Upcoming concerts
FRANCINE KAY – SOLO PIANO
Yarmouth County Museum and Archives
22 Collins St, Yarmouth, NS B5A 3C8
Wed, May 14, 2025
4:00pm - 5:30pm and 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Distinguished by “ardent lyricism” (Gramophone) and “rare sonic magic” (Le Devoir), pianist Francine Kay is noted for the beauty, intensity, and depth of her interpretations. She made her solo debut recital at Carnegie Hall and since then, she has appeared at the Lincoln Center’s Rose Studio, Salle Gaveau (Paris), the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., and with the Dame Myra Hess Concerts Series in Chicago. She is also a regular guest with Bargemusic (New York City), as well as at international festivals in Poland, Czechia, France, and the United States.
Francine’s solo program will include works from her new Gramophone-recommended CD “Things Lived and Dreamt”, with works by Chopin, Debussy, and Fanny Mendelssohn.
Francine Kay was the inaugural winner of the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Career Development Award. She then made her solo debut at the Carnegie Recital Hall under the auspices of the New York Pro Piano Competition as their 1st prize Winner and Recitalist of the Year. Over the course of her career, she has appeared at the Lincoln Center’s Rose Studio, Salle Gaveau (Paris), the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., and with the Dame Myra Hess Concerts Series in Chicago. She is also a regular guest with Bargemusic (New York City), as well as at international festivals in Poland, Czechia, France, and the United States. As an orchestral soloist, Ms. Kay has performed with orchestras throughout Canada and the United States.Francine Kay’s JUNO-nominated Debussy CD was chosen as Disc of the Month by the prestigious German publication, Fono Forum. Her 2023 release Things Lived and Dreamt (Analekta) was selected “Best of 2023” by Paolo Pietropaolo for CBC Radio’s “In Concert” program, while Gramophone reviewer Jed Distler featured Things Lives and Dreamt as one of the best piano releases of 2023 for the award-winning program “Between the Keys”, on WWFM-The Classical Network. It was also featured as “Pick of the Week” on Ireland’s RTÉ national broadcast network.
Elsewhere, Francine’s performances can be heard frequently on the CBC, NPR, BBC, and EBU networks, as well as on Radio France, SiriusXM’s “Symphony Hall”, and Chicago’s WMFT.
Francine’s solo program will include works from her new Gramophone-recommended CD “Things Lived and Dreamt”, with works by Chopin, Debussy, and Fanny Mendelssohn.
Francine Kay was the inaugural winner of the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Career Development Award. She then made her solo debut at the Carnegie Recital Hall under the auspices of the New York Pro Piano Competition as their 1st prize Winner and Recitalist of the Year. Over the course of her career, she has appeared at the Lincoln Center’s Rose Studio, Salle Gaveau (Paris), the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., and with the Dame Myra Hess Concerts Series in Chicago. She is also a regular guest with Bargemusic (New York City), as well as at international festivals in Poland, Czechia, France, and the United States. As an orchestral soloist, Ms. Kay has performed with orchestras throughout Canada and the United States.Francine Kay’s JUNO-nominated Debussy CD was chosen as Disc of the Month by the prestigious German publication, Fono Forum. Her 2023 release Things Lived and Dreamt (Analekta) was selected “Best of 2023” by Paolo Pietropaolo for CBC Radio’s “In Concert” program, while Gramophone reviewer Jed Distler featured Things Lives and Dreamt as one of the best piano releases of 2023 for the award-winning program “Between the Keys”, on WWFM-The Classical Network. It was also featured as “Pick of the Week” on Ireland’s RTÉ national broadcast network.
Elsewhere, Francine’s performances can be heard frequently on the CBC, NPR, BBC, and EBU networks, as well as on Radio France, SiriusXM’s “Symphony Hall”, and Chicago’s WMFT.
ADAM CICCHILLITTI – SOLO GUITAR
Holy Trinity Church
61 William St, Yarmouth, NS B5A 1Y4
Wed, September 17, 2025
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Montreal-born guitarist Adam Cicchillitti returns to Yarmouth with a new program as part of the Debut Atlantic tour.
The renowned American magazine Classical Guitar called him “a virtuoso at the top of his game” and CBC music described him as an “ardent ambassador for classical guitar,” including him on their list of the top 30 musicians in Canada under 30 years old. Adam has commissioned over two dozen new works since 2019 and recorded five albums with the Analekta, Atma, and Leaf music record labels. His album Focus, dedicated to new Canadian music for two guitars, was awarded “classical recording of the year” at the East Coast Music Awards in 2021. The follow-up album Intimate Impressions was nominated in the same category in 2022. Adam and his duo partner Steve Cowan have won second and third prize at the guitar foundation of America international ensemble competition in 2023 and 2021 respectively, without a doubt the world’s most prestigious guitar ensemble competition. Moreover, he is only the second guitarist to win the grand prize of the multi-instrument Canimex concerto competition in Canada and has been a finalist and multiple prize-winner in over a dozen national and international competitions.
This concert invites you to witness the guitar's unique capacity to convey guitarist Adam Cicchillitti’s distinctive voice, revealing the guitar's extraordinary ability to captivate with its vivid colors and unexpected musical revelations.
The renowned American magazine Classical Guitar called him “a virtuoso at the top of his game” and CBC music described him as an “ardent ambassador for classical guitar,” including him on their list of the top 30 musicians in Canada under 30 years old. Adam has commissioned over two dozen new works since 2019 and recorded five albums with the Analekta, Atma, and Leaf music record labels. His album Focus, dedicated to new Canadian music for two guitars, was awarded “classical recording of the year” at the East Coast Music Awards in 2021. The follow-up album Intimate Impressions was nominated in the same category in 2022. Adam and his duo partner Steve Cowan have won second and third prize at the guitar foundation of America international ensemble competition in 2023 and 2021 respectively, without a doubt the world’s most prestigious guitar ensemble competition. Moreover, he is only the second guitarist to win the grand prize of the multi-instrument Canimex concerto competition in Canada and has been a finalist and multiple prize-winner in over a dozen national and international competitions.
This concert invites you to witness the guitar's unique capacity to convey guitarist Adam Cicchillitti’s distinctive voice, revealing the guitar's extraordinary ability to captivate with its vivid colors and unexpected musical revelations.
PIAZZOLLA TANGOS – PIANO TRIO
Yarmouth County Museum and Archives
22 Collins St, Yarmouth, NS B5A 3C8
Wed, October 29, 2025
4:00pm - 5:30pm and 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Louise Bessette, piano | Marc Djokic, violin | Chloé Dominguez, cello
A Trio for Tango
Welcome into Astor Piazzolla's Argentina: this Piazzolla Trio proposes a stopover in Buenos Aires alongside violinist Marc Djokic, cellist Chloé Dominguez, and pianist Louise Bessette. A sensitive tribute to the Argentinean composer and bandoneonist.
Astor Piazzolla, master of the tango
Astor Piazzolla has largely contributed to the fame of tango throughout the world. Arranged and put together in a cycle, the Four Seasons of Buenos Aires (Las cuatro estaciones porteñas) are as renowned as those of Vivaldi. The arrangement presented here, for piano, violin and cello, is by José Bragato who is also a cellist with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra.
Written in 1982 for Mstislav Rostropovitch, Le grand tango was not performed by its recipient until 1990. Very energetic, it is reputed for its technical challenges for the cellist. The piece Oblivion, one of Piazzolla's most well known tangos, was featured in the soundtrack of Marco Bellocchio's film Enrico IV. The piece Adiós Nonino is a work tinged with melancholy and presented here in a magnificent version for solo piano by Piazzolla. Finally, L’Histoire du tango retraces in four movements the journey of this music from the underbelly of Buenos Aires to the pantheons of classical music. Throughout this program, Louise Bessette, Marc Djokic and Chloé Dominguez show that from now on, tango can be danced by three!
A Trio for Tango
Welcome into Astor Piazzolla's Argentina: this Piazzolla Trio proposes a stopover in Buenos Aires alongside violinist Marc Djokic, cellist Chloé Dominguez, and pianist Louise Bessette. A sensitive tribute to the Argentinean composer and bandoneonist.
Astor Piazzolla, master of the tango
Astor Piazzolla has largely contributed to the fame of tango throughout the world. Arranged and put together in a cycle, the Four Seasons of Buenos Aires (Las cuatro estaciones porteñas) are as renowned as those of Vivaldi. The arrangement presented here, for piano, violin and cello, is by José Bragato who is also a cellist with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra.
Written in 1982 for Mstislav Rostropovitch, Le grand tango was not performed by its recipient until 1990. Very energetic, it is reputed for its technical challenges for the cellist. The piece Oblivion, one of Piazzolla's most well known tangos, was featured in the soundtrack of Marco Bellocchio's film Enrico IV. The piece Adiós Nonino is a work tinged with melancholy and presented here in a magnificent version for solo piano by Piazzolla. Finally, L’Histoire du tango retraces in four movements the journey of this music from the underbelly of Buenos Aires to the pantheons of classical music. Throughout this program, Louise Bessette, Marc Djokic and Chloé Dominguez show that from now on, tango can be danced by three!
BUZZ BRASS – BRASS QUINTET
Holy Trinity Church
61 William St, Yarmouth, NS B5A 1Y4
Wed, November 19, 2025
7:00pm - 9:30pm
The Canadian quintet Buzz Brass has been travelling the world and captivating classical music lovers since 2002. Whether alone or with guest musicians, Buzz Brass’s highly original performances consistently make a strong impression. The ensemble has given over 1,950 concerts and won over more than 500,000 music lovers across North America, Europe and China. Over the years, Buzz Brass has earned numerous awards and honours—including Canada’s OPUS, ADISQ, and Trille Or prizes—in recognition of the quality and renown of its performances. With its innovative programs, acclaimed recordings, unique repertoire and broad appeal, the group has become one of Canada’s most reputable brass quintets Recent projects include partnerships with recognized Canadian symphony orchestras such as those in Quebec, Winnipeg, or Sherbrooke, as well as with Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra. The quintet has eight albums to its credit and continues working on new repertoire to record.
TONG WANG – SOLO PIANO
Yarmouth County Museum and Archives
22 Collins St, Yarmouth, NS B5A 3C8
Wed, February 11, 2026
4:00pm - 5:30pm and 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Tong Wang is a Canadian artist leading innovative initiatives across areas of performance, research, and community engagement. Her projects explore the role of art in relation to identity, culture, and current social-political issues. Her multimedia performances incorporate writing, art, audio-visual materials and audience interaction. As a soloist and chamber musician, Tong has performed with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, and ensembles across North America and Europe. As a multidisciplinary artist, she has written the libretto of a new opera, “Labyrinth of Tears”, funded by the Canada Council, FRQSC, and SSHRC. Her doctoral research studies the aesthetic of “cuteness” in popular and classical music.
Tong recently toured a recital on multiculturalism, “我们†Us” in Lunenburg, Montreal, Basel, and presented the interactive concerts “We’re Not Really Strangers” and “My Neighbours Totoro and Claude!” at the Verbier Festival. In 2022, Tong launched the Windwood Music Festival in Airdrie, Alberta to engage with rural farming communities through classical chamber music. In 2023, Tong toured with Duo Perdendosi across eastern US & Canada and premiered with Duo Incarnadine a new commission by Alice Ho, “Four Impressions of China”. As a recipient of the Canada Council Arts Abroad Touring grant, Tong will perform a new program, “Dark Tales”, with Duo Perdendosi across eastern Europe in Spring 2024. Tong is a graduate of the New England Conservatory in Boston and the Schulich School of Music, McGill University in Montreal. Using diverse mediums, Tong aims to share the power of art to reach across time, languages, borders, and cultures to connect people and kindle a shared understanding.
Tong recently toured a recital on multiculturalism, “我们†Us” in Lunenburg, Montreal, Basel, and presented the interactive concerts “We’re Not Really Strangers” and “My Neighbours Totoro and Claude!” at the Verbier Festival. In 2022, Tong launched the Windwood Music Festival in Airdrie, Alberta to engage with rural farming communities through classical chamber music. In 2023, Tong toured with Duo Perdendosi across eastern US & Canada and premiered with Duo Incarnadine a new commission by Alice Ho, “Four Impressions of China”. As a recipient of the Canada Council Arts Abroad Touring grant, Tong will perform a new program, “Dark Tales”, with Duo Perdendosi across eastern Europe in Spring 2024. Tong is a graduate of the New England Conservatory in Boston and the Schulich School of Music, McGill University in Montreal. Using diverse mediums, Tong aims to share the power of art to reach across time, languages, borders, and cultures to connect people and kindle a shared understanding.
THE CALLISTA TRIO – PIANO TRIO
Yarmouth County Museum and Archives
22 Collins St, Yarmouth, NS B5A 3C8
Sun, March 22, 2026
3:00pm - 4:30pm and 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Introducing the Callista Trio: one of Canada’s newest and most dynamic chamber ensembles!
Since its inception, the ensemble has given several performances in Ontario, Toronto, Montreal and the surrounding area to resounding success.
The 2025-2026 season’s tours will showcase the Callista Trio in Ontario, Québec and Nova Scotia, as well as in Europe.
Three notable musicians based in Montreal comprise the Callista Trio: Laurence Kayaleh, violin, Elizabeth Dolin, cello, and Lucas Porter, piano. Soloists in their own right, each appears regularly on national and international stages, and has recorded extensively on prestigious labels such as Analekta, ATMA, and Naxos.
They will perform two great works from the romantic era: Dvorak's f minor trio and the Brahms B major Trio.
Since its inception, the ensemble has given several performances in Ontario, Toronto, Montreal and the surrounding area to resounding success.
The 2025-2026 season’s tours will showcase the Callista Trio in Ontario, Québec and Nova Scotia, as well as in Europe.
Three notable musicians based in Montreal comprise the Callista Trio: Laurence Kayaleh, violin, Elizabeth Dolin, cello, and Lucas Porter, piano. Soloists in their own right, each appears regularly on national and international stages, and has recorded extensively on prestigious labels such as Analekta, ATMA, and Naxos.
They will perform two great works from the romantic era: Dvorak's f minor trio and the Brahms B major Trio.
CINDY THONG – SOLO PIANO
Yarmouth County Museum and Archives
22 Collins St, Yarmouth, NS B5A 3C8
Sat, May 16, 2026 and Sun, May 17, 2026
7:00pm - 8:30pm and 3:00pm - 4:30pm
Canadian pianist Cindy Thong leads a polyvalent career as a pedagogue, researcherand performer. She has performed throughout Canada, in Switzerland, Austria,Germany, Spain and Italy, and has also been a finalist and prizewinner in numerouscompetitions such as the Concours Hélène-Roberge and Canadian Music Competition.She has also made appearances at the Orford Music Festival, Banff Arts Centre, GijónInternational Piano Festival and Euro Music Festival, amongst others.
Her Yarmouth program features the works of four giants of the romantic period: Schumann, Brahms, Chopin and Liszt.
Schumann – Kinderzenen, Op.15
Brahms – 4 Klavierstücke, Op. 119
Chopin – Ballade No. 4 Op. 52
Liszt – Sonata in B minor
Alongside her performance and pedagogical activities, Cindy maintains a keen interestin performance psychology and mental skills training. In particular, her dissertationpertained to the neuropsychology of learning and the optimization of practice methods,deconstructing and analyzing models related to enhanced efficiency. She has regularlybeen invited to lecture and offer workshops on these topics and related subjects atinstitutions such as the University of British Columbia and York University, andcontinues to expand this interdisciplinary work in collaboration with other domains, suchas research for arts and health interventions.
Cindy holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Montréal (Canada), whereshe was also awarded the Prix d’interpretation en piano upon graduation. She alsoholds a Master of Arts in Music Performance from the Haute École de Musique deGenève (Switzerland), as well as a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and ArtistDiploma from the University of Montréal. Her primary teachers include Jimmy Brière, thelate Dominique Weber, and John Hansen. Cindy is currently on faculty at AcadiaUniversity and the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts. She is also the ArtisticDirector of the Acadia Piano Intensive program.
Her Yarmouth program features the works of four giants of the romantic period: Schumann, Brahms, Chopin and Liszt.
Schumann – Kinderzenen, Op.15
Brahms – 4 Klavierstücke, Op. 119
Chopin – Ballade No. 4 Op. 52
Liszt – Sonata in B minor
Alongside her performance and pedagogical activities, Cindy maintains a keen interestin performance psychology and mental skills training. In particular, her dissertationpertained to the neuropsychology of learning and the optimization of practice methods,deconstructing and analyzing models related to enhanced efficiency. She has regularlybeen invited to lecture and offer workshops on these topics and related subjects atinstitutions such as the University of British Columbia and York University, andcontinues to expand this interdisciplinary work in collaboration with other domains, suchas research for arts and health interventions.
Cindy holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Montréal (Canada), whereshe was also awarded the Prix d’interpretation en piano upon graduation. She alsoholds a Master of Arts in Music Performance from the Haute École de Musique deGenève (Switzerland), as well as a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and ArtistDiploma from the University of Montréal. Her primary teachers include Jimmy Brière, thelate Dominique Weber, and John Hansen. Cindy is currently on faculty at AcadiaUniversity and the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts. She is also the ArtisticDirector of the Acadia Piano Intensive program.