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Description

 

World-renowned Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in c with the Banff Festival Orchestra, alongside a special string orchestra performance of Schubert’s Death and the Maiden.

Program

Afiara Quartet 
Dali Quartet
Opus13
FRANZ SCHUBERT: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810 ‘Death and the Maiden’

Jan Lisiecki, violin
Banff Festival Orchestra
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37

 

Program is subject to change

A man dressed in black is seated at a grand piano
Page Summary
Jan Lisiecki performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Banff Festival Orchestra, alongside Schubert’s Death and the Maiden.
Exhibition
No
Free
No
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Event Tags
Department
Performance Date
Date
Audience View Micro Site URL
https://tickets.banffcentre.ca/online/mapSelect.asp?BOset::WSmap::seatmap::performance_ids=282474B3-24B3-47DA-9F91-6D6503ACECED
Computed Sort Date
1788573600
Event Subtitle
Banff International String Quartet Festival
Description

 

Laureates of BISQC 2022 and first prize winners at the 2025 Wigmore Hall and Bordeaux International String Quartet Competitions, Norway’s Opus13 returns to Banff for an afternoon performance.

Program

LEOŠ JANÁČEK: String Quartet No. 2 “Intimate Letters” 

EDVARD GRIEG: String Quartet No. 1, Op. 27

 

Program is subject to change

Four musicians dressed black, standing in front of a backlit wall
Page Summary
Laureates of BISQC 2022 and winners of the 2025 Wigmore Hall and Bordeaux competitions, Norway’s Opus13 returns for an afternoon performance.
Exhibition
No
Free
No
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Event Tags
Department
Performance Date
Date
Audience View Micro Site URL
https://tickets.banffcentre.ca/online/mapSelect.asp?BOset::WSmap::seatmap::performance_ids=3D112D6E-1DE6-4F36-899D-2D7AAD7F8FAD
Computed Sort Date
1788553800
Event Subtitle
Banff International String Quartet Festival
Description

 

Laureates of BISQC 2022 and first prize winners at the 2025 Wigmore Hall and Bordeaux International String Quartet Competitions, Norway’s Opus13 returns to Banff for an afternoon performance.

Program

LEOŠ JANÁČEK: String Quartet No. 2 “Intimate Letters” 

EDVARD GRIEG: String Quartet No. 1, Op. 27

 

Program is subject to change

Four musicians dressed black, standing in front of a backlit wall
Page Summary
Laureates of BISQC 2022 and winners of the 2025 Wigmore Hall and Bordeaux competitions, Norway’s Opus13 returns for a morning performance.
Exhibition
No
Free
No
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Event Tags
Department
Performance Date
Date
Audience View Micro Site URL
https://tickets.banffcentre.ca/online/mapSelect.asp?BOset::WSmap::seatmap::performance_ids=E70F5C08-9EB2-4D1E-9C07-CCA3DCECED6F
Expandable Content
Computed Sort Date
1788539400
Event Subtitle
Banff International String Quartet Festival
Description

 

Harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani presents the Canadian premiere of a newly commissioned work by Gavin Bryars, along with a work by composer-in-residence Mark Applebaum and performance with Afiara Quartet.

Program

Livia Sohn, violin
Hao Zhou, violin
Barry Shiffman, viola
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK :Terzetto in C Major, Op. 74 (1887)

Afiara Quartet
Mahan Estafani, harpsichord
GAVIN BRYARS: Harpsichord Quintet

Mahan Estafani, harpsichord
MARK APPLEBAUM: October, 1582

 

Program is subject to change

A man standing outdoors holding a hat, a string quartet playing their instruments, and a headshot of a man in yellow glasses
Page Summary
Harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani presents a Canadian premiere by Gavin Bryars, a work by Mark Applebaum, and performs with Afiara Quartet.
Exhibition
No
Free
No
Donation
Off
Banff Centre Artist/Practicum/Staff Only
Off
Licensed
Off
Event Tags
Department
Performance Date
Date
Audience View Micro Site URL
https://tickets.banffcentre.ca/online/mapSelect.asp?BOset::WSmap::seatmap::performance_ids=45B9EC45-DC5A-4870-B7C7-8CAAB9C290AE
Computed Sort Date
1788485400
Event Subtitle
Banff International String Quartet Festival

Submitted by Kariunas Olivia on
English
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Hong Kong-born Canadian pianist Dane Ko is a recitalist, chamber musician and educator active internationally. The 2025-26 season includes debuts at Montreal International Bach Festival, Chapelle Historique du Bon-Pasteur, Algoma Conservatory Concerts and the Gilmore International Piano Festival as a Gilmore Festival Fellow.

