Past Concerts

Ari Cohen Mann serves up "brilliant virtuosity" (The Whole Note) through their playing and brightness and optimism through their popular social media channels. Ari has been hailed as the "Jonathan Van Ness of the oboe" (CBC Music), proudly championing their queer identity and serving as a role model for LGBTQ youth. Based in Toronto, Ari is a dynamic recitalist, new music proponent, orchestral musician, and educator. Recognized on CBC's 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians under 30, they are also a Howarth Artist, performing on a Howarth LXV-VT oboe.  www.oboeari.com

Benjamin Smith

Described by the Barrie Examiner as having “scintillating technique”, Canadian pianist Benjamin Smith resides in Toronto, serving on the piano faculty of the Glenn Gould School (GGS) and Taylor Young Artist Academy at the Royal Conservatory. He has performed across North America, highlighted by appearances as soloist in both Carnegie and Alice Tully halls, and has partnered in concert with international soloists and principal players from orchestras around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, Berlin Philharmoniker, Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, and all major Canadian orchestras. Along with a doctorate from Stony Brook University, he holds degrees from Juilliard, GGS, and the University of Toronto. 2025 marks Ben’s debut on Orchid Classics.

Flavius Wagner was born and raised in Baden-Baden Germany. From a very young age, he showed a great passion for the guitar. He began his first guitar lessons at the age of four at the music school in Baden-Baden and later studied under Prof. Boris Bagger. At the age of 14, he transferred as a young student to the University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart, where he is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in guitar.

Flavius is a multiple first-place national winner at "Jugend Musiziert" and a prizewinner at the International Youth Competitions (IYC) of the Guitar Foundation of America. Additionally, he received awards at the HASPA Cup 2024 (3rd prize) during the Hamburg Guitar Festival, the Hanika Guitar Competition in Bangkok, (3rd prize) the Dallas International Guitar Competition 2025 (2nd prize), and festivals across Europe and North America, including first prizes at the Ubuntu Guitar Festival in Bosnia, the UF Guitar Festival in Florida 2025 and the Chicago Guitar Competition 2025. As a soloist, Flavius regularly performs all across Germany and internationally. His concert tours have taken him to Venice, Canada, and the US.

Besides his solo career, he is also passionate about chamber music, playing in various ensembles—from guitar quartets to duos with violin or vocals. Currently, Flavius teaches at JMS Gerlingen, conducts masterclasses at international renown festivals, and works as an instructor for the Baden Württemberg State Music Council. He is actively involved in music education through various courses and initiatives supported by the State Music Council.

Flavius Wagner was born and raised in Baden-Baden Germany. From a very young age, he showed a great passion for the guitar. He began his first guitar lessons at the age of four at the music school in Baden-Baden and later studied under Prof. Boris Bagger. At the age of 14, he transferred as a young student to the University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart, where he is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in guitar.

Flavius is a multiple first-place national winner at "Jugend Musiziert" and a prizewinner at the International Youth Competitions (IYC) of the Guitar Foundation of America. Additionally, he received awards at the HASPA Cup 2024 (3rd prize) during the Hamburg Guitar Festival, the Hanika Guitar Competition in Bangkok, (3rd prize) the Dallas International Guitar Competition 2025 (2nd prize), and festivals across Europe and North America, including first prizes at the Ubuntu Guitar Festival in Bosnia, the UF Guitar Festival in Florida 2025 and the Chicago Guitar Competition 2025. As a soloist, Flavius regularly performs all across Germany and internationally. His concert tours have taken him to Venice, Canada, and the US.

Besides his solo career, he is also passionate about chamber music, playing in various ensembles—from guitar quartets to duos with violin or vocals. Currently, Flavius teaches at JMS Gerlingen, conducts masterclasses at international renown festivals, and works as an instructor for the Baden Württemberg State Music Council. He is actively involved in music education through various courses and initiatives supported by the State Music Council.

Sam "Modern Mason" is an award winning guitarist and composer from Toronto, Canada. His music is often peaceful and melancholic with progressive forms and impressionistic soundscapes inspired by psychedelics, rage and revolution. 

Flavius Wagner was born and raised in Baden-Baden Germany. From a very young age, he showed a great passion for the guitar. He began his first guitar lessons at the age of four at the music school in Baden-Baden and later studied under Prof. Boris Bagger. At the age of 14, he transferred as a young student to the University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart, where he is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in guitar.

