Hailed by critics for her “ability to unfold bittersweet magic" and "perfect command of her instrument,” violinist Mary-Elizabeth Brown’s solo engagements have taken her to notable venues and festivals across Europe, Asia, North and South America including Festival do Campos do Jordão (Brazil), the White House, and the Aldeburgh Festival (UK). As a concertmaster, she has led orchestras four continents, earning critical praise for her leadership, and collaborating with celebrated conductors Lorin Maazel, Carlos Miguel Prieto and others. She is the Concertmaster of l’Orchestre Philharmonique et Choer des Mélomanes in Montreal, and the acting Assistant Concertmaster of the National Symphony of the Dominican Republic. 

A highly sought-after teacher and speaker, Brown founded the AVIVA Virtual Young Artist Program in 2012, pioneering web-based pre-college music education. She created the 3D printed violins featured on Voice of America, Reader’s Digest, BBC’s Science in Action, NPR’s Science Friday and the Hong Kong Economic Times. She was named a Teacher of Distinction by the Royal Conservatory in 2020.

Brown holds degrees from the University of Toronto, DePaul University, and l’Université de Montréal, as well as graduate certificates from the London School of Economics and Harvard University.  She plays on a 1766 Gagliano violin. 

Born in Japan and raised across several countries, Rina began playing the violin at the age of five in South Africa. Her musical journey has taken her from Tokyo, Paris, and Singapore to Strasbourg and, ultimately, Montréal, where she is now active as a violist and teacher.

Rina holds a Diplôme d’Études Musicales in violin from the Conservatoire de Strasbourg and a Bachelor’s degree (DNSPM) in viola from the Haute École des Arts du Rhin, where she studied with Benjamin Boura. Alongside her performance studies, she completed a Master’s degree in Musicology at the Université de Strasbourg and Universität der Künste Berlin, focusing her research on music and orchestras in the Auschwitz extermination camps. She later completed a Master’s degree in viola at the Université de Montréal, studying with Juan-Miguel Hernandez and Cynthia Blanchon.

As a performer, Rina has participated in orchestra academies with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal under Rafael Payare and the Orchestre Classique de Montréal under Jacques Lacombe. She performs regularly with orchestras in Montréal and throughout the region, and has also taken part in chamber music festivals including the Thy Chamber Music Festival in Denmark and the Festival Lumières d’Europe in France.

Teaching is an equally important part of Rina’s musical life. She teaches at music schools in Montréal and is regularly invited to serve as a jury member. Her activities as a performer and educator reflect her broad musical background and her passion for sharing music with others.

Nayiri Piloyan studied violin and viola with Claude Richard at the University of Montreal. She has participated in numerous music festivals in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Nayiri is a sought-after chamber music partner. Her experience includes roles as solo violinist for the Sinfonia Ensemble of Montreal, the Imperial Chamber Orchestra, the Montreal Pop Symphony Orchestra, the Serenade ensemble, first violinist of the Renaissance Quartet, violist of the Rhapsody Quartet, violist for Argentine tango groups Che Tangazo and ARTE, the tango-jazz group Rewild, as well as freelance violinist and violist with the National Jazz Orchestra of Montreal, the Graz Festival Orchestra, the Sherbrooke, Drummondville, and Longueuil Symphony Orchestras, OPNM, and the Montreal Chamber Orchestra.

She has performed on stage with several renowned artists such as Michael Bublé, Barry Manilow, Luce Dufault, Philippe Brach, Mario Pelchat, Richard Abel, Claudette Dion, Alain Lefebvre, Al Martino, Richard Séguin, and Marie-Michèle Desrosiers, and has contributed to various soundtrack recordings and albums.

In addition to music, Nayiri works as an electrical engineer. She holds a bachelor's and a DESS in engineering from the Polytechnique Montreal, as well as a leadership certificate from the Yale School of Management.

Erin James is a multidisciplinary artist who seeks to dance the intersection between music, visual art and text through her work combining textiles and the violin. 

Her musical interests range from baroque to contemporary styles, and she thoroughly enjoys any piece that is singable or danceable. 

Erin is equally at home as a chamber musician, soloist, theatre artist and orchestral player, and her career has taken her across Asia, Europe and North America. She is as passionate about transforming garbage into art as she is about transfiguring works from the classical music repertoire to make them more vibrant and accessible. 

Erin has been supported by numerous scholarships and grants including a Bombardier Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada fellowship and funding from the Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies.

An active and versatile musician, Elisa Boudreau has been passionate about and

dedicated to music since her early childhood.

Elisa is a permanent member of the Orchestre Symphonique de Longueuil since June 2003 and of the Grands Ballets Canadiens Orchestra since 2001. She plays on a regular basis with the Orchestre Métropolitain and the Opera de Montréal, since 1999. She also collaborates with the main professional musical formations in Québec, such as Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Les Violons du Roy, La Pieta, SMCQ, the symphonic orchestras of Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke, Laval.

She was heard as a Solo Viola with l’Orchestre Mondial des Jeunesses Musicales, at the Boris Brott Festival, with the Orchestre Symphonique de Longueuil and at the American Institute of Musical Studies, in Austria, for five editions.

Mrs. Boudreau holds a Higher Studies Diploma from Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal where she studied under Mr. Robert Verebes. She then perfected her skills with Mr. Roy and Mr. McNabney at McGill University where she earned a degree in interpretation with High Distinction. Later, at the Université de Montréal, under Ms Puchhammer, she obtained a Superior Diploma specialized in Orchestral Repertoire.In the mist of her studies, she benefits from the knowledge of such great masters as Yuri Bashmet, Serge Collot, Heidi Castlemann and the Pasquier Trio. The young violist

made several trips to Europe for perfection sessions with renowned viola masters such as Nobuko Imai, Ettore Causa, Tabea Zimmermann and Pierre Lenert. She was awarded grants by the Centre d’Arts d’Orford, the Canadian Arts Council and by the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec.