2025 ARTISTS
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.
Emily Cole | Violin
Violinist Emily Cole has been a member of the Oregon Symphony since 2011. An avid chamber musician, Emily has performed with several Portland-area ensembles including 45th Parallel Universe, Third Angle, fEARnoMUSIC, and Northwest New Music, as well as with Chatter ABQ in New Mexico. She has been fortunate to premiere chamber works of Caroline Shaw, Kenji Bunch, Pierre Jalbert and James Shields. During the summer months, Emily has performed with the Oregon Bach Festival, Music in the Mountains, Seattle Opera, the Grant Park Festival Orchestra, and the Apollo Music Festival. Emily previously served on the faculty of Lewis & Clark College and has coached young chamber musicians with Portland Summer Ensembles and Seattle’s Music Northwest. She received her B.M. from the University of Texas at Austin as a student of Brian Lewis and her M.M. from the University of North Texas as a student of Emanuel Borok.
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.
Julie Hereish | Cello
Julie Hereish pursued her studies in Montreal and then in Vienna, Austria. She was a pupil of Denis Brott, Johanne Perron, Carole Sirois and Stefan Kropfitsch.
In 2019, she joined the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Principal Cello. Previously, she held the same position in the Quebec Symphony Orchestra. During her time in Quebec City, she cofounded the piano quartet Quatuor Philanthros and the cello octet Élément 8.
Winner of the 2014 Zara Nelsova Memorial Award and the 2011 Peter Mendell Award, Julie has been broadcasted on CBC Radio 2 and Radio-Canada. Her chamber music performances have taken her across Canada, where she’s toured with Debut Atlantic and Jeunesses Musicales du Canada. Julie has performed in festivals across North America, including Music By The Sea in Bamfield (BC), Sweetwater Music Festival in Owen Sound (ON), Rosebud Chamber Music Festival (AB), Rendez-vous musical de Laterrière in Saguenay (QC) and Rockport Music Festival (Massachusetts).
Together with actor Pierre Mayer, Julie created Charlot et Mlle Cello, a family theatrical concert experience based on Charlie Chaplin’s famous character. The show has been presented in its symphonic version with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra and the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, in Switzerland.
As a guest artist, Julie joined the Grammy Award winning ARC Ensemble in performance in Toronto. She has also performed with the Canadian Opera Company as guest continuo cellist. Julie has performed extensively with the chamber orchestra Violons du Roy in Quebec City and throughout Europe and North America.
Julie is currently a member of the Polyphonie String Quartet, based in Edmonton, AB. Alongside husband and violist Keith Hamm, she cofounded The New Cohort, a viola and cello ensemble born at the beginning of the COVID pandemic.
James Shields | Clarinet
James Shields joined the Oregon Symphony as Principal Clarinet in the autumn of 2016. Before relocating to Portland, James served as principal clarinet of the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, as well as the New Mexico Philharmonic in Albuquerque. A graduate of The Juilliard School, James studied with Ricardo Morales, principal clarinet of the Philadelphia Orchestra. James has appeared as a soloist with the Oregon Symphony, New Mexico Philharmonic, Interlochen’s World Youth Symphony Orchestra (MI), and the Albuquerque Philharmonic (NM), and as guest principal clarinet with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival (CO), and Santa Fe Pro Musica (NM). In addition to his orchestral and solo activities, Mr. Shields is increasingly becoming known to North American audiences as a dynamic and passionate performer of chamber music, making over 30 appearances annually in more intimate settings throughout the United States and Canada. James is the co-artistic director of Chatter, an Albuquerque-based chamber music organization that presents more than 60 concerts per year; he has also been a featured soloist in Chatter concerts. In addition to his performing activities, James holds an M.M. in composition from the University of New Mexico, and continues to compose regularly.