Flavius is a multiple first-place national winner at "Jugend Musiziert" and a prizewinner at the International Youth Competitions (IYC) of the Guitar Foundation of America. Additionally, he received awards at the HASPA Cup 2024 (3rd prize) during the Hamburg Guitar Festival, the Hanika Guitar Competition in Bangkok, (3rd prize) the Dallas International Guitar Competition 2025 (2nd prize), and festivals across Europe and North America, including first prizes at the Ubuntu Guitar Festival in Bosnia, the UF Guitar Festival in Florida 2025 and the Chicago Guitar Competition 2025. As a soloist, Flavius regularly performs all across Germany and internationally. His concert tours have taken him to Venice, Canada, and the US.

Besides his solo career, he is also passionate about chamber music, playing in various ensembles—from guitar quartets to duos with violin or vocals. Currently, Flavius teaches at JMS Gerlingen, conducts masterclasses at international renown festivals, and works as an instructor for the Baden Württemberg State Music Council. He is actively involved in music education through various courses and initiatives supported by the State Music Council.

Flavius Wagner was born and raised in Baden-Baden Germany. From a very young age, he showed a great passion for the guitar. He began his first guitar lessons at the age of four at the music school in Baden-Baden and later studied under Prof. Boris Bagger. At the age of 14, he transferred as a young student to the University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart, where he is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in guitar.

Flavius is a multiple first-place national winner at "Jugend Musiziert" and a prizewinner at the International Youth Competitions (IYC) of the Guitar Foundation of America. Additionally, he received awards at the HASPA Cup 2024 (3rd prize) during the Hamburg Guitar Festival, the Hanika Guitar Competition in Bangkok, (3rd prize) the Dallas International Guitar Competition 2025 (2nd prize), and festivals across Europe and North America, including first prizes at the Ubuntu Guitar Festival in Bosnia, the UF Guitar Festival in Florida 2025 and the Chicago Guitar Competition 2025. As a soloist, Flavius regularly performs all across Germany and internationally. His concert tours have taken him to Venice, Canada, and the US.

Besides his solo career, he is also passionate about chamber music, playing in various ensembles—from guitar quartets to duos with violin or vocals. Currently, Flavius teaches at JMS Gerlingen, conducts masterclasses at international renown festivals, and works as an instructor for the Baden Württemberg State Music Council. He is actively involved in music education through various courses and initiatives supported by the State Music Council.

Tim Beattie gained international recognition after winning the 2018 Brussels International Guitar Competition. His career has since taken him to stages across North America and Europe, earning prizes at the international competitions in Antwerp, Brussels, Calgary, Enschede, Leicester, Manhattan, and Uppsala.

Beattie has performed at prestigious venues and festivals including Carnegie Hall (Weill Hall), Amsterdam Concertgebouw (supporting Ludovico Einaudi), Amsterdam Blue Note (with Nai Barghouti), Banff Centre, The Bath Festival, FirstOntario Concert Hall (supporting KD Lang), Kitaranova Festival Helsinki, Perth Concert Hall, and Théâtre du Vaudeville Brussels. His performances have also been featured on Dutch National TV and BBC Radio Scotland

Tim is an Associate Teacher of guitar at the University of St Andrews and director of the St Andrews GuitarFest (Scotland). He maintains a busy concert schedule and regularly visits institutions across Canada and the UK as a guest lecturer; most recently at the Alberta Strings Association, Calgary Classical Guitar Society, Mount Royal University, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, University of Alberta, University of Lethbridge, and the University of Regina.

Ben Ellis is a classical guitarist, community arts organizer, and educator. He programs recitals that explore the unexpected corners of guitar repertoire. Programming and pairing works from the eighteenth to the twenty-first century, Ellis finds unexpected threads that connect contrasting works. His programs have included paired transcriptions of violin music by Eugéne Ysaÿe and J.S. Bach as well as the standard “When You Wish Upon A Star” arranged by Chet Atkins paired with an homage to Walt Disney by contemporary composer Darragh O’Neill.

Recent performances include recitals for the Skaneateles Library Concert Series, the Classical Guitar Society of Upstate NY, the St. Eustace Music Series in Lake Placid, NY, WCNY Performance Space in Syracuse, NY, The Orangeburg

Fine Arts Center in Orangeburg, SC, and the Tenri Cultural Institute in NYC.

