Judy Caranto (she/they) is an emerging props builder from Richmond BC, the traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. She has spent the last four years at the University of Victoria pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre. In that time, she has worked on seven of UVic’s Phoenix Theatre productions as a builder, coordinator, and assistant head of props respectively. They have also translated their properties skills to work as an artistic director and display builder of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery’s Haunted Sea exhibit in 2023 and 2024. In her spare time, Judy enjoys drawing, writing, and beachcombing.

Judy is incredibly excited to be joining the Banff Centre’s props team as a builder! As someone who values equality and community within a work or learning environment, they believe that the Banff Centre is the perfect place to cultivate and sharpen their props skills and meet new creatives within the field, as well as spend lots of time enjoying the mountains and lakes.

Judy Caranto was generously sponsored by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

Born in Lithuania. For her international musical activities, she received official compliments from President Grybauskaite and President Nauseda for the success and achievement of her international debut. She won the Grand Prix of the 7th Aoniyoshi Music Competition in Nara, the 3rd Prize of the 7th S. Vainiunas International Chamber Music Competition, and the Special Prize for the Best Interpretation of a composition by S. Vainiunas, among others.

Žydrė has performed as a soloist with the Vilnius State St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra, many Lithuanian orchestras, and the Toyohashi Symphony Orchestra in Japan. She was concertmistress of the Davos Camerata of the Davos Music Festival and the St. Christopher's Chamber Orchestra.

In recent years, Žydrė has been interested in collaboration with other arts (dance, visual art) and contemporary music. Living in Japan, she has been broadening her knowledge of Japanese composers and exploring the fusion of classical and contemporary music with traditional Japanese arts, traditional Japanese instruments, and Lithuanian culture and music.

Žydrė Ovsiukaite was generously supported by the OK Gift Shop Endowment.
 

Tyrell Loster Peitzsche has been playing the horn since he first learned what instrument plays the Force Theme in Star Wars: A New Hope in an instrument petting zoo at 11 years old. He recently graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Diploma in Music Performance Studies studying with Dr. Valerie Whitney and has a Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria with a Major in Musical Arts and Germanic Studies studying with the late Kurt Kellan. He has participated in chamber music festivals, most recently the Friends of Chamber Music competition in Vancouver. No matter the setting, Tyrell will always be happy to make music. He has been working in the public service for over five years. When he is not practicing and performing, he can be found outdoors cycling, hiking, and playing soccer or volleyball. He keeps himself busy with all aspects of life; body and mind.

Tyrell Loster Peitzsche was generously supported by the Alice and Betty Schultz Scholarships Endowment Fund for Dance and Music.

Hailing from Taiwan, Tsai is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts in Cello Performance at Rutgers University under the mentorship of Professor Jonathan Spitz. He holds degrees from McGill University and SUNY Stony Brook, where he studied with Matt Haimovitz and Colin Carr.

An avid chamber and orchestral musician, Tsai has performed at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, KKL Luzern, Lincoln Center, Maison Symphonique, and Seiji Ozawa Hall. He has worked under the baton of esteemed conductors such as Marin Alsop, Sir George Benjamin, Susanna Mälkki, and Andris Nelsons, and has collaborated with renowned artists including Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Yo-Yo Ma, Lucy Shelton, and Carol Wincenc, as well as composers Unsuk Chin and Thomas Adès. His chamber music training has been enriched by mentorship from members of the Emerson, Juilliard, Orion, and Formosa Quartets, along with guidance from David Finckel, Gilbert Kalish, Matthew Lipman, Min Kwon, Carmit Zori, and Daniel Panner.

Tsai’s festival appearances include the Lucerne Festival, Tanglewood Music Center Fellowship Program, National Orchestral Institute, National Arts Centre Orchestra Mentorship Program, New York String Seminar, and Sarasota Music Festival. 

Tsung-Yu Tsai was generously supported by the Margaret (Peggy) Sampson Memorial Endowment.

Recently named in the Canada Broadcasting Corporation’s 2024 edition for the “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30”, emerging Korean-Canadian cellist, Solina Lee, is recognized for her musical sensitivity and sincerity. She currently serves as the President and Artistic Director of Wild Rose Chamber Music, a budding arts non-profit organization dedicated to bringing accessible and inclusive classical chamber music to the Edmonton community.

Solina has been a recipient of numerous awards and scholarships. She was awarded the Persons Case Scholarship from the Alberta Ministry of Arts, Culture and Status of Women in 2024. Ms. Lee was a semi-finalist at the Concours Prix D’Europe in 2023, and a semi-finalist in the 2022-2023 Golden Violin Competition at McGill University. Solina was a selected participant of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal “Orchestral Immersion Project” in 2022, where she had the opportunity to perform in the orchestra under the baton of Maestro Rafael Payare.

Summer festivals she has attended include Morningside Music Bridge, Orford Music, Encore Chamber Music Institute, and Toronto Summer Music.

Solina received her Bachelor of Music and Master in Music at McGill University, Schulich School of Music, where she studied with principal cellist of the Montréal Symphony, Brian Manker.

Solina Lee was generously supported by the N. Murray Edwards Family Fund.

Selen Nsabiyeze is a 19-year-old violinist pursuing a Bachelor of Violin Performance at the University of Toronto, studying under Jonathan Crow, Concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Originally from Calgary, she trained for 12 years with Heidi Behrenbruch while actively participating in prestigious programs at the Mount Royal Conservatory of Music, including the Advanced Performance Program and the Calgary Youth Orchestra, where she served as Concertmaster.

A 2023 graduate of Bishop Carroll High School, Selen was not only the Concertmaster of the Bishop Carroll Virtuosi Strings but also explored choral music through ensembles like the Bishop Carroll Chamber Choir and Vocal Jazz ensemble. Passionate about chamber music, she has performed in numerous small ensembles—piano trios, string quartets, and piano quintets—at conservatories and summer festivals, including the renowned Meadowmount School of Music.

Beyond performance, Selen finds joy in teaching. She has worked with El Sistema Calgary, a nonprofit dedicated to providing music education to underserved communities. She currently teaches privately at the Willowdale School of Music in Toronto. Looking ahead, she aspires to establish a free violin program in her father’s home country of Burundi, bringing classical music to a region where it is scarce.

In her spare time, Selen enjoys painting, singing, and writing music.

Selen Nsabiyeze was generously supported by the Edith Marion Ramsay Memorial Endowment.

Savannah Seibel began her studies on the violin in 2010. Upon moving to Edmonton, Alberta in 2013, she continued lessons for violin and added the viola to her studies two years later. In 2019, Savannah was accepted into the Honours program at the Mount Royal University Conservatory for Young Artists in Calgary, where she studied viola with Nicholas Pulos until the fall of 2022. She then began her studies as a Bachelor of Music student at the University of Alberta with Keith Hamm. Currently, Savannah is finishing her bachelor’s degree at the Glenn Gould School with Steven Dann. She was awarded scholarships from the Winspear Fund Scholarship for Advanced Classical Music and the Anne Burrows Music Foundation to put towards her studies.

Savannah was accepted as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada in 2022 and 2023. Here, she worked with artists Neal Gripp, Mark Fewer, the Formosa Quartet, and other skilled professionals. She won the blind audition for the viola solo in Ravel’s “Ma mère l'Oye” and sat as principal and assistant principal violist for multiple pieces. Savannah has also participated in the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy, and was a finalist in the Northern Alberta Concerto Competition in 2022. Her goal is to pursue orchestral and chamber music professionally.

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

Sarah Camm is a dynamic and expressive trumpet player based in Melbourne, Australia, known for her versatility and engaging musical presence. A passionate performer, she is currently completing her honours year at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. She has performed with ensembles such as Melbourne Opera, iOpera and Cathedral Brass, bringing spirit and artistry to both orchestral, chamber and solo settings. Sarah is dedicated to building a career in orchestral performance, embracing opportunities to challenge and inspire, as she continues to develop her craft.

Beyond classical performance, Sarah thrives on collaboration and meaningful connection through music. She is a member of Queen of Hearts, a pioneering all-female ensemble blending mariachi and contemporary influences. The group has performed at major festivals, including Port Fairy Folk Festival, Cygnet Folk Festival and is set to appear at the Australian National Folk Festival in 2025.

Alongside her trumpet playing, she is also a guitarist and singer-songwriter, collaborating as part of a folk duo that explores storytelling through music. With a strong belief in music’s power to connect, she continues to refine her artistry through performance and creative collaboration.

Sarah Camm was generously supported by the Finch Chamber Music Scholarship Fund.

Ryan Chao’s musical career revolves around the concept of “play” an evolution of what music and sound-creation can involve, imagination and its realization, and conscious response to audiences and community. These ethics are the product of over a decade-long artistic journey—from orchestral and chamber experience to sound design and production.

As a percussionist, Ryan has premiered numerous chamber and solo works. He’s likewise appeared on multiple studio recordings, including the orchestral arrangement of Wooli and Codeko’s “Crazy” (2022) and “The Hollywood Collection” (2025) by the inaugural Studio Intensive Orchestra. Ryan is currently based in Boston, Massachusetts where he performs regularly with the New England Philharmonic and Reynaliz Herrera's theatrical percussion company, "Ideas Not Theories." He also maintains an active role in the contemporary scene through ongoing collaborations with composers and occasional chamber concerts.

Outside of performance, he also explores creative outputs through composition, graphic design, and baking! Ryan holds an M.M. in Contemporary Classical Music Performance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and a B.M. in Performance from Indiana University Bloomington.

Ryan Chao was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

Patrick is an Australian clarinettist and bass clarinettist based in Melbourne with a passion for contemporary orchestral and chamber music. He performs regularly as a freelance musician, touring with various orchestras and ensembles across Australia and internationally. A recent graduate of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, he studied with Paul Champion and Associate Professor David Griffiths. As an emerging artist, Patrick’s musical endeavours have taken him overseas. In 2023 he attended the International Akaroa Music Festival in New Zealand, where he performed in a series of chamber music concerts. In 2024 he traveled to Santiago, Chile to perform at the Portillo International Music Festival where he performed in a wind quintet and the festival academy orchestra. Patrick also has a strong interest in supporting and performing contemporary works by Australian composers. He has had the privilege to be able to collaborate with several such composers, performing and premiering works by Katy Abbott, Melody Eötvös, Elliott Gyger, Tom Henry, Stuart Greenbaum, and Nicholas Buc.

Patrick Vaughan was generously supported by the Frederick Louis Crosby Memorial Endowment.