show in Beijing, singing a Chinese folk song, performed as a guest on the show Nessun Dorma, in Italy, where she shared the stage with Ted Neely (original Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar), and sang on the show I Soliti Ignoti,also a very popular show in Italy.
During 2020 she performed in ‘L’Elisir D’Amore’ as Adina as well as participated in many online concerts during the pandemic. In February of 2021, Ekaterina performed on Italy’s Got Talent, and her very unique performance went viral on the internet, with 100million views and counting. It brought her to many new experiences, such as becoming a writer of the soundtrack for The Tempest– an Italian movie based on Shakespeare’s play. During the summer of 2021, she performed in a lead role of Despina in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, which was performed in her home town, Hamilton.
Since then she has released new music on Spotify, and was featured in two songs on the album titled God Shaped Hole, by Flavio Cuccurullo. Ekaterina hopes to create and release her new album this coming year.
This coming November, Ekaterina will perform on stage as part of ERA, a very popular music group from France.
In the future, she hopes to continue her journey on the theatrical stage, as well as remaining a studio artist.
Besides singing, Ekaterina can speak fluently in 4 languages (English, Italian, Spanish, and Russian), is a former gymnast (8 years), has 5 years experience in ballet and another 2 of ballroom dancing, and is an avid fitness enthusiast. She loves studying psychology and adores animals.
Growing up in Hamilton, Ontario, she participated in many competitions and concerts, such as the famous Kiwanis Competition where she secured first place in 2008, 2010, and in 2012.When she was 10 years old she took part in her first opera, “Carmen” with the children’s choir, after which she developed a love not only for singing, but for opera as well.
Over the years, she has sung with Opera Bel Canto, StageToneScape and with Opera Ontario, where she performed in many productions such as Tosca, Cavaglieria Rusticana, Traviatta, and The Magic Flute. She also participated in many musical theater productions such as Sweet Charity, Grease, and Alice in Wonderland in leading roles.
Alongside frequenting lessons at her highschool, Ekaterina studied at the Conservatory of Music in Toronto where she received her diploma for Grade 10 Vocal and frequented masterclasses with Jean MacPhail, Alexandra Pasko and David Varjabed. During the winter of 2013, she was featured on Buffallo Radio and sang the music of Rossini and Rimsky Korsakov.
The same year, she recorded her debut album MOONLIGHT- Katya, which can still be found on all streaming platforms online.
Since then she has also finished her studies in Piano, and received her diploma for ARCT in Piano Pedagogy, and received the Gold Medal for highest mark in Grade 10 voice.
In 2014, Ekaterina auditioned for the Conservatorio G.Verdi in Milan, Italy, and was admitted after being selected from more than 50 other contestants.
She has now completed her Bachelors and Masters in Opera performance with the highest honors. She has since then participated in competitions where she has come up a finalist and prize winner, such as Concorso Lirico Salvatore Licitra in 2015, Concorso Internazionale Cleto Tomba in 2016, winning the Young Opera Hope award at the Magda Olivero International Competition in 2016, and The Public Choice Award at the Giuditta Pasta Competition in 2018. In 2020 she won first place in the Offenbach online competition and the Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2021.
In 2016, Ekaterina was invited to take part in the international Kostomuksha Music Festival in Russia, where she performed several solo concerts. During the same year she took part in an Improvisation Concerts Series where she created her own music and is a frequent performer at the Antonio Belloni Theater, which is very famous across Italy as one of the smallest opera houses in the world, where she has performed important roles such as Adalgisa in “Norma”, (V.Bellini) in 2017 and Rusalka in “Rusalka”, (A.Dvorak) in 2018.
In 2019 She performed the role of Zerlina from ‘Don Giovanni’ at Teatro Carcano, Milano. She was also a soloist in both Mozart’s Krönungsmesse and Requiem, as well as Stabat Mater (Pergolesi). In the same year, she traveled to China to tour with iSing Opera Academy and performed in cities such a Suzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzou. She also appeared in a mainstream tv show in Beijing, singing a Chinese folk song, performed as a guest on the show Nessun Dorma, in Italy, where she shared the stage with Ted Neely (original Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar), and sang on the show I Soliti Ignoti,also a very popular show in Italy.
During 2020 she performed in ‘L’Elisir D’Amore’ as Adina as well as participated in many online concerts during the pandemic. In February of 2021, Ekaterina performed on Italy’s Got Talent, and her very unique performance went viral on the internet, with 100million views and counting. It brought her to many new experiences, such as becoming a writer of the soundtrack for The Tempest– an Italian movie based on Shakespeare’s play. During the summer of 2021, she performed in a lead role of Despina in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, which was performed in her home town, Hamilton.
