Ariel Gonzalez is a native of Cuba now living in Calgary, Canada. He started his career as a musician at an early age, attending specialized music schools in his home country. He graduated from the National School of Music of Cuba in 1994. Mr. Gonzalez holds a Bachelors' Degree in Piano Performance and Chamber Music from the Higher Institute of Art of Havana, Cuba where he graduated with the highest honours (Summa Cum Laude) in 1998. He studied with important and well-known Cuban pianists such as Ileana Bautista, Andres Alen, and Ignacio Pacheco. Mr. Gonzalez came to Canada in 1999 after being accepted on a full scholarship to study the Master's Degree in Piano Performance Program at the University of Calgary, Canada where he studied under the guidance of Professor Charles Foreman, graduating in 2001.

Mr. Gonzalez received several awards in numerous piano competitions in his native country during his years as a student in both the National School of Music and the Higher Institute of Arts of Havana, Cuba. He has also performed as a soloist and as a member of chamber ensembles in Cuba, Italy, Switzerland, and Canada.

Mr. Gonzalez currently teaches piano at Mount Royal University in Calgary where he has been a faculty member since 2001, as well as in his private studio. He has also been invited several times to participate in the Mountain View Connection Festival of Song and Chamber Music, held every summer in Calgary. Mr. Gonzalez has also been an adjudicator for festivals and competitions on several occasions. He frequently performs throughout his home city, keeping a busy performance schedule as a soloist and as a chamber musician.

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Born and raised in Calgary, Canada, Andrea Hill has had the honour of singing on stages that include the Metropolitan Opera New York, l’Opéra National de Paris, Covent Garden London, Teatro alla Scala Milan, and at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.  Operatic roles include Carmen (Carmen, Bizet), Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Rossini), Varvara (Janaček’s Katia Kabanova), Judith (Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle), and Mélisande in Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande.  Andrea also has the distinction of having been selected by Kurt Masur himself to sing Octavian in a concert of excerpts from Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier under his baton at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, and was an original cast member of Patrice Chéreau’s brilliant final production, Strauss’ Elektra.

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Having lived in Paris, France for twelve years, she is fluent in French and highly proficient in German, as well as having a strong basic grasp of Italian.  Transitioning to soprano repertoire, she is learning and studying new roles and works that include Puccini's Tosca, Liu, and Mimi, Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, Mozart's Fiordiligi and Countess, Floyd's Susannah, and various recital and concert works.

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Praised for the “special, silvery beauty and expressiveness” of her voice (Calgary Herald), soprano
Hannah Pagenkopf has enchanted audiences in her hometown Calgary and abroad. She has appeared as a soloist with Juno award-winning ensemble Rosa Barocca, Luminous Voices, Calgary Bach Society, and Early Music Voices among others. Hannah has also been featured by various orchestras throughout Alberta including the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Most recently Hannah appeared as soprano soloist with the ESO and Richard Eaton singers in Mozart's Great Mass in C minor.

 

Hannah is passionate about art song and has been fortunate to have been involved with Mountain View Festival for many years, as a masterclass participant with Rudolf Jansen and Brett Polegato, as a soloist, and as of last year a faculty member with the new collaborative piano program. She is delighted to work with these talented young pianists again this year. 

A native of Tacoma, Washington, double bassist Matthew Heller joined the Calgary Philharmonic in 2007. He has appeared frequently as a recitalist and chamber musician, including performances with the Mountain View Chamber Music Festival, Land’s End Chamber Ensemble, Kensington Sinfonia, and Instrumental Society of Calgary. He was awarded the Instrumental Society’s inaugural Janice Waite Scholarship in recognition of his contributions to Calgary’s performing arts community.

 

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A native of Tacoma, Washington, double bassist Matthew Heller joined the Calgary Philharmonic in 2007. He has appeared frequently as a recitalist and chamber musician, including performances with the Mountain View Chamber Music Festival, Land’s End Chamber Ensemble, Kensington Sinfonia, and Instrumental Society of Calgary. He was awarded the Instrumental Society’s inaugural Janice Waite Scholarship in recognition of his contributions to Calgary’s performing arts community.

 

Heller also performs as Principal Bass with the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, a summer orchestra in Boulder, Colorado. He was previously a member of the New World Symphony (Miami, Florida), Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He has been an orchestral fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, and performed chamber music with the St. Lawrence String Quartet at Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina.

Heller completed studies at the New England Conservatory and at Northwestern University. He has studied with some of today’s most accomplished bassists, including Donald Palma, Harold Robinson, Michael Hovnanian, Matthew McDonald, and Joel Quarrington. Heller performs on an Italian double bass attributed to Antonio Gilbertini, dated 1862.

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Susan Varcoe is a versatile and highly esteemed collaborative pianist and vocalist, renowned for her expertise in musical theatre, art song, and jazz. Based in Calgary, Susan's talent transcends borders, captivating audiences both locally and internationally. She has graced prestigious stages, lending her captivating vocals and deft piano skills to esteemed institutions such as Calgary Opera, Cowtown Opera, Stage West dinner theatre, and the Banff Centre summer opera program.

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Susan's passion for nurturing talent extends to her role as an educator, where she has enriched the vocal programs at the University of Calgary, Mount Royal University, and Ambrose University. Her dedication to teaching reflects her profound love for music and her desire to inspire others with its transformative power. Whether she's enchanting audiences on stage or empowering aspiring musicians in the classroom, Susan's devotion to her craft shines through, leaving an indelible mark on all who have the privilege of experiencing her artistry.