As soloist, Dane has performed in France, Austria, Italy, Hong Kong, Macau, Canada and the US. Dane is a prizewinner at Prix Ravel, The Shean Piano Competition, The Glenn Gould School Chamber Music Competition, and the CMC “Stepping Stone”. Dane has interviewed and performed on Florida’s Classical WSMR, Hong Kong’s RTHK Radio 4, and CBC Radio One. 

Dane is also a dedicated music educator and an award-winning research scholar, having lectured in institutions such as University of Toronto’s Graduate Piano Pedagogy Seminar, University of Hong Kong Advanced Performance Seminar among others. 

Dane trained at such academies as Chigiana, Mozarteum, Fontainebleau, Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, ISA of mdw with Lilya Zilberstein, Robert Levin, Klaus Hellwig among many others. In Canada, his primary teachers include Marietta Orlov, Lydia Wong and Ilya Poletaev. Graduate of the University of Toronto and The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory, Dane is currently a Doctor of Music candidate and instructor of piano at McGill University Schulich School of Music.

Submitted by Kariunas Olivia on
English
Woman sitting at the piano looking off camera

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Cheonmi Park, a South Korean-born pianist and educator based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. With a distinguished blend of performance and teaching experience, she is steadily building a reputation in the classical music community.

Cheonmi began her musical journey at the Seoul Arts Center Academy, where she received foundational training. She continued her studies at Yewon School and Seoul Arts High School, before enrolling at Seoul National University to deepen her academic and musical knowledge. After graduating Seoul National University, she moved to the United States to pursuing her graduate studies at University of Michigan.

At Michigan, Cheonmi completed her Master’s degree in Piano Performance and Cheonmi is pursuing doctorate study under the mentorship of Professor Arthur Greene. Her technical skills and interpretive depth were further enhanced through participation in masterclasses with renowned pianists such as Alexander Kobrin, Jon Nakamatsu, Spencer Myer and Jerome Rose.

Not only a solo pianist but also a chamber and collaborative musician, Cheonmi performed as a member of the Banchan Trio under the guidance of Professor Amy Cheng and had a masterclass with Horszowski Trio. She also has collaborated with musicians including instrumentalists and vocalists. In addition to her piano performance, she has developed a growing interest in the harpsichord, studying with Professor Joseph Gascho.

Cheonmi has also participated in several prestigious summer programs, including the Chautauqua Music School and the Gijón Piano Festival in 2024.

Throughout her career, Cheonmi has earned recognition in several prestigious competitions. She was a finalist in the 2023 SMTD Concerto Competition at the University of Michigan and has won top prizes at competitions such as the Texas A&M Commencement Music Competition in Seoul and the 55th Music Education News Competition. In addition, Cheonmi is honored to be a recipient of the Feltsman Piano Foundation Scholarship, which has provided valuable support in advancing her artistic and academic pursuits.

Cheonmi is equally dedicated to teaching and sharing her passion for music. As a Graduate Student Instructor at the University of Michigan, she works with mostly undergraduate students in group teaching classes or 1:1 lessons. Outside the classroom, she volunteered in "The Gift of Arts at Michigan Medicine" program at the University of Michigan Hospital and Sophie’s Place at Mott Children’s Hospital.

Submitted by Kariunas Olivia on
English
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ALEX GLASS (b. 2000) is a New York City-based composer, pianist, improviser, and educator who creates thoughtful, emotionally powerful music while exploring and dissolving boundaries between musical practices. Alex likes to construct intricate and immersive sonic worlds out of small musical seeds grown in novel environments, exploring themes of memory, perception, anxiety, and wonder; his works have been performed by prestigious ensembles such as the Mannes Orchestra, SPLICE Ensemble, and the Valencia International Contemporary Ensemble. As an active pianist and interpreter of new music, Alex can frequently be seen premiering his own and colleagues’ works throughout the city. Equally well-versed in improvisation-based music, Alex recently released his debut album, Everything Falling Together, featuring all original compositions performed with a jazz combo. Alex is also a passionate educator, holding private piano and guitar studios in Tribeca, Manhattan and Bath Beach, Brooklyn.

Alex earned his Bachelor’s degree in composition from Boyer College at Temple University, and his Master’s degree in composition at the Mannes School of Music, where he studied with Timo Andres. [You can learn more about Alex on his website, alexglassmusic.com.]

Submitted by Dolson Rhona on
English
Headshot of Justin Gray

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Justin Gray is a GRAMMY® and JUNO® Award-winning artist, composer, producer, and engineer based in Toronto. His album IMMERSED won the 2026 GRAMMY® Award for Best Immersive Audio Album, making him the first Canadian to receive the honour. 
 

As a producer and engineer, Gray has collaborated with artists and labels worldwide. His credits include Olivia Rodrigo, Snoop Dogg, The Tragically Hip, Brandy, Nelly Furtado, Mother Mother, Blue Rodeo, Arkells, Jann Arden, Karan Aujla, Mae Martin, Marcin, Lola Brooke, and Josh Ross. 

Gray is on the faculty at Humber Polytechnic, where he teaches audio production. He works as a mixing and mastering engineer from his studio, Justin Gray Sound. 
As an artist and producer, Gray champions cross-cultural collaboration and new approaches to musical creation, presentation, and listening. His work explores how composition, performance, and recording technology can combine to create immersive musical experiences. 

His album IMMERSED is a cinematic visual album composed, recorded, and produced specifically for immersive audio. Featuring 38 musicians from around the world, the project places the listener at the center of a global orchestra, with music unfolding across a three-dimensional soundscape.

Dolson Rhona

Submitted by Kariunas Olivia on
English
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Hungarian pianist, Ádám Balogh is a recipient of the Junior Príma Award, the Cziffra Talent Award, the Kocsis Zoltán Award and the Junior Tüke Award. He was born in 1997 in Pécs. In 2010, he made his debut as a soloist with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, conducted by Iván Fischer. Since then, he has been a regular guest of major domestic orchestras. He has performed in concert halls across Europe, America, and Asia. 


From the age of 12, he studied in the Exceptional Talents Class at the Liszt Academy, where his teachers were Attila Némethy and Gábor Eckhardt. He completed his master’s degree in Hanover in the class of Arie Vardi and later in Budapest under the guidance of Dénes Várjon and Gábor Farkas. 


He has successfully returned from numerous important international competitions. He is the second prize winner of the Bartók World Competition and the fifth prize winner at the Sydney International Piano Competition. He received a special prize at the Honens Piano Competition. He has been a scholarship holder and awardee of the Tel Hai, New York IKIF, PianoTexas, Philadelphia Young Pianists’ Academy, and Chautauqua festivals. 


He received the Fischer Annie Scholarship in 2019, 2020, and 2022. Since 2020, he has been supported by the Lieven Foundation. He is currently a student at the Doctoral School of the Liszt Academy and a teacher of the Chamber Music Department.
 

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This summer, Walter Phillips Gallery presents the exhibition A Clean Place to Swim by Diane Borsato, featuring new and past works exploring the liberating, intimate, and communal possibilities of being in water. A frequent Banff Centre collaborator, we asked her about the impact of the landscape on her work.

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What do you find inspiring about creating art that’s in conversation with the outdoors?


As an artist, I’ve always found natural spaces to be infinitely more stimulating than an empty white studio. Underneath the sensory experience of a mountain—or even a single mushroom—there are deep histories and possibilities for meaning.

Quotation

“[Banff Centre is] a landscape as full of artists as it is with birds.”

Source
Diane Borsato
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You have a long history with Banff Centre. What continues to excite you about the landscape here?

My favourite part of the landscape are the smaller-scale encounters: bunches of witch’s hair lichen growing from the trees, or pairs of enormous elk lounging on the trails. And those mischievous long-tailed black and iridescent blue magpies are so beautiful—every time, they surprise me.
I also love the landscape of human encounters I have here—with artists, playwrights, dancers, musicians, designers, performers, and more—that have been so important to the development of my work, and to expanding my friendships around the world. It’s a landscape as full of artists as it is with birds.

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Do you have any favourite spots on campus?

I love to swim, and so my favourite spot on campus is the Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation pool. By day, you are surrounded by a view of those impossible mountains and then at night, you can float around under an uncanny, overhead view of the pool itself, reflected in the glass ceiling. I also love the glacier-cold Bow River, which I swam in during the hottest of summers, at our Outdoor School residency, in 2018. It’s meant to be an annual prompt inviting artists and researchers to swim together in the Bow. This year, the swimming date falls on Thursday, August 6 from 6 to 7 p.m. If you’re feeling up to brave the cold, you can show up and make it happen!

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Outdoor School—the residency and resulting book— explored contemporary environmental art in Canada.

How can lovers of the outdoors start to think like artists during their own outdoor activities? For [co-faculty Amish Morrell] and I, the focus of our
Outdoor School project is to draw attention to the ways artists think, learn, and respond to the outdoors. It’s an ongoing proposal to practice being outdoors, whether it is by walking, swimming, foraging, mountain climbing, visioning, spell-conjuring, rabbit-hunting, trespassing, or even pumpkin-boat sailing—with humility, attention, and openness to new ways of thinking. Being together outdoors helps us to ask: What do we owe all the other beings we share the world with? And what do we owe ourselves?

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