Biographies:
Whether performing La Bohème with the Vancouver Opera, Le Sacre du Printemps with the Vancouver Symphony, collaborating with ethnical performers from various latitudes with the Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra, or exploring the most avant-garde trends with the Vancouver New Music ensemble, oboist Geronimo Mendoza can be found on stage collaborating with virtually every ensemble of the Canadian West Coast. A former member of the Mexico City Philharmonic, with which he toured Europe, Asia and North America, he is now the Principal Oboist with the Vancouver Island Symphony and an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia.
Vancouver-born violist Dr. Catherine Chen is a dedicated and accomplished orchestra musician with an impressive career that includes engagements as the principal violist of the Baton Rouge Symphony, Lubbock Symphony, and various other orchestras across Louisiana and Texas. Since returning to Vancouver, she has been focusing on maintaining her private teaching studio and performing as a freelance musician, often playing for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and other local ensembles.Dr. Chen has performed recitals across the United States, Canada, and Taiwan, and has soloed with orchestras as a winner of concerto competitions at Louisiana State University and Texas Tech University. Her passion for contemporary music performance is evident in her frequent programming of works by composers who identify as women, persons of color, and LGBTQ+. Notably, she has performed at Carnegie Hall with the Constantinides New Music Ensemble and spent several summers as the violist for the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble.In addition to her performance career, Dr. Chen is equally enthusiastic about education. She has been a faculty member at the University of Texas Permian Basin, teaching viola and coaching chamber music. Dr. Chen holds music performance degrees from Louisiana State University (DMA), Rice University (MMus), and McGill University (BMus), having studied under esteemed instructors Kimberly Sparr, James Dunham, and André Roy, respectively.
Originally hailing from Calgary, Alberta, Thyme Shi is an active performer, composer, and educator currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in Saxophone Performance at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia. Thyme has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in venues across Western Canada and in masterclasses for internationally acclaimed saxophonists including Claude Delangle, Jennifer Bill, and Wallace Halladay. She has performed with ensembles such as the University of British Columbia Symphonic Wind Ensemble, University of British Columbia Symphony Orchestra, and the Mount Royal University Chamber Winds. Thyme’s primary teachers include Julia Nolan, Jeremy Brown, and Holly DeCaigny.
