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COMPOSER BIOGRAPHIES
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Paul KawabeMeet IMMERSED 2.0 composer Paul Kawabe @paul_kawabe! Paul is a Toronto- based composer who holds an undergraduate and master's degree in composition from the University of Toronto. Drawing inspiration from minimalism and textured soundscapes, Paul aims to create music that is evocative and emotionally impactful. Their music centers around dramatic narrative development and evocative imagery, unfolding as a series of tableaus. Paul has participated in composition programs with the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance, the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra, and Orford Music Academy. He also currently holds a composer fellowship with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Paul's piece “Pitch Black Alchemy” is a thrilling and evocative work inspired by the 12C speculative philosophy of alchemy (the transmutation and transformation of base metal into gold), perhaps an allegory of the act of composition itself. We will present this piece alongside stunning digital art by Adam Kaleta @postmoderntalkshow. |
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Yike ZhangMeet IMMERSED2.0 composer Yike Zhang @yikkke__! Yike is a composer based in Toronto/New York. She is a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto, where she teaches undergraduate composition lessons and music skills classes. She is the composer in residence for the University of Toronto saxophone and percussion ensembles, and tenor/bass choir. Her music organically combines Western musical techniques with traditional Chinese elements. The fluidity and resonance of impressionism and post-spectralism are the vitality of her music.
Yike's piece “Blurry Scenery” is a meditative work based on the development of a fundamental note "B." We will present the piece with animation art by talented visual arts major Yukki Jiang @kki.yu_j from Earl Haig Secondary School. |
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William AliferisMeet IMMERSED2.0 composer William Aliferis! William is a saxophonist, pianist, and composer who is currently completing his senior year of high school. At the age of 5, William sat at his first piano and has since discovered a love for jazz and contemporary music. In 2022, William was awarded the Claude Watson Grade 11 Musician of the Year Award. Since the age of 14, William has composed several pieces for varying instrumentation, including one selected for performance by Esprit Orchestra members.
We are thrilled to showcase his piece “El Baile De Los Toros," inspired by a scene of a Spanish Matador in an energy-charged bullring. His piece will be presented along with choreography by dance majors @zada.britton and Ariel Lee from the Earl Haig Secondary School. |
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Yu-Pin LaiMeet IMMERSED2.0 composer Yu-Pin Lai @ypin_lai! Yu-Pin is a composer and pianist based in Toronto. Currently, she is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto @uoftmusic, pursuing her Bachelor of Music in composition under the tutelage of Christos Hatzis and studying piano with Mia Bach. Born in Taiwan, Yu-Pin is interested in exploring various musical cultures, and her music aims to imply complex human emotions. She invites the audience to explore their lives along with and through her music.
Yu-Pin’s piece “Maze Dream” presents Yupin's dream experience of being stuck in a maze, in three movements: "Falling," "The Clock," and "Escaping." Her piece will be presented along with choreography by dance majors @zada.britton and Ariel Lee from the Earl Haig Secondary School. |
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Erik KreemMeet IMMERSED2.0 composer, Erik Kreem @erikkreemmusic! Erik is a Toronto- based composer and pianist, especially influenced by the natural sounds of his Estonian and rural Canadian roots. Erik’s music has been performed by the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, with whom he was apprentice conductor in 2019-20; the Kindred Spirits Orchestra, as their composer-in-residence for 2020- 21; Continuum Contemporary Music; and Concreamus. He is completing a Bachelor of Music in composition at the University of Toronto this year, studying with Norbert Palej.
Erik's work “Piano Trio” which was written for the @bedford_trio in 2020. We look forward to sharing his beautiful piece full of passion, anguish, and perseverance. His work will be paired with digital art by Jorge Cruz-Toro @jorgecruztoro from Earl Haig Secondary School. |
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Salome Yichi ZhangMeet IMMERSED2.0 composer Salome Zhang @tekaggge! Salome is a composer born in China and raised in Canada. Her composition thematic material centres mainly on the subject of womanhood. By combining artistic element such as poetry, her topics explore dream, hallucination and reality by using hugely contrasting compositional language. Winning a total of 25,000 dollars of scholarship, her music has been performed in Beijing, Moscow, Vancouver, Boston and Toronto.
Salome’s piece “Blue” is a powerful and evocative work exploring the theory of male gaze and female objectification. She wrote a poem alongside the work; here is an excerpt: “The blue, is fog, is blood, is your eyes- / I am drowned in this arid sea. / ... / My breath is suffocated by the fog, / Your obnoxious blue eyes is the sole accompany.” Salome is working with IMMERSED2.0 visual artist Jorge Cruz Toro @jorgecruztoro, a grade 11 visual artist from Earl Haig Secondary School, to bring this piece to life artistically. |
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Kenneth LiMeet IMMERSED 2.0 composer Kenneth Li @kennethlimusic! IMMERSED 2.0 has grown and expanded to include international guests artists; we are thrilled to introduce Kenneth, who is currently completing his Doctoral degree in composition at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Kenneth is a jazz violinist/composer/sambaista born and raised in Hong Kong. After obtaining a Master’s degree in jazz performance at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he is now pursuing a doctoral degree in music composition at The Chinese University of Hong Kong under the supervision of Prof. Wendy Lee. Kenneth established the only jazz string quartet in Hong Kong – Korvi Quartet, and released their first single <MERA> in 2022.
Kenneth's piece “Do You Believe in Spring” explores the process of self- questioning, emptiness, and skepticism, which are over time transformed into understanding, acceptance, and hope. His work is paired with animation arts by talented Yukki Jiang @kki.yu_j from Earl Haig Secondary School. |
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Yuhan ZhouMeet IMMERSED2.0 composer Yuhan Zhou @iilbil! Chinese-born, Toronto-based composer, pianist, and producer, Yuhan creates concert music and scores for film. Her piece “The Not-yet” was the winning prize of the 2022 Piano Trio Composition Competition at @uoftmusic led by Canadian ensemble, the @bedford_trio, and was premiered by the Trio at the 2023 New Music Festival @utnmf. Yuhan specializes in creating soundtracks for visual media, including animated productions, independent films, and advertisements. Her pieces have been featured in the 2021 HULU’s id Artists’ showcase advertisements, for the film “Oop” (innovation award at Ottawa Big Jump), and the animated film “Gamble,” which won Beesf Animation Category and the Forest Coty Film Festival and was selected at the Ottawa International Animation Festival and the Woodstock Film Festival. Currently, Yuhan is the music producer and team lead at the headquarters of TIKTOK’s parent company, ByteDance, in Beijing, and is responsible for overseeing the production of hundreds of children’s English songs. Yuhan is currently pursuing her Doctorate in composition under the guidance of Christos Hatzis and Gary Kulesha, and orchestral conducting with Uri Mayer.
Yuhan's piece "The Not-yet" was composed last year during the two-month lockdown in China in Yuhan's city, where she felt incredibly isolated and alone. It is a reflection of her emotions and experience of that time. Yuhan's piece will be paired with digital art by Parsa Fard @parsajfard from Montreal. |
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
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Yukki JiangIMMERSED 2.0 artist Yukki Jiang @kki.yu_j is a current grade 11 Claude Watson visual arts major studying at Earl Haig Secondary School, the artist behind the animations of 'Blurry Scenery' by Yike Zhang, and 'Do You Believe in Spring' by Kenneth Li. As a self-taught artist, she developed a strong personal artistic style- still present in her works today. Currently working with mostly acrylic paints, oil pastels and ceramics, she is constantly looking for new mediums to try. Her works explore her connections with her childhood, herself, and the world around her.
For more information, check out her website: https://yukkijiang.wordpress.com |
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Jorge Cruz ToroIMMERSED 2.0 artist Jorge Cruz Toro @jorgecruztoro is a Visual Arts Major attending the Earl Haig Claude Watson Program situated in Toronto, Canada. Growing up around artistic influences, Jorge grew a passion for art at a young age and began taking lessons from his father, Jorge Cruz, also an artist. He experiments with different mediums of art both traditional and digital such as sketching, painting, mixed media, graphic design, and 3D modeling to convey his thoughts into reality.
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Parsa FardIMMERSED 2.0 artist Parsa Fard @parsajfard is an interdisciplinary artist and curator operating between Montreal and Toronto, Canada. His artistic practice infuses new and traditional media to create multifaceted experiences. Parsa is currently interested in using AR (augmented reality) as a tool for world-building and expanding. His work often initiates questions around virtual space, identity, and globalization.
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Adam KaletaIMMERSED 2.0 artist Adam Kaleta @postmoderntalkshow is a multimedia artist based in Toronto, Canada. Drawing from surrealism, minimalism, and contemporary art styles, he combines rich soundscapes with sleek visuals to create entrancing experiences. Adam is co-founder of Luxonus, an audiovisual art installation collective that has mounted installations in Canada and Spain. In addition to his work as a visual artist, Adam also works as a percussionist, audio engineer, and sound designer for visual media.
