2025 ARTISTS

Keith Hamm, Violist & Artistic Director

Keith Hamm is a native of Rosebud, Alberta. He received his training at the Glenn Gould School of Music under the instruction of Steven Dann, and at the Mount Royal Conservatory with Nicholas Pulos. Other influences include Pinchas Zukerman, Mark Fewer, Richard Lester, the London Haydn Quartet, and especially formative summers at the Chamber Music Program at Le Domaine Forget. While still a student, Keith was named Principal Violist of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and performed there for eight seasons. In the fall of 2019, Keith took up that same position with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Keith is an alumnus of the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove; the Sarasota Music Festival and programs at the Banff Centre. He has been featured on CBC Radio, Toronto’s Classical 96.3, Minnesota Public Radio and was named one of Canada’s Hottest 30 Classical Musicians Under 30 by CBC. His recording catalogue includes releases from the Leaf Music, Stone Records and Centaur record Labels.
A dedicated chamber musician, Keith has shared the stage with Anssi Kartunnen, Ernst Kovacic, Richard Lester, David Geringas and members of the Smithsonian Chamber Players. Keith has been invited to perform at the Ravinia Festival as guest violist with the Royal Conservatory’s Grammy-nominated ARC Ensemble, Toronto Summer Music Festival, Ottawa Chamberfest, Stratford Summer Music, Sweetwater Music Festival, Edmonton Recital Society and Music By The Sea in Bamfield, BC. Keith has been a guest with the Juno Award-winning Amici Ensemble and frequently performs with Continuum Contemporary Music, Skylight Series in Toronto’s Distillery District, Echo Chamber Toronto, and Stereo Live as performer and producer. Keith is a member of the Garneau String Quartet, Ensemble in Residence at MacEwan University.
Keith is Founder and Artistic Director of the Rosebud Chamber Music Festival in Rosebud, Alberta and co-founder of the Rosebud String Quartet.

Alexander Read | Violin

Canadian violinist Alexander Read has quickly become a sought-after performer on the international music scene. He was appointed Principal Second Violin with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in April of 2013. Mr. Read's recitals and concerto performances have been broadcast on CBC Radio/Radio-Canada, and he has presented concerts across North America, the UK, Continental Europe, Asia and Australasia. An avid chamber musician, he has appeared at Concerts aux Îles du Bic, Le Domaine Forget, the Verbier Festival, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and the Montreal Chamber Music Festival. Mr. Read's interest in historical performance, particularly of the classical and romantic periods, has led to collaborations with leading musicians of the field, including members of the London Haydn Quartet. Mr. Read is on the faculty of the Schulich School of Music at McGill University.

Godwin Friesen | Piano
Godwin Friesen is a pianist and composer from the Canadian Prairies, exuberantly discovering where a life in music can take him. Winning the 2022 Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal Competition has led to several collaborations with the orchestra in his current hometown of Montreal. First prize in the 2023 Trondheim International Competition with the Rilian Trio (Daniel Dastoor and David Liam Roberts) has opened doors to professional engagements in Europe and across Canada. Godwin’s musical formation began with singing and playing in the Friesen Family Band. An early piano teacher, Sheila Wright, introduced him to composing; his new compositions inspired by the Psalms have become an important element of his performances, including in his recent duo tours organized by Prairie Debut. After five formative years learning from pianist Bonnie Nicholson in Saskatoon, he studied with John O’Conor at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto and then with Henry Kramer and Jean Saulnier at l’Université de Montréal, where he finished a master’s in 2024.

Leana Rutt | Cello

Cellist Leana Rutt is a thoughtful and compelling performer, recognized across Canada for her artistry as a chamber musician, soloist, and orchestral player. Originally from London, Ontario, Leana is based in Toronto as the associate principal cellist of the Canadian Opera Company and principal cellist of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. She has been a guest artist at festivals and series including Toronto Summer Music, Chatter Albuquerque, Ottawa Chamberfest, Music by the Sea, and the Stratford Summer Music Festival, and has performed on stages from Lucerne to Yellowknife. Leana is also a member of the Rosebud String Quartet, whose 2023 debut album features music of Haydn and Mozart. A graduate of McGill University and the Juilliard School, she is grateful for the training she received from her principal teachers Timothy Eddy, Matt Haimovitz, Paul Pulford, and Terry Sefton. Leana currently performs on a 1769 Guillami cello “El Tiburón” and a ca.1830 Shaw J.D. Adam bow generously on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank.