Born
in Claresholm Alberta, DIANE LANE began her violin studies in
Lethbridge before attending the Mount Royal Conservatory of Music in
Calgary. Then Diane graduated from McGill University with her Bachelor
of Music degree under the tutelage of Yehonatan Berick. Diane continued
her studies with Edmond
Agopian at the University of Calgary and graduated with a Master's
degree in violin performance in 2003. Diane is a founding member of the
Lily String Quartet. In
2007, Diane attended seminars with the quartet at The Juilliard School
of Music and
Stanford University. She is Assistant Concertmaster of the Red Deer
Symphony Orchestra and has an active teaching studio at Mount Royal
Conservatory. Diane has
adjudicated for a number of festivals in Alberta and is an active
orchestral and chamber performer, playing with ensembles in and
around Calgary.
ELISA MILNER was born in Calgary, Alberta. She
began to learn violin with the Suzuki Method at the age of four. Elisa attended the
Academy of Music at Mount Royal College in Calgary where she studied with Joan
Barrett of the Calgary Philharmonic. After moving with her family to Atlanta,
Georgia, Elisa played with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra while studying
violin with David Arenz of the Atlanta Symphony. Elisa then moved to Cleveland,
Ohio and completed a Bachelors of Music degree at the Cleveland Institute of
Music where she studied violin with William Preucil, concertmaster of the
Cleveland Orchestra. She then continued on to graduate studies at Kent State
University studying with Ivan Chan and Kathy Meng-Robinson of the Miami Quartet
as well as Semmy Stahlhammer, concertmaster of the Royal Swedish Opera. In 2006, Elisa and her husband Chip
relocate to Grande Prairie, Alberta where Elisa taught violin at Grande Prairie
Regional College, while Chip directed the freestyle skiing program. In Fall
2010, they relocated to Calgary for Elisa to play with the Calgary Philharmonic
and Chip to coach freestyle skiing at Canada Olympic Park. Elisa loves teaching
the violin and has maintained an active teaching studio for over 12 years. She
currently teaches violin lessons long distance to Grande Prairie with the aid
of video conferencing technology. She also plays regularly with the Lily String
quartet, the Red Deer Symphony and the Calgary Philharmonic. Elisa also enjoys
improvising and playing music at her church. Elisa also has an active toddler,
Oscar, who likes to sing and dance, and a baby girl named Pearl!
PATRICIA HIGGINS comes from Quebec and is the violist of the Lily String
Quartet, a dynamic chamber ensemble. She studied with Francois Paradis,
principal violist of the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec. She obtained
her Master's degree in viola at the Music Conservatory of Quebec.
Patricia is an experienced teacher and has played with many orchestras
including the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, the Sherbrooke Symphony
Orchestra, the Saguenay Lac St-Jean Orchestra and the Calgary
Philharmonic Orchestra.
 Cellist ANDREA CASE has a Master's Degree in cello performance from
McGill University where she studied on scholarship with Antonio Lysy.
She spent her childhood in Calgary where she studied with John Kadz at
the Mount Royal Conservatory. She made her solo debut in 1997 after
winning the Calgary Concerto Competition. Andrea is the cellist of the
Lily String Quartet, a group that is often heard live on CBC and has
performed across Canada and the United States. As well as being an avid chamber musician, Andrea is sought
after as an orchestral musician, coach and teacher. She has adjudicated at
festivals throughout Alberta and British Columbia, and teaches at the
Amici String Program and summer school as well as the Wetaskiwin Jazz Camp.
Andrea and her husband, jazz drummer Karl Schwonik, live in Calgary with their sons who keeps them running! |
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