Since then she has released new music on Spotify, and was featured in two songs on the album titled God Shaped Hole, by Flavio Cuccurullo. Ekaterina hopes to create and release her new album this coming year.
This coming November, Ekaterina will perform on stage as part of ERA, a very popular music group from France.
In the future, she hopes to continue her journey on the theatrical stage, as well as remaining a studio artist.
Besides singing, Ekaterina can speak fluently in 4 languages (English, Italian, Spanish, and Russian), is a former gymnast (8 years), has 5 years experience in ballet and another 2 of ballroom dancing, and is an avid fitness enthusiast. She loves studying psychology and adores animals.
Alessia Disimino, Violin
Award winning Toronto-based violinist Alessia Disimino is recognized for her thoughtful musicality and instinctive interpretations. Described as "one of Toronto's finest violinists" (Snapd Beaches/Danforth), she is the co-founder and violinist of the Bedford Trio, concertmaster of the North York Concert Orchestra, and founder and Director of Strings at the North York String Academy, where she teaches the violin on a private and group class basis and curates the violin program. Alessia is a graduate of the University of Toronto's Master of Music in Performance as a scholarship student of Dr. Timothy Ying, and also obtained her Bachelor of Music in Performance with a Minor in English, with Annalee Patipatanakoon of the Gryphon Trio.
Alessia has performed extensively as a chamber musician and soloist, and is the recipient of numerous awards. She has appeared as soloist with the North York Concert Orchestra and the Toronto Concert Orchestra, and with the Bedford Trio, has concertized across Ontario, Canada and competed internationally. In 2018, the Bedford Trio was announced as the inaugural Irene R. Miller Piano Trio Residency ensemble at the University of Toronto, and is currently the sessional artist-in-residence for the yearly Piano Trio Composition Competition held at UofT since 2021. The Trio was one of only two ensembles invited to participate in Toronto Summer Music Festival (2019) as chamber music fellows, where they worked side by side with renowned artists such as the members of the New Orford String Quartet and the Dover Quartet, Barry Shiffman, Yegor Dyachkov, and Desmond Hoebig.
As a soloist, Alessia received a Fellowship to the prestigious Bowdoin International Music Festival (2022), a competitive subset of the Festival which invites only 30 musicians internationally each year. Here, she focused her studies on performance and discussions on pedagogy and community engagement with internationally acclaimed educators Renée Jolles, Lewis Kaplan, Kurt Sassmannshaus, and David and Phillip Ying of the Ying Quartet. With the Bedford Trio, Alessia was a finalist in the Anton Rubinstein Chamber Music Competition in Dusseldorf, Germany (2018), a recipient of Ottawa Chamberfest’s 2018 Career Development Residency, and has been featured at the Sony Centre (Xenia Concerts), the Faculty of Music’s “Thursdays at Noon” recital series, and Toronto’s LISTEN UP! outreach and educational programme in Etobicoke. The group supports and champions new music, and curates a yearly recital series in Toronto featuring the masterworks of the piano trio repertoire alongside new and emerging compositions. During her time at the University of Toronto, Alessia served as concertmaster of the University of Toronto Orchestra and Opera, and has studied with esteemed artists Jonathan Crow, Andrew Wan, Erika Raum, Mark Fewer, Jeanne Lamon, Lara St. John, Gryphon Trio, Rob Kapilow, Menahem Pressler, and the Juilliard String Quartet, amongst others.
A recipient of numerous awards, Alessia was awarded the Gordon Cressy Leadership Award for her extracurricular contributions to her community and to the University, and also received an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2017). Previous awards include Gerhard Kander Graduating Award for Violin, the Suba Institute Award for Performing Excellence, the Felix Galimir Award for Excellence in Chamber Music (2015), and the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Centennial Scholarship (2014). Alessia holds her Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto (ARCT) in Violin Performance, is an alumnus of the RCM’s Young Artist’s Performance Academy and the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, and has attended summer study programs including the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, the Orford Academy, and the Domaine Forget Academy. For her pedagogical training, Alessia has attended the University of Toronto Wind Conducting Symposium and the Indiana University Violin and Viola Teacher Retreat.