Recognised by The Guardian as "a young 21st-century virtuoso", Alexandra Whittingham's creative spirit is reshaping classical music and defying conventions. At the age of 16 she began to film her performances of popular guitar repertoire as a personal project, rapidly creating a large community of fans worldwide with over 65 million views. Having just signed exclusively to Decca Classics, recording continues to play an important part in Alexandra's career.

Her debut album 'My European Journey', released in 2021, was described as "a superb debut" by BBC Music Magazine. The album sees Alexandra's passion for romantic guitar music combined with a love of discovering lesser-known composers and bringing them into the spotlight.

Recognised by The Guardian as "a young 21st-century virtuoso", Alexandra Whittingham's creative spirit is reshaping classical music and defying conventions. At the age of 16 she began to film her performances of popular guitar repertoire as a personal project, rapidly creating a large community of fans worldwide with over 65 million views. Having just signed exclusively to Decca Classics, recording continues to play an important part in Alexandra's career.

Her debut album 'My European Journey', released in 2021, was described as "a superb debut" by BBC Music Magazine. The album sees Alexandra's passion for romantic guitar music combined with a love of discovering lesser-known composers and bringing them into the spotlight.

Mexican guitarist Ricardo Saeb has performed in venues across Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. His performances have been described as “perfectly balanced,” “of an exquisite subtlety,” and “simply spectacular.” His tours have taken him to cities as diverse as Querétaro, Beirut, New York, Ciudad Juárez, Boston, Dallas, and Córdoba. Ricardo Saeb has appeared as a guest artist at international festivals such as the Festival Internacional de Música de Morelia, Festival Internacional Chihuahua, Chicago’s Latin American Guitar Festival, among others.

Ricardo has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras in Mexico and the USA, including the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, La Orquesta Filarmónica del Estado de Chihuahua, University of Kentucky’s Philharmonia, and the Camerata di Sant’Antonio, to name a few. Ricardo has also collaborated with various artists and ensembles including tenor Manuel Castillo, the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, pianist Cliff Jackson, the Buffalo Chamber Players, flautist Nicole Murray, and is featured in jazz saxophonist, Rusty Crutcher’s album, Romances Latinos.

Luis is returning to perform solo piano pieces from his Contrast series.

Luis Gerardo Molina completed his Music Bachelor’s Degree at the University of the Americas Puebla, Mexico and Brock University in St Catharines, Canada. He received piano performance education from world-class pianists such as Yolanda Castro, Ana Maria Tradatti, Oscar Tarrago, Bernard Flavigny, Dr. Jorge Federico Osorio, Faritza Tchivirova, and Dr. Karin Dibella among others. In 2020 he completed the master’s degree in Music Literature and Performance at Western University studying with the recognized Canadian pianist Leslie Kinton, a member of the Internationally celebrated Canadian piano duo Anagnoson & Kinton.

Bilal Nasser is a Palestinian-Canadian guitarist and composer from Windsor Ontario known for his ability to blend his classical guitar background with his passion for more experimental genres such as post-rock, shoegaze, and drone. Through his unique output he is known to challenge assumptions as to what classical guitar music can be, resulting in a signature sound often described as "Post-Classical".

Luis Gerardo Molina completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Music at the University of the Americas in Mexico and Brock University. He received piano performance education from world-class pianists and in 2020 he completed his Master’s degree in Music Literature and Performance at Western. Luis’ piano performer career encompasses international competitions and performances in France, U.S.A., Germany, Poland, Russia, Mexico and Canada.

Maracela Lagunas Burgos received her musical education from the Conservatory of Puebla and the University of Veracruz, where she was part of the cell studio of Anna Maklackiewicz. She studied under the principal cellist of the Xalapa Symphonic Orchestra and other world-class violoncello teachers such as Wolfant Laufer, Richard Luvi, David Ying, Richard Markson and Yo-Yo Ma. In 1998 she won an important scholarship granted by the Government for young musicians. 

Emma Rush is “widely regarded as one of Canada’s premiere classical guitarists” (Vivascene Magazine) and her career has commanded world recognition. She regularly performs across Canada and has performed around the world. The concert will feature beautiful rare works from the 19th century, Canadian music composed just for her, and some of her personal favourites from the guitar repertoire. With her warm tone and virtuosic playing “Emma Rush has crafted a sound that transcends generations and speaks directly to the heart and soul.” (Too Much Love Magazine)