Issuu

Mount Rundle, Banff National Park. Photo by James Wheeler, Unsplash.

Oki. Taan-shi. Dâ âûch yahine. Gwanistłi naniya. Bienvenue. Welcome.

We recognize, with deep respect and gratitude, our home on the side of Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain. In the spirit of respect and truth, we honour and acknowledge the Banff area, known as “Mînî hrpa” (translated in Stoney Nakoda as “the waterfalls”) and the Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda)— comprised of the Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Goodstoney Nations— as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy comprised of the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Shuswap Nations, Ktunaxa Nations, and Métis Nation of Alberta, Rockyview District 4. We acknowledge all Nations who live, work, and play here, help us steward this land, and honour and celebrate this place.

Chaeann Jeon and Seonghyeon Park of Arete Quartet, BISQC 2025. Photo by Abigaile Edwards.

Table of Contents

Welcome

Concert Schedule

People

Librettos and Program Notes

About Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Banff Centre Map

“BISQFest is the highlight of my musical year. The performances and festival events are inspiring, and I always discover something new.” 2024 bisqfest attendee

Saskia Niehl of Nerida Quartet, BISQC 2025. Photo by Abigaile Edwards.

Welcome

Photo by Rita Taylor

Welcome to the 7th Banff International String Quartet Festival (BISQFest)! Each edition of BISQFest offers a remarkable opportunity to experience chamber music at its most vibrant, and in 2026, we are proud to present a program that reflects both artistic excellence and bold exploration. Over four days, you will hear celebrated Competition laureates— including Afiara Quartet, Opus13, and the Dalí Quartet—alongside distinguished artists such as pianist Jan Lisiecki and Grammy Award–winning cellist Steven Isserlis.

This year’s festival is a highlight of the 2026 Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival, a season that brings together artists and audiences across disciplines. BISQFest’s dynamic programming—from contemporary works and Canadian premieres to interdisciplinary collaborations—embodies this spirit, inviting new perspectives through music, movement, and storytelling. While you are here, I encourage you to explore other performances and experiences unfolding across campus during the final days of the Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival, including a very special concert with violinist James Ehnes on September 12. My sincere thanks to Director Barry Shiffman for this inspired vision, to the entire BISQFest team for their hard work, and to you— our community of music lovers— for being part of this celebration. Sincerely,

Chris Lorway

President and CEO Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Dear Music Lovers, A warm welcome to Banff Centre for this celebration of chamber music, creativity, and community. Over the next four days, we invite you to immerse yourself in a festival that builds on the legacy of the Banff International String Quartet Competition, showcases exciting new artistic creations, and brings chamber music, orchestral performances, and dance together in inspiring ways. Featuring close to 50 outstanding artists—including renowned British cellist Steven Isserlis, pianists Connie Shih and Jan Lisiecki, composer-inresidence Mark Applebaum, and many others—this festival promises memorable performances, meaningful connections, and extraordinary musical experiences. This festival is made possible through the generosity of our supporters. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our program supporters: The Azrieli Foundation, David and Christine Anderson, Jenny Belzberg Future Fund, Sandra Green, Susan and Paul A. Mahr, Christopher R. Head, and two Anonymous donors, as well as

Photo by Kari Medig

the Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Alberta, BISQC Endowments, and the many additional supporters who make BISQFest 2026 possible. To everyone joining us on campus, thank you for being part of this special occasion. I wish you a wonderful and inspiring festival. Warm regards,

Barry Shiffman

Director, Banff International String Quartet Competition and Festival (BISQC / BISQFest)

Jiliang Shi and Hotaka Sakai of Quartet KAIRI, BISQC 2025. Photo by Abigaile Edwards.

Concert Schedule

7:30 pm Thursday, September 3 Rolston Recital Hall CONCERT 1

Two Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano, Op. 91 (1884)

Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)

Gestillte Sehnsucht Geistliches Wiegenlied

Krisztina Szabó, mezzo soprano Barry Shiffman, viola Jeanie Chung, piano Aphasia (2009)

Mark Applebaum (b. 1967)

Mark Applebaum, actor INTERMISSION

Terzetto in C Major, Op. 74 (1887)

Antonín Dvořák (1841 – 1904)

Introduzione: Allegro ma non troppo Larghetto Scherzo: Vivace — Trio: Poco meno mosso Tema con Variazioni

Livia Sohn, violin Hao Zhou, violin Barry Shiffman, viola Harpsichord Quintet: Mr. Bryars, his sorrow, at Miss Bley, her passing * (2024)

Gavin Bryars (b. 1943)

Afiara Quartet Jeanie Chung, harpsichord This work was jointly commissioned by Wigmore Hall, Rockport Music, and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Schedule subject to change. 10

*Canadian Premiere

Concert Schedule

10:30 am / 2:30 pm Friday, September 4 Rolston Recital Hall

8 pm Friday, September 4 Jenny Belzberg Theatre

CONCERT 2

CONCERT 3

String Quartet No. 2 “Intimate Letters” (1928)

Leoš Janáček (1854 – 1928)

Andante – Con moto – Allegro Adagio – Vivace Moderato – Andante – Adagio Allegro – Andante – Adagio

String Quartet No. 1, Op. 27 (1877 – 1878) Un poco andante – Allegro molto ed agitato Romanze: Andantino Intermezzo: Allegro molto marcato – Più vivo e scherzando Finale: Lento – Presto al saltarello

Opus13

String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810 ‘Death and the Maiden’ (1824)

Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)

Allegro Andante con moto Scherzo: Allegro molto Presto Edvard Grieg (1843 – 1907)

Afiara Quartet Dalí Quartet Opus13 Jonathan Crow, violin Livia Sohn, violin Barry Shiffman, violin Yolanda Bruno, violin

Anna Štube, violin Solana Frebold, violin Leslie Ashworth, viola Sabina Sandvoss, cello Joel Quarrington, bass Hilda Cowie, bass

INTERMISSION

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 (1800)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)

Allegro con brio Largo Rondo. Allegro – Presto

Jan Lisiecki, piano Banff Festival Orchestra

This concert is made possible through the generous support of anonymous donors.