Alessia is equally passionate about teaching and community outreach. She has provided violin instruction on a private and group class basis for students of all ages and levels, and with the Bedford Trio and North York Concert Orchestra, has performed outreach concerts for numerous senior residences throughout Toronto and Ontario. In her spare time, Alessia loves to write poetry, commission paintings, and read books on a variety of subjects, including English literature, Fiction, Theology, and translations of Classical literature.
Alessia has performed extensively as a chamber musician and soloist, and is the recipient of numerous awards. She has appeared as soloist with the North York Concert Orchestra and the Toronto Concert Orchestra, and with the Bedford Trio, has concertized across Ontario, Canada and competed internationally. In 2018, the Bedford Trio was announced as the inaugural Irene R. Miller Piano Trio Residency ensemble at the University of Toronto, and is currently the sessional artist-in-residence for the yearly Piano Trio Composition Competition held at UofT since 2021. The Trio was one of only two ensembles invited to participate in Toronto Summer Music Festival (2019) as chamber music fellows, where they worked side by side with renowned artists such as the members of the New Orford String Quartet and the Dover Quartet, Barry Shiffman, Yegor Dyachkov, and Desmond Hoebig.
As a soloist, Alessia received a Fellowship to the prestigious Bowdoin International Music Festival (2022), a competitive subset of the Festival which invites only 30 musicians internationally each year. Here, she focused her studies on performance and discussions on pedagogy and community engagement with internationally acclaimed educators Renée Jolles, Lewis Kaplan, Kurt Sassmannshaus, and David and Phillip Ying of the Ying Quartet. With the Bedford Trio, Alessia was a finalist in the Anton Rubinstein Chamber Music Competition in Dusseldorf, Germany (2018), a recipient of Ottawa Chamberfest’s 2018 Career Development Residency, and has been featured at the Sony Centre (Xenia Concerts), the Faculty of Music’s “Thursdays at Noon” recital series, and Toronto’s LISTEN UP! outreach and educational programme in Etobicoke. The group supports and champions new music, and curates a yearly recital series in Toronto featuring the masterworks of the piano trio repertoire alongside new and emerging compositions. During her time at the University of Toronto, Alessia served as concertmaster of the University of Toronto Orchestra and Opera, and has studied with esteemed artists Jonathan Crow, Andrew Wan, Erika Raum, Mark Fewer, Jeanne Lamon, Lara St. John, Gryphon Trio, Rob Kapilow, Menahem Pressler, and the Juilliard String Quartet, amongst others.
A recipient of numerous awards, Alessia was awarded the Gordon Cressy Leadership Award for her extracurricular contributions to her community and to the University, and also received an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2017). Previous awards include Gerhard Kander Graduating Award for Violin, the Suba Institute Award for Performing Excellence, the Felix Galimir Award for Excellence in Chamber Music (2015), and the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Centennial Scholarship (2014). Alessia holds her Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto (ARCT) in Violin Performance, is an alumnus of the RCM’s Young Artist’s Performance Academy and the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, and has attended summer study programs including the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, the Orford Academy, and the Domaine Forget Academy. For her pedagogical training, Alessia has attended the University of Toronto Wind Conducting Symposium and the Indiana University Violin and Viola Teacher Retreat.
Alessia is equally passionate about teaching and community outreach. She has provided violin instruction on a private and group class basis for students of all ages and levels, and with the Bedford Trio and North York Concert Orchestra, has performed outreach concerts for numerous senior residences throughout Toronto and Ontario. In her spare time, Alessia loves to write poetry, commission paintings, and read books on a variety of subjects, including English literature, Fiction, Theology, and translations of Classical literature.
Andrew Ascenzo, Cello
Cellist. Performer. Producer. Teacher. Conductor. Composer. Music Director. Artistic Director. Audio Engineer. Dr. Andrew Ascenzo is redefining what it means to be a professional musician in the 21st Century.
Andrew is a recent graduate of the Doctor of Musical Arts program, and currently a professor of cello at the University of Toronto, with a research interest in repertoire for solo cello and electronics. He is the recipient of the Tecumseh Sherman Rogers Graduating Award, the top honour awarded to a graduate of the Faculty of Music. As one of Toronto's most versatile musicians, Andrew embodies a passion for presenting a myriad of musical styles to diverse audiences across Canada.
He performs regularly as a soloist, as an orchestral player with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Concert Orchestra, and is a member of the Bedford Trio, currently the Irene R. Miller Piano Trio in Residence at the University of Toronto and finalists of the Anton Rubinstein International Chamber Music Competition in Dusseldorf, Germany. In August 2019, Andrew recorded, designed, and performed the electronic component for the world premiere of Rob Kapilow's recent composition Aprés Maman at Ottawa Chamberfest. As a conductor, Andrew has worked with orchestras and musical theatre groups including York University, Brampton Music Theatre, and Etobicoke Musical Productions, and most recently was the Musical Director and multi-instrumentalist for Eclipse Theatre Company’s 2022 production of the new musical song-cycle ‘Til Then, featuring original songs from 25 of Canada’s top songwriters.
In addition to his performing career, Andrew is the Artistic Director of Music in the Atrium, a weekly professional concert series now in its 26th season at Toronto's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and features some of Canada’s top performers, including Jackie Richardson, the Rolston Quartet, Allison Au, and many more. Andrew is a producer for OurConcerts.live, one of the largest virtual production companies in North America, as well as a video producer with the University of Toronto, Ottawa Chamberfest, the University Health Network, and other performing arts organizations. In the summer of 2019, Andrew was the Artistic Producer of the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity’s summer classical music and Evolution series programs.
With the understanding that classical music is not always easy to understand and listen to, Andrew believes that there is something in this music for everybody to enjoy, you just need to know what to listen for. The mission of Pulse is to change the way you listen to music, providing you with new insight and making all music more accessible without any prior knowledge of music, theory, harmony, or history. Pulse Music Media is a creative community built for online and live-performances, conversations, story-telling, and idea-sharing about the intersecting worlds of music performance, music therapy, and well being.
Andrew founded Pulse in 2020 with his wife, renowned Music Therapist Dr. SarahRose Black and they look forward to returning to the stage in 2023. Andrew can be found on all social media platforms @andrewascenzocellist.
Andrew is a recent graduate of the Doctor of Musical Arts program, and currently a professor of cello at the University of Toronto, with a research interest in repertoire for solo cello and electronics. He is the recipient of the Tecumseh Sherman Rogers Graduating Award, the top honour awarded to a graduate of the Faculty of Music. As one of Toronto's most versatile musicians, Andrew embodies a passion for presenting a myriad of musical styles to diverse audiences across Canada.
He performs regularly as a soloist, as an orchestral player with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Concert Orchestra, and is a member of the Bedford Trio, currently the Irene R. Miller Piano Trio in Residence at the University of Toronto and finalists of the Anton Rubinstein International Chamber Music Competition in Dusseldorf, Germany. In August 2019, Andrew recorded, designed, and performed the electronic component for the world premiere of Rob Kapilow's recent composition Aprés Maman at Ottawa Chamberfest. As a conductor, Andrew has worked with orchestras and musical theatre groups including York University, Brampton Music Theatre, and Etobicoke Musical Productions, and most recently was the Musical Director and multi-instrumentalist for Eclipse Theatre Company’s 2022 production of the new musical song-cycle ‘Til Then, featuring original songs from 25 of Canada’s top songwriters.
In addition to his performing career, Andrew is the Artistic Director of Music in the Atrium, a weekly professional concert series now in its 26th season at Toronto's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and features some of Canada’s top performers, including Jackie Richardson, the Rolston Quartet, Allison Au, and many more. Andrew is a producer for OurConcerts.live, one of the largest virtual production companies in North America, as well as a video producer with the University of Toronto, Ottawa Chamberfest, the University Health Network, and other performing arts organizations. In the summer of 2019, Andrew was the Artistic Producer of the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity’s summer classical music and Evolution series programs.
With the understanding that classical music is not always easy to understand and listen to, Andrew believes that there is something in this music for everybody to enjoy, you just need to know what to listen for. The mission of Pulse is to change the way you listen to music, providing you with new insight and making all music more accessible without any prior knowledge of music, theory, harmony, or history. Pulse Music Media is a creative community built for online and live-performances, conversations, story-telling, and idea-sharing about the intersecting worlds of music performance, music therapy, and well being.
Andrew founded Pulse in 2020 with his wife, renowned Music Therapist Dr. SarahRose Black and they look forward to returning to the stage in 2023. Andrew can be found on all social media platforms @andrewascenzocellist.
Jialiang Zhu, Piano
Jialiang Zhu is a native of China and currently calls Toronto, Canada her home. Music to her is a lifestyle and a way of self-expression. During the global pandemic, music has become an even more essential channel for her to communicate with others, offering each other consolation and spreading hope. Inspired by the many virtual concerts around the globe, she joined forces with Emerging Young Artists (EYA), a non-for-profit arts organization in Toronto, to present a live-streamed piano recital right from Jialiang's home.
