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Owais Lightwala is a professor, entrepreneur, technologist, and optimist. He builds at the intersection of AI, arts, and entrepreneurship, and is an Assistant Professor at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he teaches innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership in creative industries. He is currently working with Canadian Heritage on developing AI solutions for arts organizations.

Lightwala is the founding Director of The Creative School Chrysalis, a multidisciplinary performance hub at TMU shaping the future of creative experiences. He writes shoshin, a Substack exploring the intersection of AI and the arts. He speaks regularly at national forums and has been published in The Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Canadian Theatre Review, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

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Mary Jane Jim spent her early childhood on CAFN traditional territory, including Stony Creek, Mendenhall landing, and Dakwakada (Haines Junction), surrounded by mountains, water, and the land. Eventually, her family moved to the Whitehorse Indian Band village during a time when the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council and Kwanlin Dün First Nation were amalgamated into a single band. The community faced significant challenges, including limited infrastructure, such as a lack of running water. Despite these hardships, Jim's upbringing was shaped by her parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles who instilled a strong belief in the importance of helping others.

As she gained experience over time, Jim found herself seated at leadership tables, where she established her presence and built meaningful relationships. In these environments, she developed both personally and as a leader, contributing to key decisions and important discussions while advocating for her community and Yukon First Nations.

Stepping into her first political role at a young age, Jim became a member of Council for the Whitehorse Indian Band. Before that, she had joined the executive of the Yukon Indian Women’s Association (now Yukon Aboriginal Women’s Council). Guided by the encouragement of strong First Nation women mentors, she embraced opportunities to lead. The Association focused on advancing the rights of Indigenous women and children, with a strong emphasis on education and justice. Immersed in this environment, she found her purpose to advocate for change.

Jim first learned about Bill C-31, the amendments to the Indian Act that affected the status of Indigenous women, during a meeting of the YIWA along with the National Indian Women's Association. This moment marked a turning point for her, broadening her understanding of the national political landscape surrounding Indigenous rights. Deeply moved, she became actively involved in advocacy work, drawing on the knowledge and experience of the leaders around her. This marked the beginning of her lifelong journey in advocacy and intervention.

Connected to her traditional knowledge and land-based practices, Jim enjoys fishing, hide tanning, and participating in cultural activities that bring her people together in a good way. As a respected member of the community, she shares the lessons she learned in her youth, emphasizing that if you want to achieve something, you will always have the support of your people and community.

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Mackenzie Kamâmak Brown (she/they) is a First Nation nêhiyaw iskwêw from Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and also of Scottish and German ancestry. A multidisciplinary creative, Kamâmak is a muralist, painter, traditional crafts artist, drummer, and singer. She performs nationally and internationally with Warrior Women, a performance and teaching duo she created with her mother. Her work is grounded in Cree culture and language, which she continues to revitalize through public art, education, and weekly Cree-language classes. Mackenzie works with numerous organizations across Canada to advise on reconciliation strategy, community engagement, Indigenous business development, and authentic Indigenous tourism. Recognized with numerous awards -- including 2019 Esquao Award for Children's Future, the 2019 Indigenous Woman of the year award from the Alberta Assembly of First Nations, Top 30 under 30 From Alberta Corporation for Global Cooperation 2020, Distinguished Alumni Award MacEwan University 2022, Calgary Mayors Indigenous Artist of the Year 2025 and Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40. Mackenzie is dedicated to fostering connection, understanding, and cultural pride through every facet of her practice.

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Artistic producer and curator, Joshua Dalledonne, joins Banff Centre to lead Banff Centre Presents and build connections between artists, audiences, and communities.

BANFF, AB, AUGUST 24, 2026 – Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is excited to announce Joshua Dalledonne as Director, Banff Centre Presents, a new position at Banff Centre. Dalledonne brings an accomplished career as a producer, curator, performer, and cultural leader in Alberta’s performing arts sector and abroad. Joshua officially began his role in July 2026.

In this new role, Dalledonne leads Banff Centre Presents, which brings dozens of exciting and noteworthy performances, concerts, and festivals to the Bow Valley each year. As Director, he will work alongside artists, producers, colleagues across campus, and community and industry members to curate programming that speaks to Banff Centre’s mission to bring artists, leaders, and communities together from around the world and create meaningful opportunities to encounter performing arts in our stunning home in Banff National Park. A new role at Banff Centre, it strengthens our ability to bring meaningful and engaging performances to Banff Centre’s campus for visitors, staff, and Bow Valley residents: from the stages of the stately Jenny Belzberg Theatre, and the intimacy of the Rolston Recital Hall, to the glorious Shaw Amphitheatre, and the cool atmosphere of our newest venue CLVB ’33 and beyond.

With his extensive experience across the Canadian and international arts landscape, Dalledonne seeks to showcase work by leading artists whose work is current and influential on the national and world stages while also showcasing beloved performers from The Bow Valley and wider Alberta.

Reflecting on Banff Centre’s role as a learning and creative development institution for artists across all disciplines, Banff Centre Presents also works with the arts program Directors to collaborate on relevant and inspiring events that amplify the experience of program participants and audiences alike.

Most recently, Dalledonne served as Co-Curator for the 2026 edition of Theater der Welt, Germany’s largest contemporary performance festival, and as Associate Director Presenting at Calgary’s Werklund Centre. Earlier in his career, he developed his producing practice with Birmingham Repertory Theatre in the UK before working with Alberta Theatre Projects, One Yellow Rabbit, and the High Performance Rodeo and Calgary International Film Festival among other cornerstone arts organizations in Calgary.

Throughout his career, Dalledonne has focused on creating opportunities for artists, audiences, and communities to connect through shared experiences and to create space for belonging and understanding.

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The opportunity to join one of Canada’s—and truly, one of the world’s—most significant spaces for creativity, learning, and connection is an honour. Front of mind in my new role is returning the sense of welcome that has met me here to the artists onstage and on campus, and to the audiences and communities of Banff, the Bow Valley, and to visitors from across Canada and the world. Growing up in Calgary, the Rocky Mountains and Banff National Park have been a home away from home since childhood. It’s an extraordinary feeling to contribute to a place whose landscape has inspired and sustained people for thousands of years, and to build upon Banff Centre’s remarkable history of creativity, learning, and artistic conversation.

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Joshua Dalledonne, Director, Banff Centre Presents

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Originally trained as an actor at the University of Alberta, he has worked across theatre, film, and commercials, and his plays for young audiences have been produced throughout Alberta. He is also an active speaker and panelist and has served on the Association of Performing Arts Professionals' advisory committee. He also volunteers as Vice Chair for Calgary Arts Academy.

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Joshua brings an exceptional breadth of experience as a producer and curator, as well as a deep belief in the value of arts bringing people together. His curiosity and commitment to meaningful artistic exchange make him an exciting addition to our team. I look forward to how he will build on Banff Centre Presents to create new opportunities for audiences to encounter live performance and to seeing those experiences also enrich the experience of artists across programs and residencies.

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Josephine Ridge, Director, Arts

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As Dalledonne settles into his role as Director, Banff Centre Presents, leadership looks forward to seeing him build on Banff Centre’s rich presenting history while bringing new perspectives to its public programming.

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See Banff Centre’s Media Room here.

For photos, information, or interview requests, please contact:

Carly Maga
Director, Communications
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
tel: +1.403.763.6210
cell: +1.403.431.3423
carly_maga@banffcentre.ca

About Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Founded in 1933, Banff Centre is a post-secondary institution built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and leadership development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become a global organization leading in arts, culture, and creative decision-making across dozens of disciplines, from the fine arts to Indigenous Wise Practices. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to move everyone who attends our campus—artists, leaders, thinkers, and audiences—to unleash their creative potential and realize their unique contribution to build an innovative, inspiring future through education, performances, convenings, and public outreach. banffcentre.ca

Banff Centre
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive
Banff, Alberta
Canada
T1L 1H5
403.762.6100
www.banffcentre.ca

We recognize, with deep respect and gratitude, our home on the side of Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain. In the spirit of respect and truth, we honour and acknowledge the Banff area, known as “Minihrpa” (translated in Stoney Nakoda as “the waterfalls”) and the Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda) – comprised of the Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Goodstoney Nations – as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy comprised of the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Shuswap Nations, Ktunaxa Nations, and Métis Nation of Alberta, Rockyview District 4. We acknowledge all Nations who live, work, and play here, help us steward this land, and honour and celebrate this place.

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Banff International String Quartet Festival

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Guests can still purchase tickets to Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Works by Neshama Nashman, Opus13, and Steven Isserlis and Connie Shih.