Concert Schedule

10:30 am / 2:30 pm Saturday, September 5 Rolston Recital Hall

8 pm Saturday, September 5 Jenny Belzberg Theatre

CONCERT 4

CONCERT 5

Twelve Variations on “See the Conquering Hero Comes”, WoO 45 (1796) Sonata Duo for Piano and Cello, Op. 32 (1852)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) William Sterndale Bennett (1816 – 1875)

Adagio sostenuto – Allegro giusto Minuetto caracteristique Allegretto piacevole, animato

Seven Variations on a theme from ‘The Magic Flute’, WoO 46 (1801) Fünf Stücke im Volkston, Op. 102 (1849) Mit Humor Langsam Nicht schnell, mit viel Ton zu spielen Nicht zu rasch Stark und markiert

Steven Isserlis, cello Connie Shih, piano

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856)

Erbarme Dich “Erbarme dich, mein Gott” from St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (1727)

Yolanda Bruno, violin Michael Bridge, accordion Krisztina Szabó, mezzo soprano Tzaghgatz Baleni (1979)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)

Neshama Nashman, choreographer Anton Tcherny, dancer Khachatur Avetisyan (1926 – 1996)

Michael Bridge, accordion And my beloved* just (after song of songs) (2014, rev. 2018)

Krisztina Szabó, mezzo soprano Diana Agasian, soprano Katie Kirkpatrick, soprano Opus13 Tango-Toccata (2011)

David Lang (b.1957)

Neshama Nashman, choreographer Anton Tcherny, dancer Irene Yang, dancer Petri Makkonen (b. 1967)

Michael Bridge, accordion Mycelium String Quartet in B minor, Op. 11 (1935 – 1936)

Samuel Barber (1910 – 1981)

Molto adagio

Opus13 Neshama Nashman, choreographer

Anton Tcherny, dancer Irene Yang, dancer

INTERMISSION

Concert Schedule

*This piece may contain partial nudity.

Concert Schedule

8 pm Saturday, September 5 (continued)

2:30 pm Sunday, September 6 Rolston Recital Hall

CONCERT 5

Appalachian Spring (1944, rev. 1970)

Jonathan Crow, violin Hao Zhou, violin Leslie Ashworth, violin Valerie Li, violin Eric Wong, viola Barry Shiffman, viola Adrian Fung, cello

Aaron Copland (1900 – 1990)

Sabina Sandvoss, cello Joel Quarrington, bass Leslie Newman, flute Todd Palmer, clarinet Michael Hope, bassoon Jeanie Chung, piano

Mark Applebaum (b. 1967)

Livia Sohn Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 ‘Spring’ (1801)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)

Jonathan Crow, violin Jan Lisiecki, piano

CONCERT 6 Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga (Spain, 1806 – 1826)

Allegro Adagio con espressione Menuetto. Allegro Adagio – Allegretto

String Quartet No. 2 – Magueyes (1931)

More or Less for pre-recorded and live violin (2020)

Allegro Adagio molto espressivo Scherzo: Allegro molto Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo

10:30 am Sunday, September 6 Rolston Recital Hall String Quartet No. 1 in D minor (1823)

CONCERT 7

String Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3 (1806)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)

Andante con moto – Allegro vivace Andante con moto quasi allegretto Menuetto (Grazioso) Allegro molto

Opus13 Silvestre Revueltas (Mexico, 1898 – 1940)

Allegro giocoso Molto vivace Allegro molto sostenuto

Divertimento Caribeño No. 3 (2018)

Sonia Morales-Matos (Puerto Rico, b.1961 )

Merengue apambichao Bolero son Merengue apambichao

Four, for Tango (1987)

Astor Piazzolla (Argentina, 1921 – 1992)

Dalí Quartet 16

Concert Schedule

7:30 pm Sunday, September 6 Rolston Recital Hall CONCERT 8

Tintype (2024)

Osvaldo Golijov (b. 1960)

Hebrew Melody Elie dreams of his father Ani Maamin

Barry Shiffman, viola Afiara Quartet Deux mélodies hébraïques (1914)

Maurice Ravel (1875 – 1937)

Kaddish

Steven Isserlis, cello Opus13 Anna Štube, violin Ehrentraud Moser, violin Leslie Ashworth, viola Sabina Sandvoss, cello Joel Quarrington, bass INTERMISSION

String Sextet in G Major, Op. 36 (1864 – 1865)

Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)

Allegro non troppo Scherzo – Allegro non troppo – Presto giocoso Adagio Poco allegro

Barry Shiffman, viola Daniel Thorell, cello Afiara Quartet

Ehrentraud Moser, BISQFest 2024. Photo by Rita Taylor.

18 Concert Schedule

Photo by Stuart Lowe

People

Barry Shiffman director Director Barry Shiffman has enjoyed a varied career as a performer, recording artist, educator, and arts leader. In 1989, he co-founded the St. Lawrence String Quartet. During his 17 years with the ensemble, he performed more than 2,000 concerts worldwide and recorded several critically acclaimed albums for EMI Classics. From 2006 to 2010, he served as Director of Music Programs at Banff Centre, and from 2010 to 2016 as Artistic Director of Summer Programs. He has been director of Banff International String Quartet Competition since 2006 and launched Banff International String Quartet Festival in 2017. He makes his home in Toronto, where he has been with the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) since 2010. This past July, the RCM named him as Dean of both the Glenn Gould School and Taylor Academy. From 2009–2017 he was Executive Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Music in the Morning Concerts. Since 2017, he has served as Artistic Director of Classical Music for the celebrated presenting organization Rockport Music in Massachusetts. His formal studies were at the Royal Conservatory of Music, University of Toronto, Utrecht Conservatorium, the Juilliard School, and Yale. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Calgary and the Nadia Boulanger Award for Excellence in the Art of Teaching from the Longy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 20

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Steven Isserlis

Photo by Christoph Koestlin

cello

Jan Lisiecki

British cellist Steven Isserlis CBE has built an international career as a soloist, chamber musician, author, educator, and broadcaster. He performs with leading orchestras worldwide, from period to modern ensembles, and has premiered major works by composers including Tavener, Adès, and Kurtág. His award-winning discography features the complete Bach Cello Suites, Beethoven’s works for cello and piano, and acclaimed recordings of Brahms, Haydn, and Martinů. As an author, he has written a celebrated companion to Bach’s suites and popular children’s books about music, alongside a commentary on Schumann. He has also created documentaries for BBC Radio. A creative programmer, he has curated series at Wigmore Hall, the 92nd Street Y, and the Salzburg Festival, and has directed orchestras from the cello. Awarded a CBE in 1998, he is Artistic Director of Prussia Cove and plays the 1726 'Marquis de Corberon' Stradivarius, on loan from the Royal Academy of Music.

piano Jan Lisiecki, 31, is a Canadian pianist whose refined interpretations and technical command have earned international acclaim. He performs around 100 concerts annually worldwide, collaborating with leading conductors such as Antonio Pappano, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Daniel Harding, and Manfred Honeck.

Lisiecki signed exclusively with Deutsche Grammophon at age 15 and has since released 13 full-length albums, including Beethoven’s complete piano concertos and Chopin’s Complete Nocturnes. His recordings have received numerous awards, including two JUNO Awards, an ECHO Klassik, a Fryderyk, and two Diapason d’Or awards. Lisiecki is a Banff Centre alumnus.

People

Photo by Satoshi Aoyagi

Recent engagements include appearances with major orchestras such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, and London Symphony Orchestra, alongside solo recital performances at Carnegie Hall, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Vienna’s Konzerthaus, and La Scala in Milan.

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Opus13 sonoko miriam welde, violin edvard erdal, violin albin uusijärvi, viola daniel thorell, cello

Afiara Quartet valerie li, violin hao zhou, violin eric wong, viola adrian fung, cello Formed in 2006, the Afiara Quartet takes its name from the Spanish word fiar, meaning “to trust,” a principle that shapes its collaborative approach and distinctive sound. Hailed as “a revelation” (La Presse), the ensemble is known for performances that combine “intensity and commitment” and “frequent moments of tenderness” (The Montreal Gazette). Afiara has held residencies at The Juilliard School and San Francisco State University, and served as Fellowship Ensemble at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Prizewinners at the ARD Munich and Banff International String Quartet Competitions, they also received the Székely Prize for their Beethoven interpretations. The quartet has appeared across the Americas, Europe, and Asia at major venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, and Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw. Their work extends beyond performance to over 30 commissioned works, educational outreach initiatives, and cross-genre collaborations with artists such as Uri Caine, Javier Limón, and Kid Koala. The quartet members are Banff Centre alumni. 24

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Named after Mendelssohn’s youthful and passionate A Minor Quartet, Op. 13— the first piece they ever played together—the quartet was formed in Oslo in 2014 by four teenagers eager to dive into the world of string quartets. Opus13 comprises Norwegian violinists Sonoko Miriam Welde and Edvard Erdal, violist Albin Uusijärvi and cellist Daniel Thorell, both from Sweden. Opus13 collaborates with leading musicians such as Janine Jansen, Leif-Ove Ansdnes and Anne Sofie von Otter. Their musical development has been shaped by ongoing mentorships with Bjørg Lewis and Berit Cardas of the Vertavo Quartet and Tim Frederiksen. From 2025, the quartet has also studied with Prof. Oliver Wille (Kuss Quartett). In spring 2026, they received the Borletti-Buitoni Award and have been selected as BBC New Generation Artists. Welde, Erdal, and Thorell are Banff Centre alumni.

Photo by Elvira Glänte

Photo by Daniel Ehrenworth

First Prize winners at both the 2025 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition and the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, Opus13 is rapidly building a reputation on the international chamber music scene.

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Mark Applebaum

Photo courtesy of the artists

composer in residence

Mark Applebaum, PhD is the Edith & Leland Smith Professor of Composition at Stanford University. His music has been performed throughout six continents, including notable commissions from the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, the Fromm Music Foundation, the Spoleto Festival, the Kronos Quartet, Chamber Music America, and the Vienna Modern Festival. Many of his pieces are characterized by challenges to the conventional boundaries of musical ontology. His TED talk has been seen by more than three million viewers. Applebaum is also an accomplished jazz pianist and builds electroacoustic sound-sculptures out of junk, hardware, and found objects. At Stanford, Applebaum is the founding director of [sic]—the Stanford Improvisation Collective. He serves on the board of Other Minds and as a trustee of Carleton College.

Dalí Quartet

The Dalí Quartet is acclaimed for bringing Latin American repertoire to an equal standing alongside the foundational canon. Awarded Chamber Music America’s Ensemble of the Year in 2024, the Dalí is hailed for its “unique freshness” (Fanfare) and “brilliant accuracy” (Washington Classical Review). The Quartet has reached enthusiastic audiences throughout the Americas for recital and concerto appearances in a broad repertoire from Amaya and Revueltas to Dvorak, Shostakovich, and the Beethoven quartet cycle. Voces Latinas, the quartet's latest album, was released on Centaur Records in 2023. Their 2022 album of Brahms and Shostakovich piano quintets (Delos) celebrates their collaboration with pianist Olga Kern and has been praised for “muscular phrasing and a taut collective sonority” (MusicWeb International). Engagements at major festivals and series include performances on the Stradivarii at the Library of Congress, and the entire Beethoven Cycle for the Slee Visiting Artist Series at the University of Buffalo. The Dalí is in residence at West Chester University Wells School of Music, using Pirastro Strings and WMutes. Isaacman-Beck and Morales are Banff Centre alumni. 26

People

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ari isaacman-beck, violin carlos rubio, violin adriana linares, viola jesús morales, cello

People

Connie Shih

Photo by Chris Wahl

piano

Jonathan Crow violin

One of Canada’s brightest talents, violinist Jonathan Crow exudes “masterful coolness” (The Montreal Gazette) as concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. A native of Prince George, British Columbia, Crow earned his Bachelor of Music in Honours Performance from McGill University in 1998, at which time he joined the Montreal Symphony Orchestra as Associate Principal Second Violin. Between 2002 and 2006, Crow was the concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, becoming the youngest concertmaster of a major North American orchestra. Crow continues to perform as guest concertmaster with orchestras around the world, including the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, La Sinfonia de Lanaudière and Pernambuco Festival Orchestra (Brazil).

Canadian pianist Connie Shih is celebrated for her exceptional sensitivity and musical depth. Born in Vancouver, she began piano at five years old and made her orchestral debut at nine with the Seattle Symphony. In 1993, she received the Sylva Gelber Prize as Canada’s most outstanding young classical artist. Shih has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras across North America and Europe, and has given recitals throughout Europe and Asia. She performs regularly with cellist Steven Isserlis, and her chamber music career has brought her to venues such as Wigmore Hall and Carnegie Hall, collaborating with leading artists. Her performances are widely broadcast on networks including CBC and the BBC. She has taught at leading German conservatoires and, since 2022, is Professor of Piano at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. A protégé of György Sebők, she also studied at the Curtis Institute with Claude Frank and in Europe with Fou Ts’ong. Shih is a Banff Centre alumna.

An avid chamber musician, Crow has performed at many chamber music festivals in Europe and North America, and is the Artistic Director of Toronto Summer Music. He is a founding member of the JUNO Award-winning New Orford String Quartet, a new project-based ensemble dedicated to the promotion of standard and Canadian string quartet repertoire. Crow is currently Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Toronto and in Fall 2026 will join the Royal Conservatory of Music as Director of the Temerty Orchestra Program and Violin Faculty. Crow is a Banff Centre alumnus. 28 People

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Crow has performed as a soloist with most major Canadian orchestras including the Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras, the National Arts Centre and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestras, the Victoria and Kingston Symphonies, and Orchestra London, under the baton of such conductors as Charles Dutoit, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Sir Andrew Davis, Peter Oundjian, Gustavo Gimeno, Kent Nagano, Mario Bernardi, and João Carlos Martins.

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Neshama Nashman choreographer

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Neshama Nashman is a Canadian choreographer and dance artist based in Düsseldorf, Germany, where she has been a soloist with Ballett am Rhein since 2020. Previously, she was a demi-soloist with the Kraków Opera Ballet in Poland. As a choreographer, Nashman has gained international recognition for her versatile and passionate approach to the art form. In 2024, Tanz Magazine's Jahrbuch named her an “interesting choreographer” for her piece And so am I, created for the Noverre: Young Choreographers project. She is a recipient of two Creation Grants from the Canada Council for the Arts for her Matthäus Passion Project. Her works, including the Kafkainspired Eine kleine Frau and the pas de deux And my beloved, have been performed at major venues such as the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the Pina Bausch Center, Mainfranken Theater Würzburg, tanzhaus nrw, DanceWorks Chicago, Tanzmesse Festival, Düsseldorf, The Stuttgart Ballet, and Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music.

Jeanie Chung piano

Pianist Jeanie Chung enjoys a rewarding performing and teaching life. She has given solo recitals, concerto performances, and chamber music concerts throughout North America, Central America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Chung was the recipient of the Career Development Award from the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto and numerous grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and Chalmers Fund. She is a faculty member of the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Glenn Gould School, the Taylor Academy, and the University of Toronto. Chung is a Banff Centre alumna. 30

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Photo by Ingo Schaefer

Following her studies at The Glenn Gould School and The Taylor Academy for Young Artists at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, she attended The Juilliard School, where she obtained a Bachelor of Music, Masters of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts. Her principal teachers have been Boris Lysenko, Leon Fleisher, John Perry, and Herbert Stessin.

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Photo by Sam Gaetz

Michael Bridge accordion

Michael Bridge is a musical maverick. He’s a virtuoso performer on both the acoustic accordion and its 21st-century cousin, the digital accordion. His concerts capture the energy and panache of stadium rock with the elegance and discipline of chamber music. He’s won a slew of competitions in Canada and abroad and was named one of CBC’s 30 under 30 classical musicians. He received his doctorate in accordion performance from the University of Toronto and is a Rebanks Fellow at the Glenn Gould School. He gives over 100 concerts a year as a soloist and as a member of Bridge & Wolak and Ladom Ensemble. He’s in high demand for masterclasses around the world. Dr. Bridge embraces a musical aesthetic that is alternatively irreverent, deadly serious, meticulously prepared, and completely in-the-moment. He’s at home with classical, contemporary, jazz, and folk music and has premiered 53 new works. Ultimately, he aims to make your world more bearable, beautiful, and human—even if only for the length of a concert. Julie Hereish, Lexie Krakowski and Joshua McClendon, BISQFest 2024. Photo by Rita Taylor.

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Yolanda Bruno violin

Photo by Fred Cattroll

Yolanda Bruno is an Ottawa-born violinist. She’s won Grand Prizes at the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Competition, the Isabel Overton Bader Canadian Violin Competition, and the Canada Council for the Arts’ Virginia Parker Prize—the nation’s highest honour for young musicians. As a soloist, she’s performed with the Montreal Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Orchestra of the Americas, and London Mozart Players.

Joel Quarrington

In 2021, Bruno founded Music for Your Blues—a performance project offering free-of-charge, personalized, online concerts combining music and poetry. Bruno has now offered over 70 free performances.

The Wild Swans—Bruno’s first CD, with pianist Isabelle David—was released in 2019. It features music by 11 women composers, spanning ten centuries, including several world premieres. Bruno released her second album in 2025—dedicated to the late Jeanne Lamon. Yolanda’s violin is an exquisite Venetian instrument made by Domenico Montagnana in 1737, on loan from Groupe Canimex. She lives in Toronto with her partner, accordionist Michael Bridge. Bruno is a Banff Centre alumna.

bass

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Photo by Curtis Perry

In 2023, JUNO Award-winning Joel Quarrington was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of his contribution to the musical life of Canada. For over forty years, Quarrington has been the principal bass of numerous orchestras, including the Canadian Opera Company, the Toronto Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, as well as the famous London Symphony Orchestra. Born in Toronto, he began his double bass studies at the age of thirteen. He won the prize of the RadioCanada Competition as well as the prestigious Geneva Competition. A dedicated teacher, Quarrington teaches at the Montreal Conservatory of Music, and is a “Visiting Professor” at the Royal Academy of Music in London. The International Society of Bassists awarded him special recognition awards for his outstanding performances. Quarrington is a Banff Centre alumnus.

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Anton Tcherny

Photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco

dancer

Anton Tcherny was born in Toronto, Canada. He began his ballet training in 2015 at Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto. In 2022, he went to Monte Carlo to continue his education at the Académie Princesse Grace, from which he graduated in 2023. During the 2023–24 season, Anton Tcherny was an apprentice with the Stuttgart Ballet. In the following season, he became a member of Stuttgart Ballet’s Corps de ballet.

Livia Sohn

Hailed by Opus Magazine as “a stunning musician,” Livia Sohn has performed widely on the international stage as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and festival guest artist in North America, Europe, and Asia. The Strad magazine says, “Livia Sohn possesses a remarkably lithe and transparent tone of exceptional purity. [Her] virtually blemishless accounts are nothing short of remarkable. Even when under the most fearsome technical pressure at high velocity, every note rings true with pinpoint accuracy.” Sohn is the recent founder of Coast Live Music (CLM), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create community through music. CLM presents music in traditional venues such as concert halls and performance theaters, but also at places such as soup kitchens, behavioral health centers, cancer wards, unhoused communities, and Veterans Affairs hospitals – places where music is equally needed and appreciated. Sohn is a Banff Centre alumna.

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violin

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Krisztina Szabó

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mezzo soprano

Irene Yang dancer

Lauded for her “supple, pliant” voice and “considerable emotional range” (Opera Canada), Hungarian-Canadian mezzo soprano Krisztina Szabó is widely recognized for her refined musicianship and compelling stage presence. In the 2025–26 season, she made her Manitoba Opera debut as Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro, and returned to both Tafelmusik and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for Handel’s Messiah. She also premiered two works by composer Jeffrey Ryan: Seven Scenes with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Mother/Land with the Vancouver Bach Choir. Further recent concert highlights include Handel’s Messiah with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Houston Symphony, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with the Cleveland Orchestra and Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with Music of the Baroque, and Mozart’s Requiem with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. A graduate of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, Szabó performs regularly across Canada and Europe. She made her debuts at Dutch National Opera and the Royal Opera House in George Benjamin’s Lessons in Love and Violence, later recorded for a Grammy-nominated album. She is Assistant Professor of Voice and Opera at the University of British Columbia and recently appointed Chair of Voice at the Glenn Gould School.

Irene Yang was born in Toronto, Canada. She began dance training at a private dance studio in Markham, Ontario. In 2011, she attended Elite Danceworx and trained there in all styles of dance. She began her formal classical training in 2014 at the Academy of Ballet and Jazz (School of Canadian Ballet Theatre). In 2018, she came to Stuttgart to join the John Cranko Schule from which she graduated in 2021.

In the 2021–22 season, Yang was an apprentice with the Stuttgart Ballet, and one season later she became a member of the Corps de ballet. At the beginning of the 2024–25 season, she was promoted to demi-soloist.

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Photo by Shayne Gray.

She successfully took part in several competitions. At the Prix de Lausanne 2018, she was a finalist and won a scholarship to the John Cranko Schule. From 2016 to 2018, she reached several first and second places at the regional Semifinals of the Youth America Grand Prix.

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Katie Kirkpatrick

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soprano

Diana Agasian

Katherine “Katie” Kirkpatrick is a Canadian soprano from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, currently based in Toronto. Recognized for her expressive stage presence and affinity for contemporary repertoire, she has recently appeared as Female Chorus in Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, Daria Garbinati in Donizetti’s Viva la Mamma, Miranda in Kaija Saariaho’s The Tempest Songbook, and Janine/Ofwarren in Poul Ruders’ The Handmaid’s Tale as part of the Banff Centre’s 2025 Interplay program. A dedicated performer of art song, Kirkpatrick was a two-time finalist for the University of Toronto’s Norcop Prize in Song, receiving second prize in 2025. This summer, she will travel to Tours, France, to study French mélodie at the Académie Francis Poulenc. Kirkpatrick holds both a Master of Music in Opera and a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from the University of Toronto and will continue her training as a Rebanks Fellow at The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School during the 2026–27 season. Kirkpatrick is a Banff Centre alumna.

soprano

Armenian-Canadian soprano Diana Agasian is an emerging artist on the international operatic and art song scene. She returned to Toronto as a Rebanks Family Fellow at the Royal Conservatory of Music for the 2026–27 season, following a summer as a Vocal Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center.

Her operatic credits include the Woman/Siren in Handel’s Rinaldo and the Third Spirit in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. An alumna of the Franz-SchubertInstitut, she maintains a particular affinity for German Lied and has appeared in recital at Vienna's Ehrbar Saal and C. Bechstein Centrum.

People

Photo courtesy of the artist

Most recently based in Vienna, she studies voice with Kammersängerin Olivera Miljaković and coaches with Lieder specialist Helmut Deutsch. A graduate of The Glenn Gould School of Music, Agasian has performed across Canada, including appearances at Koerner Hall and the Orpheum Theatre, and as a featured soloist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for their Traditional Christmas concert series.

People

Banff Festival Orchestra violin i: Jonathan Crow*, concertmaster Valerie Li* Ari Isaacman-Beck* Anna Štube Livia Sohn* Ehrentraud Moser*

flute: Leslie Newman* Heather Schienbein

violin ii: Hao Zhou* Barry Shiffman* Yolanda Bruno* Jeongah Choi Carlos Rubio Solana Frebold*

clarinet: Todd Palmer Miles Haskins

viola: Eric Wong* Leslie Ashworth* Adriana Linares Ronelle Schaufele*

trumpet: Adam Zinatelli* Richard Scholz*

cello: Adrian Fung* Sabina Sandvoss* Jesús Morales* Nigel Boehm*

oboe: Emily Luo* Matt Jaffray*

bassoon: Michael Hope* Krista Wodelet*

horn: Chris Gongos Peter Clark* timpani: Alexander Cohen

bass: Joel Quarrington* Hilda Cowie*

Amy Schwartz Moretti, Che-Yen Chen and Edward Arron of Ehnes Quartet with members of the Banff Festival Orchestra, BISQFest 2024. Photo by Abigaile Edwards.

People

*Banff Centre Alumni

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Librettos and Program Notes

Librettos CONCERT 1

Two Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano, Op. 91 (1884)

Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)

Gestillte Sehnsucht Geistliches Wiegenlied

Krisztina Szabó, mezzo soprano Barry Shiffman, viola Jeanie Chung, piano German source Friedrich Rückert German song texts: Translation © Richard Stokes, author of: The Book of Lieder (Faber); The Complete Songs of Hugo Wolf (Faber), provided via Oxford International Song Festival (www.oxfordsong.org)

Gestillte Sehnsucht

Assuaged longing

In goldnen Abendschein getauchet, Wie feierlich die Wälder stehn! In leise Stimmen der Vöglein hauchet Des Abendwindes leises Wehn. Was lispeln die Winde, die Vögelein? Sie lispeln die Welt in Schlummer ein.

Bathed in golden evening light, How solemnly the forests stand! The evening winds mingle softly With the soft voices of the birds. What do the winds, the birds whisper? They whisper the world to sleep.

Ihr Wünsche, die ihr stets euch reget Im Herzen sonder Rast und Ruh! Du Sehnen, das die Brust beweget, Wann ruhest du, wann schlummerst du? Beim Lispeln der Winde, der Vögelein, Ihr sehnenden Wünsche, wann schlaft ihr ein?

But you, my desires, ever stirring In my heart without respite! You, my longing, that agitates my breast – When will you rest, when will you sleep? The winds and the birds whisper, But when will you, yearning desires, slumber?

Ach, wenn nicht mehr in goldne Fernen Mein Geist auf Traumgefieder eilt, Nicht mehr an ewig fernen Sternen Mit sehnendem Blick mein Auge weilt; Dann lispeln die Winde, die Vögelein Mit meinem Sehnen mein Leben ein.

Ah! when my spirit no longer hastens On wings of dreams into golden distances, When my eyes no longer dwell yearningly On eternally remote stars; Then shall the winds, the birds whisper My life – and my longing – to sleep.

Schedule subject to change. 44

Librettos and Program Notes

German source Emanuel Geibel German song texts: Translation © Richard Stokes, author of: The Book of Lieder (Faber); The Complete Songs of Hugo Wolf (Faber), provided via Oxford International Song Festival (www.oxfordsong.org)

Geistliches Wiegenlied

A sacred cradle-song

Die ihr schwebet Um diese Palmen In Nacht und Wind, Ihr heil’gen Engel, Stillet die Wipfel! Es schlummert mein Kind.

You who hover Around these palms In night and wind, You holy angels, Silence the tree-tops! My child is sleeping.

Ihr Palmen von Bethlehem Im Windesbrausen, Wie mögt ihr heute So zornig sausen! O rauscht nicht also! Schweiget, neiget Euch leis’ und lind; Stillet die Wipfel! Es schlummert mein Kind.

You palms of Bethlehem In the raging wind, Why do you bluster So angrily today! O roar not so! Be still, lean Calmly and gently over us; Silence the tree-tops! My child is sleeping.

Der Himmelsknabe Duldet Beschwerde, Ach, wie so müd’ er ward Vom Leid der Erde. Ach nun im Schlaf ihm Leise gesänftigt Die Qual zerrinnt, Stillet die Wipfel! Es schlummert mein Kind.

The heavenly babe Suffers distress, Oh, how weary He has grown With the sorrows of this world. Ah, now that in sleep His pains Are gently eased, Silence the treetops! My child is sleeping.

Grimmige Kälte Sauset hernieder, Womit nur deck’ ich Des Kindleins Glieder! O all ihr Engel, Die ihr geflügelt Wandelt im Wind, Stillet die Wipfel! Es schlummert mein kind.

Fierce cold Blows down on us, With what shall I cover My little child’s limbs? O all you angels, Who wing your way On the winds, Silence the tree-tops! My child is sleeping.

Librettos and Program Notes

Librettos CONCERT 5

Erbarme Dich “Erbarme dich, mein Gott” from St Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (1727)

Yolanda Bruno, violin Michael Bridge, accordion Krisztina Szabó, mezzo soprano

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)

Neshama Nashman, choreographer Anton Tcherny, dancer

Translation © Pamela Dellal, courtesy Emmanuel Music Inc.

Erbarme dich, mein Gott,

Have mercy, my God,

Um meiner Zähren Willen!

for the sake of my tears!

Schaue hier, Herz und Auge

Look here, heart and eyes

Weint vor dir bitterlich.

weep bitterly before you.

Erbarme dich, erbarme dich!

Have mercy, have mercy!

Librettos and Program Notes

Librettos

our vineyards

CONCERT 5

and my beloved

just your love just your oils just your lips

just your flock

and my bride

and my beloved and my bed and my soul and my soul and my soul and my soul and my mother’s house

just your tongue just your garments

And my beloved just (after song of songs) (2014, rev. 2018)

David Lang (b.1957)

Krisztina Szabó, mezzo soprano Diana Agasian, soprano Katie Kirkpatrick, soprano Opus13

Neshama Nashman, choreographer Anton Tcherny, dancer Irene Yang, dancer

just your mouth just your love just your anointing oils just your name just your chambers just your love

our couch our house our rafters

and my mother’s sons and my own vineyard and my soul

just your shadow just your fruit just your banner over me just your left hand just your right hand

just your flock just your companions just your kids just your cheeks just your neck just your couch and my perfume and my beloved and my breasts and my beloved and my love just your eyes and my beloved

Librettos and Program Notes

and my love and my beloved

just your sword just your mother just your wedding just your heart and my love just your eyes just your veil just your hair

our wall

just your teeth just your lips just your mouth just your cheeks just your veil just your neck just your two breasts

and my beloved and my love and my fair one and my love and my fair one and my dove

and my love and my bride and my heart and my sister and my bride and my heart

just your face just your voice just your voice just your face

just your eyes just your necklace just your love

and my beloved and my beloved

and my sister and my bride

and my sister and my bride just your shoots and my garden and by beloved and my garden and my sister and my bride and my myrrh and my spice and my honeycomb and my honey and my wine and my milk and my heart and my beloved and my sister and my love and my dove and my perfect one and my head and my locks and my garment and my feet and my beloved and my hand and my heart and my beloved and my hands and my fingers and my beloved and my beloved and my soul and my beloved Librettos and Program Notes

just your beloved just your beloved and my beloved just your head just your locks just your eyes just your cheeks just your lips just your arms just your body just your legs just your appearance just your speech and my beloved and my friend just your beloved

just your two breasts just your neck just your eyes just your nose just your head just your flowing locks just your breasts just your breasts just your breath just your kisses and my beloved just your desire and my beloved and my love our doors

and my beloved just your garden just your flock

and my beloved and my mother’s breast and my mother and my pomegranates

and my beloved and my beloved

just your left hand just your right hand

just your flock and my love

and my beloved

just your eyes just your hair just your teeth just your cheeks and my dove and my perfect one and my mother and my fancy and my prince just your feet just your rounded thighs just your navel just your belly 50

Librettos and Program Notes

just your mother just your heart just your arm our sister and my breasts just your eyes and my vineyard and my very own and my self just your voice and my beloved

Program Notes CONCERT 1

Aphasia (2009)

Mark Applebaum

Notes by Mark Applebaum, composer

Aphasia was commissioned by the GRM, Paris, and composed for Nicholas Isherwood. The recorded tape, an idiosyncratic explosion of warped and mangled sounds, is made up exclusively of vocal samples—all provided by Isherwood and subsequently transformed digitally. Against the backdrop of this audio narrative, the performer executes an elaborate set of hand gestures, an assiduously choreographed sign language of sorts. Each gesture is fastidiously synchronized to the tape in tight rhythmic coordination.

Harpsichord Quintet: Mr. Bryars, his sorrow, at Miss Bley, her passing * (2024)

Gavin Bryars

Notes by Gavin Bryars, composer

This quintet is the second substantial work for harpsichord that I have written for Mahan Esfahani (performed for BISQFest by Jeanie Chung), following the Harpsichord Concerto which premièred in March 2023. In each case, the subtitle gives an indication of something of the music’s origins, intentions, and direction. The concerto’s subtitle, Busoni’s Chickering, points to allusions within the piece to some of Busoni’s theories and scale construction and to the little-known fact that the great composer/piano virtuoso also played the harpsichord: an American instrument made by Chickering and Sons of Boston. At the same time, this piece combines early 20th century music with that of the Baroque. The subtitle to the quintet, on the other hand, has more of the flavour of something from the Elizabethan period – and so the music has, for me, something of the character of virginal music from that time. It is In memoriam Carla Bley, the jazz composer, whom I had known as a friend for more than 40 years, and whom I always identified in interviews as my ‘favorite living composer.’ There are certain of her signature devices in the quintet that appear in several of her pieces, such as emphasizing and tying the last eighth note of a measure almost obsessively. We find this in the very lovely Lawns, written for her mid-1980s sextet, and even more so in End of Vienna, which she allowed me to arrange for chamber orchestra. There are direct quotations from it in the quintet. But, as with Elizabethan virginal music, the element of lament is restrained and done with a certain dignity and restraint. While I do write decorations within all these harpsichord works, I encourage any future performer to be as willful and free in adding others. Like Ives, quoting Thoreau: “I cannot exaggerate enough…” *Canadian Premiere

Librettos and Program Notes

Program Notes

CONCERT 5

Erbarme Dich

And my beloved

“Erbarme dich, mein Gott” from St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (1727) Johann Sebastian Bach

just (after song of songs) (2014, rev. 2018)

Created for the Ballett am Rhein, June 2021

Restaged for Banff Centre, Canada, September 2026

Restaged for Banff Centre, Canada, September 2026 Notes by Neshama Nashman, choreographer

Set to the Erbarme dich (Have mercy) aria from the St. Matthew Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach, this work brings Western and Eastern understandings of mercy into dialogue. In Bach’s music, mercy is a plea— a reaching outward toward a higher power, shaped by Christian ideas of repentance and grace. In Buddhist philosophy, compassion, karuṇā, is cultivated from within. All beings seek happiness, yet suffer through ignorance and desire. Mercy, in this context, is not given, but practiced. This idea is embodied in Guanyin, the “One Who Perceives the Sounds of the World,” a figure of boundless compassion.

