2011-2012 Guest Artists

Julian Milkis, clarinet With a unique, branded sound, a virtuosic technical ease and a musical imagination that has captivated critics and audiences alike, clarinetist Julian Milkis carries the rare honor of being the only student of clarinet legend Benny Goodman, and has been proclaim by Moscow’s Nezavisimaya Gazeta as "simply the best clarinetist in the world!"

Mr. Milkis’ unique interpretations and artistry have earned him an international stature as a dazzling soloist, chamber musician, recitalist and jazz clarinetist, with performances at principal venues of virtually every continent, including the Far East, Europe and the Americas.

His numerous soloist appearances include the Toronto Symphony, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, State Symphony Orchestra of Russia (Gosorkestr), St. Petersburg Philharmonic, L’Orchestre Nationale de Lyon, L'Orchestre Colonne, L’Orchestre Symphonique Francaise, among many others, performing on such prominent stages as New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Salle Pleyel and Salle Gaveau in Paris, Great Halls of the Moscow Conservatory and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Roy Thomson Hall and Weston Recital Hall in Toronto,and National Concert Hall in Taipei.
Aside from being an established soloist, Julian Milkis is a sought-after chamber musician, having collaborated with some of today’s leading artists including Yuri Bashmet, Misha Maisky, the Borodin String Quartet and the St. Lawrence String Quartet, to name a few. A multifaceted musician, Mr. Milkis is one of the leading voices for his instrument in the field of Jazz. His treasured collaboration with jazz pianist Dick Hyman – Benny Goodman’s old bandmate who has transcribed a number of King of Swing's classics for Milkis – provide a rare and genuine insight into the golden era of Jazz. With recent performances at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall, Mr. Milkis has had a Jazz Concerto dedicated to him, and has worked with bass legend Tony Falanga.

With an extensive amount of music written for him, including a number of concertos, Milkis has had the honor of working with iconic music personalities such as Giya Kancheli and Olivier Messiaen. Mr. Milkis has recorded for Warner Classics’ Lontano, the French Suoni e Colori, Sony’s Russian division CEAUX, and Russian Melodiya and Russian Season.

Julian Milkis holds degrees from the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music, where he was he studied renowned pedagogue Leon Russianoff, as well as a Masters Degree in Russian Literature from Norwich University in Vermont, possessing a keen interest in all aspects of the fine arts.

Julian Milkis performs exclusively on Yamaha Clarinets.

Robert Horvath, Pianist "Robert Horvath is a musician who's superb technical skills allow him to explore music with exceptional insight while making it appear effortless... His interpretations are quite personal... clearly seeking the heart of the music... A truly gifted pianist." -Glenn Morley, multi award-winning composer/music producer

Robert Horvath is a pianist gaining wide recognition in the province of Ontario. A popular soloist with the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, he has performed regularly with the CBSO since 2008 performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor and Bach’s single, double, trip, and quadruple keyboard concerti in one evening. In 2008, he performed Gerald Finzi’s Eclogue for Piano and Strings with the York Chamber Ensemble, and in 2003, was part of the Royal Ontario Museum’s grand re-opening.

Robert, who has been praised as "a fine pianist with musical imagination and sensitivity" by McMaster Artist-in-Residence and internationally acclaimed pianist Valerie Tryon, will be featured soloist in recital for The Caskey School of Music concert series with a program entitled "Chopin and Friends."

Speaking of his recording of Bach’s F-minor Piano Concerto, renowned vocal coach Elaine Overholt said, "His nuances are exquisite. His incredible technique allows Robert so much range with the dynamics, and his heart leads you to the magic."

An important priority for Robert Horvath is music education. He founded the Horvath School of Music in 2002, and he has been an assistant teacher for vocal coach Elaine Overholt at the Big Voice Studio in Toronto where he teaches classical piano, jazz (harmony), song writing and improvisation. Robert was a recipient of a Canada Council grant in 2008. He earned his Masters Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the prestigious Franz Liszt Academy of Music and the Bela Bartok Conservatory of Music in his native Hungary; his musical ancestry can be traced back to Franz Liszt.

Alexander Tselyakov, piano "...represents the best aspect of Russian pianism and all its attributes...effectively synthesized the emotional balance of Arthur Rubinstein and the more highly-strung febrile quality of Horowitz." - Harris Goldsmith, New York Concert Review

Distinguished pianist Alexander Tselyakov has been described as a "phenomenal pianist" (Germany),having "an intoxicating sound" (Israel), and "a perfect artistic individuality" (Russia). He began his concert career with the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Orchestra in his native Soviet Union at the age of nine. Alexander Tselyakov went on to win one of the leading prizes at the prestigious VIIIth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the Second International Music Competition of Japan, the Ibla Grand Prize International Piano Competition and the Mazara del Vallo International Piano and Orchestra Competition in Italy, the Israel Competition and the New Orleans International Piano Competition. His playing has inspired standing ovations in Japan, Germany, Italy, Israel, Spain, Portugal, France, England, Sweden, Austria, Poland, Finland, the United States, Denmark, the Netherlands, Turkey and Canada where he now makes his home. Tselyakov combines virtuosity with breath-taking musicality in the Russian tradition of great pianists. He studied with Lev Naumov (custodian of the Heinrich Neuhaus methods that are credited with producing many extraordinary twentieth-century Russian keyboard masters such as Gilels and Richter) at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. Tselyakov has performed frequently with leading orchestras including the Leningrad Philharmonic, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Moscow Radio Symphony and the State Byelorussian Philharmonic. He has appeared with the Tokyo Philharmonic, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra Symphonique de Québec, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Virginia Symphony, the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Nova Scotia, to name a few. Tselyakov has appeared as a recitalist at major festivals and concert halls around the world. He has performed at the Shostakovich Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg, the Great Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory, the Tel-Aviv Museum, the Toronto Art Centre (the Ford Centre), the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, the Palais Montcalm in Québec, the Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, the Temppeliakin Kirkko Hall in Helsinki, the University of Fine Arts and Music in Tokyo, the Conservatorii Publico Professional in Granada (Spain), and at the Regentenbau Hall in Bad Kissingen (Germany). While still in Russia Tselyakov was appointed concert solo pianist with the Byelorussian State Philharmonic and Assistant Professor of Music at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. After moving to Israel in 1991, Tselyakov continued to impress audiences and critics alike. Several more important prizes followed along with recitals for such dignitaries as Michael Gorbachev and the late Yitzhak Rabin. In 1994, Tselyakov immigrated to Canada and made his debut to great acclaim that December at the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. Recitals across the country soon started to materialize. Tselyakov is now counted in the ranks of Canada's leading concert pianists. That indescribable "something extra" which is so evident in his concerts made an immediate impact on Canadian audiences and continues to do so. Recent concerts have included a highly successful performance at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York, critically acclaimed concerts at Wigmore Hall in London, performances at The Centre Cultural (Paris, France), the University of Chicago, the International Piano Festival in Istanbul, at Merkin Hall (New York), at the International Piano Festival (San Jose, CA), the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, the Phillips Collection (Washington), the Embassy Series (Washington), at Blackheath Hall (London), the Vendsyssel Festival (Denmark), the Stockholm-Royal Palace Music Festival (Sweden), at Bösendorfer Saal (Vienna, Austria), at Cristofori Concerten Hall (Amsterdam), and at the Concert & Congress Centre de Doelen, Rotterdam (Netherlands). Tselyakov has also been heard recently on WQXR New York's "Reflections on the Keyboard", on the Danish Radio, on the BBC Radio (London, UK), ON Erstsendung, DeutschlandRadio Berlin (Germany) and on CBC Radio (Canada). Active as a chamber musician, Tselyakov collaborates with many leading Canadian musicians and is Artistic Director of the Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival, BC and of the Clear Lake Chamber Music Festival, MB, Canada. Alexander Tselyakov lives in Brandon, Manitoba where he has held a full-time position as Professor of piano at Brandon University since 2003.

Will Reid

William is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music in Voice Studies and was a choral scholar under Dr. John Tuttle with the Trinity College Chapel Choir. He has sung with the Bach Festival Singers under Helmuth Rilling with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and was a member of the Ontario Youth Choir under Lydia Adams. He has appeared as a soloist and section lead with the Tallis Choir and sung the tenor lead in Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio with the Ridley College Choir. Currently Will is a soloist and section lead at the Church of the Redeemer, Toronto. He would like to thank the Canadian Sinfonietta and the Toronto Cantata Chorus for this opportunity.

Rachel Mercer, cellist

Described as a "pure chamber musician" (Globe and Mail) creating "moments of pure magic" (Toronto Star), Canadian cellist Rachel Mercer has demonstrated her love for sharing music through performance since she was three years old. Winner of the 2009 Canada Council Musical Instrument Bank Competition, Rachel was awarded the use of the 1696 Bonjour Stradivarius cello, until August 2012. As the grand prize winner of the 2001 Vriendenkrans Competition in Amsterdam, Rachel made her European debut in the Concertgebouw and has appeared as a soloist across Canada, in Europe, the United States, Balkans and Israel. A member of the award-winning Aviv String Quartet from 2002-2010, Rachel toured regularly on five continents. Currently based in Toronto, Rachel is cellist of Ensemble Made In Canada, Via Salzburg, the Mercer-Park Duo, and is Artistic Director of the "5 at the First" chamber series in Hamilton. Rachel has released discs on Naxos, Dalia Classics and EnT-T.

Aileen Lee, Soprano Aileen Lee was born and raised in Cebu City, Philippines. She started singing in various competitions and programs as early as age 4 and continued to do so until she immigrated to Canada with her family. Once in Canada, she enrolled in the Royal Conservatory of Music and studied there for 4 years. She obtained her Bachelor of Religious Education majoring in Sacred Music at Ontario Bible College. During her college years, she auditioned for the Continental Singers of American and was able to tour with them for 2 years. She was able to tour Europe, United States of America and the Caribbean Islands as soloist and first soprano. After graduation, she worked part-time as the music director in a few churches around the Toronto area and she went to school full-time to pursue her Masters degree in Worship. She was also the choir director for Sounds of Joy, a choir representing Tyndale College and Seminary. She also pursued a Doctorate degree in Liturgical Studies.

Almost 12 years ago, Aileen, along with Maestro Lai and Winston Man started Toronto Cantata Chorus. They have developed the choir into what it is today by their hard work and dedication. As the choral master, Aileen continues to push and stretch the choir in every aspect of growth.

Aside from her busy academic and musical schedules, she is married to Dr. Derrick Li and they have two beautiful children, Anika and Joshua.