ARTISTS

YOUR GIFT

Anna Atkinson Violin, Accordion

Anna Atkinson is a singer, songwriter, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist originally from Windsor, Ontario. She studied the viola at the University of Victoria before spending nine years immersed in Toronto’s creative music and theatre communities. Anna performs her own music as Linaire: experimental electro-pop combining emotionally lucid lyrics with synths, strings, and lo-fi beats. A self-titled debut album was released in 2020. Anna has also contributed, both as creator and performer, to numerous projects across music, theatre, film and dance. Most recently, she was musical director, co-creator and performer in Joe Jack et John’s Les waitress sont tristes in Montreal, where she now lives.

Spencer Murray Flutes, Reeds, Pipes

The son of a proud Scottish immigrant, Spencer Murray got his start playing the bagpipes when he was 8 years old. In his twenties Spencer moved to Toronto to study saxophone at Humber College with jazz legend, Pat LaBarbera, but at night he was studying Irish flute with Juno-winning Irish musician, Loretto Reid. In 2016, Spencer was accepted to the University of Limerick in Ireland, where he became the first ever Canadian to receive a Master’s degree in the Uilleann piping. Spencer has performed as a soloist with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and with the Canadian company of Come From Away for over 850 performances. He is about to release his second album with his band Pipeslinger.