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Ariel LeeIMMERSED 2.0 dancer Ariel Lee began dancing at the age of three. She danced competitively and now attends a studio that mostly focuses on classic vaganova ballet. Her favourite dance styles include contemporary, ballet and modern dance. Ariel currently attends the Earl Haig Claude Watson dance program and has a deep passion for the movement and connection that can be felt through dance.
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Zada BrittonIMMERSED 2.0 dancer Zada Britton @zada.britton started dancing at 2 and a half years old and has been dancing competitively for 8 years. She’s performed throughout Canada and the US and trained in Ballet, Jazz, HipHop, Tap, Contemporary, and Acro. Zada’s favourite styles are Contemporary and Jazz and she has a passion for telling stories through dance. Zada is also an actor who can be seen dancing and acting in the Netflix films 13: The Musical and Feel the Beat.
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BEDFORD TRIO
Founded in 2016 by award-winning instrumentalists Alessia Disimino (violin), Andrew Ascenzo (cello), and Jialiang Zhu (piano), the Bedford Trio @bedford_trio is the inaugural piano trio for the Irene R. Miller Piano Trio Residency at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music. Since 2020, the Trio has hosted and adjudicated the first editions of the University of Toronto Piano Trio Composition Competition and gave premieres of the winning pieces as part of the Faculty's New Music Festival. The Bedford Trio has performed in Canada, the United States, and Europe: they were finalists in the 2018 Anton Rubinstein International Chamber Music in Germany and semi-finalists in the 2019 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in the US, and participated in the Career Development Residency at Ottawa Chamberfest under the mentorship of Gryphon Trio.
The Bedford Trio is committed to commissioning and championing Canadian compositions. Their current 2022/2023 Concert Season highlights the group's commitment to the piano trio canon alongside their devotion to collaboration: music of cinematic classics (Silver Screen - November 6, 2022); chamber masterpieces including Brahms's Piano Quartet No. 3 with violist Maxime Despax, Dohnanyi's Serenade for String Trio, selections of Bach's Goldberg Variations for String Trio, and Canadian composer Saman Shahi's "Elegy for the Falling Leaves" (Bedford Trio & Friends - January 29, 2023); their highly anticipated second edition of IMMERSED, an immense collaborative project featuring compositions by new-generation Canadian composers and immersive art work and this year's winning piece of the UofT Piano Trio Composition Competition (IMMERSED 2.0 - April 2, 2023); and Ravel's iconic Piano Trio and other songs (1914 - June 25, 2023). The Bedford Trio is grateful to the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council for their support of their 2022/2023 Season. The Trio just released their first live-concert digital album "Silver Screen" on Spotify, Youtube, and all streaming platforms, showcasing the music of cinematic classics for piano trio.
The 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. To learn about the Bedford Trio’s latest events and for concert tickets, please visit www.bedfordtrio.com/concerts and follow them on Instagram @bedford_trio.
The Bedford Trio is committed to commissioning and championing Canadian compositions. Their current 2022/2023 Concert Season highlights the group's commitment to the piano trio canon alongside their devotion to collaboration: music of cinematic classics (Silver Screen - November 6, 2022); chamber masterpieces including Brahms's Piano Quartet No. 3 with violist Maxime Despax, Dohnanyi's Serenade for String Trio, selections of Bach's Goldberg Variations for String Trio, and Canadian composer Saman Shahi's "Elegy for the Falling Leaves" (Bedford Trio & Friends - January 29, 2023); their highly anticipated second edition of IMMERSED, an immense collaborative project featuring compositions by new-generation Canadian composers and immersive art work and this year's winning piece of the UofT Piano Trio Composition Competition (IMMERSED 2.0 - April 2, 2023); and Ravel's iconic Piano Trio and other songs (1914 - June 25, 2023). The Bedford Trio is grateful to the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council for their support of their 2022/2023 Season. The Trio just released their first live-concert digital album "Silver Screen" on Spotify, Youtube, and all streaming platforms, showcasing the music of cinematic classics for piano trio.
The 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. To learn about the Bedford Trio’s latest events and for concert tickets, please visit www.bedfordtrio.com/concerts and follow them on Instagram @bedford_trio.
