A prolific composer, Dr Sasha Weinstangel is a passionate conductor, and an accomplished violin virtuoso. Born in Croatia, he started his music education at the age of seven, published his first composition at the age of nine. He received academic degrees in both Violin and Composition from the University of Belgrade, and the Doctor of Music degree in Composition from the University of Toronto, where he studied under John Beckwith. He also undertook studies in conducting with Sir Adrian Boult and Antonio Janigro. Founding Artistic Director and Conductor of the National Chamber Orchestra of Canada, Dr. Weinstangel is a charismatic leader who leads his musicians with vigor and emotion. His compositions include chamber, orchestral and choral works, operas, as well as concertos for diverse instruments. He has taught in universities and colleges in North America and New Zealand.

Hilary McLaughlin is an active performer, accompanist, and teacher. She has won awards in various local festivals and performed in showcases with the Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association and the Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects. She has performed both as a soloist and chamber musician at the British Isles Music Festival. Hilary has performed as a soloist in churches in the GTA and is featured monthly by Northridge Community Church. Hilary received her ARCT in Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music and has a Masters in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Toronto (U of T). She has studied under noted piano teachers Dr. Midori Koga, Monica Gaylord, and Mia Bach. In 2014, Hilary was awarded the Arthur Plettner Scholarship by U of T. Hilary has spoken at conferences at Carleton University and U of T on her research projects and has also been published by the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers Association and the Clavier Companion magazine.

Canadian flutist Nancy Nourse received her music education at Queen’s University, Trinity College, London and State University of New York at Potsdam. She has an extensive background in orchestral performance and in playing a wide variety of flutes, contemporary and historical. As an advocate of the flute choir, she has made a significant contribution to its repertoire both as a composer and as founder of the award-winning Nourse Wind Publications. She has led and performed in many flute ensembles and established Flute Street: Toronto’s professional flute choir, an ensemble that utilizes the full range of flutes from piccolo to the sub-contrabass. Currently she teaches at Claude Watson School for the Arts in Toronto and continues to write reviews and articles for music, education and flute-specific journals.

York Chamber Ensemble is pleased to welcome Charissa Vandikas performing the Beethoven Piano Concerto no. 4.

Join us on Sat Oct 14th 7:30pm at Trinity Anglican Church, Aurora.
Tickets available at the door: $20/adults, $15/Students/Seniors

Charissa Vandikas

Praised for her “fabulous sense of style and musical expression well beyond her years”,
Charissa Vandikas is establishing herself as a pianist with a promising future. The 20-yearold
pianist has been featured in CBC’s prestigious list, “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30”. Representing Ontario after completing a 2014 fall recital tour around the province, she won the 2015 CFMTA National Piano Competition, held in Vancouver. She has been the recipient of several awards in various competitions, including the CanadianMusic Competition, the OMFA Provincial Competition, and the Glenn Gould School’s Chamber Competition and Concerto Competition. Her piano duo, La Fiammata, was this year’s Grand Prix winner of the Canadian Music Competition in the 19-30 category. La Fiammata was recently named the CMC Toronto Chapter’s Youth Ambassadors for the 60th anniversary of the competition.
Charissa has performed in masterclasses with Robert Silverman, John Perry, Leon Fleisher, Jamie Parker, Janina Fialkowska, Emanuel Ax, and Simone Dinnerstein. She has appeared as a soloist in the Kitchener Waterloo Chamber Music Society concert series and in the Canadian Opera Company’s lunchtime concert series. In 2016, she was selected to be a Stockey Young Artist for the Festival of the Sound, in Parry Sound. Charissa made her orchestral debut with the Greater Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra in 2013 under the baton of David Fallis. She has performed with the Haydn Jeugd Strijkorkest in the Netherlands, as well as the Toronto Sinfonietta, Cathedral Bluffs Symphony, and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra. She’s excited to perform again in Koerner Hall in April of 2018. Charissa has attended the Peter de Grote Music Festival in the Netherlands and the Chautauqua Institute in New York. At the age of 13, she received her ARCT Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music, and completed her Licentiate Diploma in 2015, receiving First-Class Honours with Distinction. Charissa currently studies with Professor John O’Conor at the Glenn Gould School, and is a former student of Dr. Michael Esch. She is a recipient of the Janet and Bill L’Heureux Scholarship.