Erbarme Dich sits between these perspectives, asking: where does mercy reside? The solo offers a glimpse into an inner journey of self-forgiveness. Guided by the mantra “I forgive myself,” the movement unfolds as a quiet ritual, a repeated return to the self. In moments of disconnection, when the body feels distant and the mind unsettled, this return becomes essential. Not to resolve, but to reconnect. Again and again.

David Lang

Created for the Ballett am Rhein, June 2024

Notes by Neshama Nashman, choreographer

And my beloved is deeply inspired by the Song of Solomon from the Old Testament, a poetic text often interpreted as a dialogue between the human soul and God, the earthly equivalent of which is the union of two lovers. David Lang's transcendent composition invites us to revel in the divine nature of being, loving, and being loved. Marc Chagall’s paintings of lovers in Blue created a visual inspiration for the piece. I went back to his paintings as a source of clarity and continuity through the creation process. From the angles of the heads to the tone of the costume fabrics, I entrusted the dancers into his world of blue love.

Mycelium String Quartet in B minor, Op. 11 (1935 – 1936)

Samuel Barber

Created for Banff Centre, June 2026 Notes by Neshama Nashman, choreographer

Created through a collaboration between three Canadian artists, a choreographer and two dancers living and working in Germany, Mycelium draws inspiration from the underground fungal networks that connect and sustain entire ecosystems. Set to Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, a work long associated with mourning and collective loss, the piece turns its attention toward persistence, connection, and renewal. Through shifting patterns of support, resistance, and interdependence, the dancers evoke the unseen structures that allow life to endure and regenerate. Like mycelium beneath the forest floor, hope often grows invisibly, extending itself through darkness and distance before finding its way toward the light.

Librettos and Program Notes

Supporters Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity would like to thank the following generous supporters of BISQFest 2026 and BISQC 2028:

Supporters Ginger Anders and Joseph Baker Barb Atnikov and Albert Rosengarten Foundation Daniel Barer

Program Supporters The Azrieli Foundation David and Christine Anderson Jenny Belzberg Future Fund Sandra Green Susan and Paul A. Mahr Christopher R. Head Anonymous (2)

Elizabeth and Alan Bell Peter Brandon Karen Brumelle Jules Chamberlain Bert Almon and Olga Costopoulos-Almon Katherine Duncan and Ute Schaffland Susan J Eadie Jo-Anne Harris Mark & Nancy Heule Courtney Maxwell and Robert Hilsden

Public Sector

Ernest Howe Anne Howells Allan James S.B. Joe Edward and Ann Kerwin Estate of Maureen Gail Katchen Louise Klaassen

Endowments

Lorraine Kneier

Aurora Fund for the Advancement of String Quartet Music

Joan and Philip Leighton

Eagles Nest BISQC Young Artists Endowment Freeze Family Career Development Program Fund, BISQC Leslie Mahr Endowment Fund for BISQC R.S. Williams & Sons Company Ltd. Endowment Fund Sylvia and Jack Chetner Scholarship Endowment

Bette and Winston Lord MacLachlan Ridge Family Shirley McClary Paul Ronald Jan McCulloch Lorna and William Orr WD Robertson Lore Ruschiensky and Dennis Weist C. Schick Mary and Richard Shaw Paris Simons Tom and Ellen Smee Lynn Superstein Robin and Joanne Walker Brian D. Warner and Margaret J. Miller Yoko Oike Wong Chris and Kristen Wroblewski

Supporters listed above donated $1,000+ to BISQFest 2026 and/or BISQC 2028 between August 1, 2025 – May 26, 2026.

Mark and Susan Wittrup Anonymous (2)

Tzu-Shao Chao of Quartett HANA, BISQC 2025. Photo by Rita Taylor.

About Banff Centre

Leave Your Legacy

Banff Centre exists to inspire artists and leaders to make their unique contribution to society. We aspire to be the global leader in arts, culture, and creativity. Human potential is realized at Banff Centre. As a unique creative and learning experience, we curate innovative programs that develop artists and leaders, inspiring them to conceive and create powerful works and ideas that are shared with the world. Banff Centre is a catalyst for knowledge and creativity through the power of our unique environment and facilities in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, our rich learning opportunities, cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral interactions, outreach activities, and performances for the public. Banff Centre is supported by funding from the Government of Alberta through Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education, Alberta Infrastructure, and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Arts programs are supported by funding from the Government of Canada through the Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canada Arts Training Fund. The Banff Centre experience is also enriched through generous support from individuals, corporations, and foundations.

Make a lasting impact by leaving a legacy gift with Banff Centre.

Discuss what’s possible with the Banff Centre team. Julie Dring Senior Development Officer julie_dring@banffcentre.ca 403.431.0315 Photo by Rita Taylor.

Donate Today. banffcentre.ca/ support-us

For the complete list of Banff Centre staff who have contributed to BISQFest 2026, please visit: banffcentre.ca/bisqfest/credits

Banff Centre Leadership Group Chris Lorway, President and CEO Jodi Burke Rinkel, Executive Director, Hospitality and Conferences Kyla Conner, General Counsel and External Relations Derek Fast, Executive Director, Marketing and Communications Valerie Kapay, Vice President, Talent Management and Culture Jennifer Lamb, Interim Executive Director, Development Aliza LeBlanc, Chief Financial Officer Lucas Pitts, Executive Director, Physical Facilities and Capital Projects Josephine Ridge, Executive Director, Arts Mark Wold, Executive Director, Leadership Banff Centre Board of Governors Paul Baay (Chair) – Calgary, AB Brinna Brinkerhoff – Calgary, AB Ron Hallman – Gatineau, QC Melanie Kwong – Banff, AB Chris Lorway (President & CEO) – Banff, AB Françoise E. Lyon – Sainte-Julie, QC Lori Paine – Calgary, AB Pinder Sandhu – Calgary, AB Naomi Schmold – Edmonton, AB Santee Smith – Six Nations, ON Myron Tétreault – Canmore, AB Banff Centre Foundation Board of Directors Robert Vanderhooft (Chair) – Regina, SK Leslie Belzberg – Los Angeles, USA Ken Hughes – Canmore, AB Aly Khan Musani – Calgary, AB Sharon O'Sullivan – Canmore, AB Myron Tétreault (interim) – Canmore, AB Paul Baay, Chair of Banff Centre Board of Governors (ex officio) – Calgary, AB Chris Lorway, President & CEO, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (ex officio) – Banff, AB 57

B A N F F I N T E R N AT I O N A L STRING QUARTET COMPETITION SAVE THE DATES

Don't miss a note. Spend every Labour Day holiday with us: BISQFest September 2 – 5, 2027 16th Banff International String Quartet Competition August 28 – September 3, 2028 banffcentre.ca/bisqc

James Ehnes’ 50th Canada Birthday Tour Saturday, September 12

ROLSTON RECITAL HALL 7:30 PM | FROM $75

“A violinist in a class of his own” The Times

Get Tickets banffcentre.ca James Ehnes & Andrew Armstrong. Photo by Benjamin Ealovega.

