Serbian-born pianist Nikola Markovic is a soloist, chamber musician, and recording artist based in Vancouver. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from the University of British Columbia, studying under Dr. Terence Dawson. His previous studies include a Master’s degree from Georgia State University with Dr. Sergio Gallo and a Bachelor’s from the University of Novi Sad with Professor Rita Kinka. A versatile performer, Nikola has given solo recitals and concerto performances across Europe and North America. He frequently collaborates with other musicians, most notably with flutist Thomas Law. His performances have been featured on Radio Television of Serbia and Radio Novi Sad. Nikola has earned numerous top prizes, including First Prize at the International Protégé Piano Competition, leading to his debut at Carnegie Hall, as well as First Prize at the Georgia State Concerto Competition and the Atlanta Music Club Competition. He has also won top national prizes in Serbia, including Second Prize at the International Piano Competition Memorial Isidor Bajić. Beyond performing, Nikola is a dedicated teacher. As an RCM-certified teacher, he has helped students achieve success in national and international competitions, many of whom have performed at Carnegie Hall. He has also participated in masterclasses with world-class pianists such as Sándor Falvai, Sergei Kurdjakov, Marina Lomazov, Rustem Hayroudinoff, Konstantin Bogino, Thomas Hecht, and Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.

Nikola Markovic was generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music.

Madison Keats is a dynamic percussionist from Ontario, Canada, known for her engaging performances and commitment to inspiring others through music. With a passion for inclusivity and empowerment, Madison strives to make everyone feel the sense of belonging she discovered through music, particularly encouraging young girls to pursue percussion and showcasing that no goal is out of reach.

As an accomplished orchestral percussionist, Madison regularly collaborates with many different ensembles. She has also represented Canada at the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) Conferences in Prague and Gwangju, South Korea. Her versatility extends to musical theatre and operatic pit orchestras, including productions like Little Women, Into the Woods, and Les Miserables, among others.

In addition to her orchestral and theatrical work, Madison co-founded Mirrored Percussion, a percussion duo with a focus on accessibility, inclusion, and collaboration. Her dedication to chamber music has led to engagements with organizations like the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra and NUMUS concerts.

Madison is also deeply committed to music education and community outreach, having worked with Bandology, the Kitchener-Waterloo Youth Concert Band, and the Awesome Music Project, where she uses music to support youth mental health and development.

Madison Keats was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

Kelly Lenahan is a pianist and organist from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She received a Master’s Degree from the Royal College of Music, London, and an undergraduate degree from Belmont University. In addition to solo performances, Kelly has worked as a répétiteur, choral accompanist, and chamber musician. As an orchestral pianist, she has performed with the Britten-Pears Orchestra, the Royal College of Music Opera Orchestra and New Perspectives Ensemble, Chautauqua Festival Orchestra, and the Nashville Symphony. She has been named a Britten-Pears Young Artist, performing as a soloist with the Britten-Pears Orchestra. Other appearances as a soloist include the Nashville Symphony, Belmont Symphony, Round Top Festival Orchestra, and the Royal Danish Orchestra. As a ballet pianist, Kelly has worked with companies including the Washington Ballet, Mark Morris Dance Group and American Ballet Theatre. Currently, Kelly is devoting her solo work to studying and performing works by female composers. She has taken a particular interest in the music of Louise Farrenc and Lili Boulanger, and has recently given UK and European premiers of rare works by female composers from the 19th and 20th centuries. She lives in Copenhagen, Denmark where she is a pianist for the Royal Danish Ballet and Orchestra.

Kelly Lenahan was generously supported by the Cyril and Elizabeth Challice Fund for Musicians.

My name is Kaitlyn Jones and I am from Spring Texas, located north of Houston. I started playing the French Horn in 2015, and as I finished high school in 2022, I recognized that I wanted to make a career out of playing the horn, so I decided to apply to college with that in mind. For the next school year, I will be a Senior Music Performance Major at Baylor University studying under Dr. Kristy Morrell. I have participated in masterclasses with Canadian Brass, WindSync (specifically Anni Hochhalter), and Pablo Ortiz. I have played in various orchestras over my playing career, including several from summer festivals such as Sewanee Summer Music Festival and Monteux Music School, and various Baylor University ensembles. Additionally, I enjoy various outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and tennis and/or pickleball. When I’m not curating my next best YouTube video, I love being around animals and friends as much as possible!

Kaitlyn Jones was generously supported by the Rebecca Levant Performing Artists' Scholarship.

Julia Moss is a Los Angeles-based composer and violist. She is interested in exploring power structures, queerness, absurdity, surrealism, and human connection through staged storytelling. Her music is emotionally gripping, thought-provoking, and vulnerable. Julia is also a fierce collaborator and loves to create fulfilling musical experiences for performers. Through her work, she hopes to help performers uncover a deeper understanding of themselves and their own artistry. Her music has been presented by Beth Morrison Projects, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), Sputter Box, Eighth Blackbird’s Blackbird Creative Lab, USC’s Thornton Edge, Contemporaneous Ensemble, and the Lowell Chamber Orchestra, as well as choreographers and dancers from USC’s Kaufman School of Dance. She is the inaugural recipient of the Sarah Gibson Foundation Commission, which will premiere in November 2025.

Julia holds a fully-funded Masters of Music Composition from USC’s Thornton School of Music, and she is a Composer Teaching Artist Fellow for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Prior to her musical journey, Julia earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Tufts University in music and premedical studies. Julia is also a violist and often premieres new works throughout Los Angeles.

Julia Moss was generously supported by the David and Peggy Leighton Endowment.

