Jiyeon graduated with Bachelor of Music with distinction from Queen’s University. She began her violin studies with Ray Dotoratos in New York, and continued her violin studies with Kyung ae Kim and Gisèle Dalbec. She is an enthusiastic chamber musician. Throughout her career, she has participated in many ensembles and orchestras, including Boheme Chamber Ensemble, Ars Nova Ensemble, Seoul Orchestra, and Tongyoung International Music Festival Ensemble. She also played as a member of Bohemian Soloists.
Jiyeon has been teaching since 2002. She has worked with students of all ages, and with her knowledge in Psychology, which she also holds degree in, she focuses on fun and leads her students to enjoy their music making.
Andrew began his violin study at ten in his hometown Hong Kong. He played in various performing groups in Hong Kong in his youth, and was appointed as the concertmaster of Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Andrew studied in the School of Music of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and graduated with Bachelor of Music (with High Honors) and Master of Music degrees in violin performance. He was awarded tuition waiver during his studies. He studied violin performance under Prof. Sherban Lupu, and chamber music under members of the Pacifica Quartet. He played in various performing groups in and outside school, and was appointed as the concertmaster of the University of Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra.
After graduation, Andrew joined Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the training orchestra of Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He was also selected in Civic Orchestra as a member of MusiCorps program, in which he performed with fellow Civic members in various elementary schools, high schools and parks in Chicago, and introducing different string instruments and explaining their performing methods to the students and audience.
Andrew went back to Hong Kong after leaving Civic Orchestra and taught violin in various secondary and primary schools, and in the Music Office. He also performed in several orchestras including the Pan Asia Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Strings, and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. Andrew relocated to Canada in August 2022 and is now excited to continue his music career here!
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Simon first discovered the joy of playing the violin at the age of 9. Under the tutelage of maestro Thomas Wang, Simon was considered a late starter by many, but quickly mastered the necessary skills and became one of the youngest members of the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra at the time. He subsequently became Concertmaster for the same orchestra and other ones as well.
At the age of 16, Simon organized his own chamber group “Bachanini” and won many awards at the Hong Kong School Music and Speech Festival. He was also one of the youngest violinists to have obtained the L.R.S.M. certification from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in England.
After arriving in Canada, he had studied under many master violinists, including the late professor Eugene Kash of the Royal Conservatory of Music. Simon has been a member of several music organizations in Canada, including the York Symphony Orchestra.
Jillian Yang is a versatile and accomplished violinist, having performed with esteemed ensembles such as the London Symphonia, Windsor Symphony Orchestra, International Symphony Orchestra, and frequently with the Magisterra Soloists. She has collaborated with notable musicians including Andrew Wan in the New Orford Mozart String Quintet Project, and Jutta Puchammer and Marylène Gingras Roy in the Magisterra Museum series concerts. In 2021, Jillian was a finalist in the Vancouver International Music Competition and secured third place at the JS Fest International Competition. She currently serves as Principal Second Violin with the Summerhill Orchestra.
Jillian’s dedication to her craft extends beyond performance; she has participated in prestigious programs such as the National Academy Orchestra, where she was Associate Concertmaster, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestral Institute, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Round Top Festival Institute, and the Marrowstone Music Festival. As a passionate music educator, Jillian believes that foundational training in violin playing and building music appreciation are important, as music helps to enrich one’s life. Her students actively engaged in the local Kiwanis Festival, Ontario Music Festival Provincials, Royal Conservatory Music Exams, and recently, five of her students had the honor of performing at Carnegie Hall during their March Break.
Jillian is a prize winner of the Maritsa Brookes Concerto Competition and the London Music Scholarship Competition. She holds a Master of Music in Performance and Literature from the University of Western Ontario, where she studied under Professor Annette-Barbara Vogel. During her undergraduate studies, she completed a dual program in music performance and financial modeling. Notably, she performed Paganini’s Violin Concerto with the Western Symphony Orchestra. Jillian is currently completing her Doctor of Musical Arts at Western
University.