THE WORLD MEETS HERE.

For nearly 100 years, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity has brought together artists, leaders, and innovators in the Canadian Rockies. Conferences hosted on campus support artistic and educational programs while connecting delegates to performances, exhibitions, Indigenous ways of knowing, and mountain experiences beyond the meeting room.

oct 31 – nov 8, 2026

Book your meeting today. banffcentre.ca/conferences

Photo by Rita Taylor.

DISCOVERWorld-Class World-Class DISCOVER Chamber Music Music 2026/27 CONCERT CONCERT SEASON 2026/27 MASTERS MASTERSSERIES SERIES

Gryphon Trio Trio Gryphon Poiesis Quartet Poesis Quartet with Anastasia Chamber MusicVorotnaya Society Chamber Society of LincolnMusic Center of Lincolndi Center Quartetto Cremona Quartetto di Cremona New Orford String Quartet New Orford String Quartet HORIZON SERIES

Photo: Gryphon Trio, by Bo Huang

HORIZONS SERIES

Since 1976, 1976, we we've been sharing Since have shared the the world’s world’schamber finest chamber ensembles finest ensembles with with Calgarians. Thanks Thanks to to your your support, support, we we Calgarians. celebrate this this milestone milestone season season together! together! celebrate

James Ehnes & & Andrew James Ehnes Armstrong Andrew Armstrong

www.calgarypromusica.ca

s tNion S SPA Trio scArSipOTid al ON SE SPA Trio Sub I Piv I u R d C n S I S UaBnd vailkaeble ts 6 Attacca Quartet a ic 2 0 T 2 Attacca Quartet Y 1a,ilable M AA v with !! withCaroline CarolineShaw Shaw NOW Galvin Cello Cello Quartet Quartet Galvin

Join us in Banff for over 80 films, book events, renowned guest speakers, the Festival Marketplace, and so much more.

SPECIALEVENT EVENT SPECIAL

Artists subject to change –

Artists subject to change -

banffmountainfestival.ca

Photo by Jules Jimreivat.

Welcome. Bienvenue. Taan-shi. Getting Around Dâ âûch yahine. Oki. Gwanistłi naniya. Banff Centre Campus

Getting Around Campus

Welcome. Bienvenue. To Tunnel Taan-shi. Mountain Dâ âûch yahine. Trailhead Oki. Gwanistłi naniya.

Tunnel Mountain Trailhead

To To via Wol wn f Street

Parking St. Ju lien Ro ad

21 21

untain Trailhead

Path to ParkingNorth Town

Access

St. Ju lien Ro 5 ad

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Elevation 1,445 metres

Tunnel Mountain Drive (winter road closure)

12 (4,743 feet) St. J

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5 6

East Access

Way

St.

Juli

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14 BiProfessional LeDevelopment Café Centre Îethka Mâkochî Ahogi Chi Pa Ti: Îethka Mâkochî Ahogi ChiTerritory Pa Bi Ti:House of RespectHotel Reception Îethka 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. Îethka Territory House of Respect Glyde Hall 15 Sally Borden Building Walter Phillips Gallery Glyde Hall Fitness & Recreation Centre Maclab Bistro Walter Phillips Gallery Ken Madsen Path to Town Participant Resources

Three Ravens Restaurant 11 a.m. – 1 a.m. Ken Madsen Path Kinnear to Town Centre for Creativity Vistas Dining Room & Innovation Kinnear Centre for Creativity Maclab Bistro 16 Shaw Amphitheatre Vistas & Innovation Meeting Rooms & Banquets

Elevation 1,412 metres (4,634 feet)

St.

Juli

Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Max Bell Building

Vinci Hall

Music Building

Rolston Recital Hall

Music Huts Physical Facilities Building

Music Huts

19 21

will be open 30 minutes prior to all performances. Walter Phillips Gallery

Becker Hall

Professional Development Centre Hotel Reception

Wednesdays through Sundays, 12: 30 p.m. – 5 p.m. Free and open to all

Sally Borden Building

Roa

South Access

Fitness & Recreation Centre Participant Resources Le Café Vistas Dining Room

Shaw Amphitheatre| | 403.762.6100 | 1.800.413.8368 Theatre Complex

Welcome. Bienvenue. Taan-shi. Dâ âûch yahine. Oki. Gwanistłi naniya. Scan here for the Banff Centre Accessibility & Campus Map Online

CLVB 33

TransCanada PipeLines Pavilionthe Box Office During BISQFest,

ive

Breakfast 7 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Theatre Complex

Lloyd Hall Dinner Jenny Belzberg Theatre5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Leighton Artist Studios Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Building Laszlo Funtek Teaching Wing Lloyd Hall Margaret Greenham Theatre Box Office Banff Centre Max Bell Building

Bentley Chamber Music PrintStudio Shop Rolston Recital Hall Shipping & Receiving Tunnel Mountain Drive

Print Shop Hours of Operation Shipping & Receiving

18 Jeanne & Peter Music Building Lougheed BuildingBentley Chamber Music Studio

16 14

Campus Amenities

Physical Facilities Building

South Access

Maclab Bistro Paul D. Fleck Library & Archives17 Meeting Rooms & Banquets Leighton Artist Studios Paul D. Fleck Library & Archives

Donald Cameron Centre Donald Cameron Centre

Ro 16 ad

East Access

Ro ad

Tow

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ToS Tunnel t. Ju lien Way Mountain Trailhead

North Access 18

to n

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Corbett Hall

Tunnel Mountain Drive (winter road closure)

Corbett Hall

CLVB 33 Jenny Belzberg Theatre Laszlo Funtek Teaching Wing Margaret Greenham Theatre Tunnel Mountain Drive

TransCanada PipeLines Pavilion Vinci Hall

ive

Staff Housing Staff Housing

Becker Hall

| 403.762.6100 | 1.800.413.8368 |

“Before I knew it, I was writing a winter suite— a love letter to winter from the studio at Banff Centre. And that just never would have happened without being in this environment and place. That is the gift of Banff Centre—you just never know where inspiration will come from, only that it will come.” Laila Biali on writing her Grammy-nominated album, Wintersongs, at Banff Centre

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“I have attended the Banff String Quartet Competition for more than twenty-five years, and these events remain a highlight of my year. Kudos to Banff Centre for continuing to present these musical treasures— they just keep getting better and better.” 2024 bisqfest attendee

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Banff International String Quartet Festival 2026 Program