Currently pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Arts (DMA) Degree in Collaborative Piano, Jialiang studies with Lydia Wong at the University of Toronto, where she has previously received Master’s Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy and Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance with Honours with Marietta Orlov. Jialiang is a passionate performer and equally embraces solo, vocal, chamber music repertoire. She has been the winner of the University of Toronto DMA recital competition (2018), a finalist in the Vancouver International Piano Competition (2017), and the featured soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with conductor Trevor Dearham and York Chamber Ensemble (2017). An active collaborative pianist, Jialiang participated in the recording of Chinese-Canadian composer Alice Ping Yee Ho's latest album A Woman’s Voice for high voices and piano (2021-2022). She collaborated with soprano Xin Wang in recital at the Beijing Modern Music Festival (2019) and giving the Chinese premiere of Tanzer Lieder by Canadian composer Ana Sokolović. As the recipient of the Gwendolyn Williams Koldofsky Prize in Accompanying (2018), she performed in recital with mezzo-soprano Simona Genga, who won the Jim and Charlotte Norcop Prize in Song. Her research in Chinese art song has led to projects such as lecture recital at the University of Toronto with both native and non-native Chinese-speaking vocalists, presentations at multiple higher education institutions, and an article in the Art Song CanadaWinter 2022 Issue.
Jialiang co-founded the Bedford Trio with violinist Alessia Disimino and cellist Andrew Ascenzo in 2016. They are the inaugural Irene R. Miller Piano Trio in Residency at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music (2018-2021), finalists at the Anton Rubinstein International Chamber Music Competition in Germany (2018), and the ensemble for Career Development Residency at Ottawa Chamberfest (2018). The trio is a champion of contemporary music and a keen collaborator with fellow artists. Their 2021-2022 concert season included a recital that featured six brand new pieces by Canadian emerging young composers and combined the music with digital/visual art by local artists. The trio is committed to bringing live music performance to a diverse audience and have given outreach concerts as part of Concerts in Care and Xenia Concerts in health care facilities and community centres across Ontario.
Jialiang is a devoted educator and has been a piano teacher and theory tutor since 2011. Her students range in age and abilities from elementary to undergraduate education. To find out more about her teaching, please check out HERE.
In her spare time, Jialiang loves visiting museums and galleries. During the pandemic, she and her partner enjoy long walks in the nature and watching animated films as well as documentaries. In addition, she newly started to explore gardening and propagating vegetables on their balcony.
Currently pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Arts (DMA) Degree in Collaborative Piano, Jialiang studies with Lydia Wong at the University of Toronto, where she has previously received Master’s Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy and Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance with Honours with Marietta Orlov. Jialiang is a passionate performer and equally embraces solo, vocal, chamber music repertoire. She has been the winner of the University of Toronto DMA recital competition (2018), a finalist in the Vancouver International Piano Competition (2017), and the featured soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with conductor Trevor Dearham and York Chamber Ensemble (2017). An active collaborative pianist, Jialiang participated in the recording of Chinese-Canadian composer Alice Ping Yee Ho's latest album A Woman’s Voice for high voices and piano (2021-2022). She collaborated with soprano Xin Wang in recital at the Beijing Modern Music Festival (2019) and giving the Chinese premiere of Tanzer Lieder by Canadian composer Ana Sokolović. As the recipient of the Gwendolyn Williams Koldofsky Prize in Accompanying (2018), she performed in recital with mezzo-soprano Simona Genga, who won the Jim and Charlotte Norcop Prize in Song. Her research in Chinese art song has led to projects such as lecture recital at the University of Toronto with both native and non-native Chinese-speaking vocalists, presentations at multiple higher education institutions, and an article in the Art Song CanadaWinter 2022 Issue.
Jialiang co-founded the Bedford Trio with violinist Alessia Disimino and cellist Andrew Ascenzo in 2016. They are the inaugural Irene R. Miller Piano Trio in Residency at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music (2018-2021), finalists at the Anton Rubinstein International Chamber Music Competition in Germany (2018), and the ensemble for Career Development Residency at Ottawa Chamberfest (2018). The trio is a champion of contemporary music and a keen collaborator with fellow artists. Their 2021-2022 concert season included a recital that featured six brand new pieces by Canadian emerging young composers and combined the music with digital/visual art by local artists. The trio is committed to bringing live music performance to a diverse audience and have given outreach concerts as part of Concerts in Care and Xenia Concerts in health care facilities and community centres across Ontario.