Colombian pianist whose career encompasses a deep commitment to performance, collaboration, and education. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in piano at EAFIT University under the mentorship of Claudio Suzín and Blanca Uribe, graduating with honors. In 2018, Mora completed his Doctor of Music (DMus) in Performance – Piano at the Université de Montréal with Mme. Maneli Pirzadeh.

Mora’s passion for vocal music has shaped his artistic journey. He has participated in renowned courses and festivals in Canada and France, working with mentors such as Jeff Cohen, Dalton Baldwin, Christian Ivaldi, Gabriel Tacchino, Francis Perrón, David Lutz, and François Le Roux. He has also worked with eminent pianists, including Julian Martin, Marc Durand, Robert McDonald, and Luiz de Moura Castro.

His performance career includes appearances at some of Colombia’s most distinguished venues. He debuted at Bogotá's Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo alongside bass-baritone Valeriano Lanchas. He has also served as pianist for productions of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at Teatro Metropolitano in Medellin and Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle at Teatro Colón in Bogota.

Since 2018, Juan David Mora has been a full-time professor of piano and chamber music in the undergraduate and master’s programs at EAFIT University in Medellín.

Juan David Mora was generously supported by the Cyril and Elizabeth Challice Fund for Musicians.

Jihong Son, a tenor trombonist from South Korea, is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Chamber Music degrees at the University of Michigan (USA) under David Jackson's guidance and studying with Ohtae Kwon at the Los Angeles Brass Academy. He began to play the trombone at the age of nine and gained public recognition by his first solo debut through the Kum-ho Music Prodigy Audition in South Korea. Winning many national competitions, he moved to the United States for his further musical studies. Since then, Son has showcased his talent as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician, participating in numerous competitions as a finalist, summer festivals as a fellow, concert tours, and recording projects. He recently played with Detroit Opera and Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and every summer, as a founding member of the Pacific Trombone Project, he performs and records commissioned works with professional trombonists in Asian and Pacific Countries. He has had many opportunities to perform and learn from world-renowned trombonists in masterclass settings as well. Son earned his Master of Music degree at Rice University and Bachelor of Music degree at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, graduating with honors.

Jihong Son was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

Fiona Shonik is a recent graduate of Northwestern University, where she earned a double major in Classical Trumpet Performance and Entrepreneurship & Organizational Strategy, graduating summa cum laude with Northwestern’s Undergraduate Leadership Certificate. Her primary teachers include David Bilger, Thomas Rolfs and Michael Sachs.

An avid chamber musician, one of Fiona’s highlights at Northwestern was performing with her brass quintet, On the Spot Brass. She has spent summers as a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival, Chautauqua Institution, the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute and the National Brass Ensemble Academy.

Fiona is the recipient of the 2021 International Trumpet Guild Award, the 2020 Marguerite Suozzi Music Scholarship, and the 2020 New York State Council of Administrators of Music Education Award. In 2024, she was awarded an Undergraduate Research Grant at Northwestern for her independent study on the relationship between environment and musicians' well-being, conducting fieldwork in Hawaii to explore how natural surroundings influence artistic identity, mental health and creative performance. Passionate about new music and interdisciplinary collaboration, she has commissioned several works and enjoys exploring innovative programming in performance contexts. She is also deeply interested in the intersections of philosophy, psychology and religion, particularly in how they shape human perception and experience.

Outside of music, Fiona is a headshot and portrait photographer who loves solo travel and spending time outdoors. She enjoys hiking, writing and high-adrenaline activities like playing ice hockey and bungee jumping. Fiona is originally from Long Island, New York.

Fiona Shonik was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

DJ Combs is a trombonist who has performed around the world, from San Diego to New York City, Jazz à Vienne in France, The Montreax Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy.

DJ has been involved in music since he was young. Starting at age 7, his first instrument was piano. As he grew, he also studied violin, string bass, trombone, euphonium and tuba. For nearly a decade, DJ has played trombone in jazz bands, orchestras, brass quintets, marching bands, and more.

Currently pursuing a master’s degree in music, DJ plays in various ensembles at the Lynn Conservatory of Music. Additionally, he has performed under the baton of Sir Donald Runnicles during the Montana Youth Symphony’s visit to the Grand Teton Music Festival. DJ holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Utah State.

When not in the practice room or at the concert hall, DJ is an avid hiker, rock climber, loves making delicious food from around the world at home, and is learning how to knit. DJ feels most alive when he is high up on the side of a mountain and loves to take pictures of his travels and the beauty of nature.

DJ Combs was generously supported by the Banff Cetnre Artists' Awards.

Cassandra Wolff is a freelance percussionist and musician from St. Catharines, Ontario. She holds a Master’s degree in Performance from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor’s degree in Performance from Wilfrid Laurier University. She also holds a Diploma in Chamber Music from Laurier. She studied under the tutelage of Aiyun Huang, Beverley Johnston, Charles Settle, Ryan Scott, Brennan Connolly, and Dave Campion during these post secondary educations.

Cassandra thrives as a musical artist, enjoying many different styles of music from classical to modern, and continues to expand her horizons and abilities to as many genres as she can. As an orchestral percussionist, Cassandra has played with many orchestras across the Kitchener-Waterloo and the Greater Toronto areas, and toured Canada in both 2023 and 2024 as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. As a contemporary artist, Cassandra has performed with the NME ensemble at the Glenn Gould School, and in 2022, she won the NUMUS Emerging Improvisers Competition; she improvised alongside Ben Grossman and Kathryn Patricia Cobbler in their Double Bill show.

When she’s out of the practice rooms or not performing, Cassandra can be found reading a good book and drinking a good hot chocolate. 

Cassandra Wolff was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.