Jialiang is a devoted educator and has been a piano teacher and theory tutor since 2011. Her students range in age and abilities from elementary to undergraduate education. To find out more about her teaching, please check out HERE.
In her spare time, Jialiang loves visiting museums and galleries. During the pandemic, she and her partner enjoy long walks in the nature and watching animated films as well as documentaries. In addition, she newly started to explore gardening and propagating vegetables on their balcony.
BEDFORD TRIO
Founded in 2016, Bedford Trio is the inaugural piano trio for the Irene R. Miller Piano Trio Residency at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music. During the 2020/21 academic year, the trio hosted and adjudicated the first edition of the University of Toronto Piano Trio Composition Competition and gave a virtual premiere of the winning piece by Katharine Petkovski as part of the Faculty's 2021/2022 New Music Festival. The second annual competition is currently underway, with a winner to be announced in late 2022.
Bedford Trio has performed in Canada, the United States, and Europe. They were a finalist group in the 2018 Anton Rubinstein International Chamber Music in Germany and a semi-finalist group in the 2019 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in the US. They participated in the Career Development Residency at Ottawa Chamberfest under the mentorship of Gryphon Trio. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, the trio performed virtually at several international events in the past year, including the season opening gala concert at the Tartini Conservatory in Trieste, Italy, the 2020 Refugee Student Fund Benefit Concert at the University of Toronto’s Innis College, “Concert in the Cloud,” a virtual concert in China celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday, Music in the Atrium at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, and the Skyky Multicultural Learning Foundation’s Youth Fundraising Concert for SickKids Foundation.
Bedford Trio is committed to commissioning and performing contemporary repertoire by both established and emerging composers. Since 2018, the trio has been working with grade 11 composition students at Earl Haig Secondary School, workshopping their compositions throughout the academic year and performing them as part of the year-end showcase. The trio is dedicated to bringing live music performance to a diverse audience and has given recitals in senior residences, community centres, hospices, and hospitals across Ontario. During the 2019-2020 season, the trio delivered sensory-friendly concerts for autistic youth and their families and performed for adults with Alzheimer in collaboration with the charity organization Xenia Concerts.
Bedford Trio was founded by award winning instrumentalists Alessia Disimino (violin), Andrew Ascenzo (cello), and Jialiang Zhu (piano) and is currently based in Toronto, Canada. Bedford Trio is grateful to be working with Toronto-based designer Zvelle, who is the 2021/22 season sponsor. To learn more about Zvelle, please visit zvelle.com. To learn about Bedford Trio’s latest events, please visit bedfordtrio.com/concerts and follow them on Instagram @bedford trio.
Bedford Trio has performed in Canada, the United States, and Europe. They were a finalist group in the 2018 Anton Rubinstein International Chamber Music in Germany and a semi-finalist group in the 2019 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in the US. They participated in the Career Development Residency at Ottawa Chamberfest under the mentorship of Gryphon Trio. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, the trio performed virtually at several international events in the past year, including the season opening gala concert at the Tartini Conservatory in Trieste, Italy, the 2020 Refugee Student Fund Benefit Concert at the University of Toronto’s Innis College, “Concert in the Cloud,” a virtual concert in China celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday, Music in the Atrium at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, and the Skyky Multicultural Learning Foundation’s Youth Fundraising Concert for SickKids Foundation.
Bedford Trio is committed to commissioning and performing contemporary repertoire by both established and emerging composers. Since 2018, the trio has been working with grade 11 composition students at Earl Haig Secondary School, workshopping their compositions throughout the academic year and performing them as part of the year-end showcase. The trio is dedicated to bringing live music performance to a diverse audience and has given recitals in senior residences, community centres, hospices, and hospitals across Ontario. During the 2019-2020 season, the trio delivered sensory-friendly concerts for autistic youth and their families and performed for adults with Alzheimer in collaboration with the charity organization Xenia Concerts.
Bedford Trio was founded by award winning instrumentalists Alessia Disimino (violin), Andrew Ascenzo (cello), and Jialiang Zhu (piano) and is currently based in Toronto, Canada. Bedford Trio is grateful to be working with Toronto-based designer Zvelle, who is the 2021/22 season sponsor. To learn more about Zvelle, please visit zvelle.com. To learn about Bedford Trio’s latest events, please visit bedfordtrio.com/concerts and follow them on Instagram @bedford trio.