BANFF, AB, AUGUST 20, 2026 – From September 3-6, 2026, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity invites audiences and media to experience the Banff International String Quartet Festival (BISQFest) as acclaimed string quartets come together for one of the world’s leading chamber music festivals. Individual show tickets and BISQFest LITE packages are still available.

The 2026 edition of BISQFest centres around the classic string quartet—two violins, one cello, and one viola—while expanding through the eyes of choreography, dance, and orchestral sound.

The festival, taking place in the two years between the triennial Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC), brings the string quartet into conversation with other forms of performance and artistic expression, expanding chamber music beyond the traditional concert experience. These interdisciplinary concerts offer audiences the chance to experience familiar repertoire in a new light and discover how the intimacy and form of the string quartet can be transformed through the lens of other artists.

Quotation

If you come to an arts festival, it’s limiting to expect to love every concert in the same way. You should expect to be wrapped in a warm hug by certain pieces and moved by nostalgia by others. You should be uncomfortable with the message of certain pieces. Music is a reflection of our world. Our world doesn’t always smell of roses, and occasionally there will be a thorn. We hope that people come to BISQFest and leave with a range of experiences that just make them more curious and committed to live performing arts.

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Barry Shiffman, Director of Banff International String Quartet Competition and Festival

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Audience members and artists come to BISQFest with the shared purpose of community and a love for music-making. Guests, musicians, and dancers bump into each other at Vistas Dining Room, in the corridors of the Lloyd Hall hotel, and across campus. The separation between performer and audience member in the concert space dissipates at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

See the 2026 lineup, which brings the spirit of exploration by pairing some of chamber music’s most celebrated repertoire and performers with unexpected collaborations.

Jan Lisiecki

World-renowned Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki has one of the busiest concert careers of any pianist in the world. Alongside his acclaimed career, Lisiecki has a rooted history with Banff Centre. He was the first artist to make music on campus in the waning days of the pandemic, when he recorded a solo recital for one of the early BISQFests that had to happen online.

This year, he’ll perform 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. Following the Friday-night concert, Lisiecki will join Barry Shiffman and fellow artists for a one-night-only, intimate gathering in support of BISQC and BISQFest. His final performance takes place at the Rolston Recital Hall with Concertmaster Jonathan Crow, a former BISQC jury member and the Toronto Symphony’s Concertmaster since 2011. Tickets to all three shows are available below:

Jan Lisiecki with Banff Festival Orchestra
Friday, September 4 | 8 p.m.
Jenny Belzberg Theatre
Tier A $115.00 | Tier B $85.00
An Evening with Barry Shiffman and Jan Lisiecki
Friday, September 4 | 9:30 p.m.
CLVB '33
Banff Centre fundraising event: $250
Jan Lisiecki & Jonathan Crow: Beethoven's Spring Sonata
Sunday, September 6 | 2:30 p.m.
Rolston Recital Hall
$64

Death and the Maiden

Death and the Maiden brings the intimate beauty that audiences expect from a Schubert song to the grandeur of an orchestra. This rendition will be played by dozens of performers, leaning into the orchestral sound that isn’t possible with a traditional string quartet.

The performance also combines different life experiences as different generations come together for this orchestra. Led by Jonathan Crow, the concert includes several young players, including Opus13, who took home second place during the 2022 BISQC Competition, Banff’s own violinist Solana Frebold, and Sabina Sanvos, one of Canada's great young cellists.

Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Works by Neshama Nashman

On Saturday, September 5, the evening will begin with Canadian dancer and choreographer Neshama Nashman as she and other dancers bring three new works to life accompanied by string quartet and accordion music. Following Nashman’s works is a chamber music performance of Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring, one of the most iconic pieces of music from the 20th century. The music is the focal point of the performance, featuring 13 performers led by Jonathan Crow.

Quotation

After I saw the choreography that Neshama had created, I began to see and hear the music differently. Dancers count it in a way that responds to how they hear music, as opposed to how it's printed. That is a very powerful reminder to us string quartet players to bring freedom to how we read and imagine music. Creativity, imagination, and freedom come from exploring music through the eyes of different types of artists.

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Barry Shiffman, Director of Banff International String Quartet Competition and Festival

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Copland’s Appalachian Spring & New Dance Works by Neshama Nashman
Saturday, September 5 | 8 p.m.
Jenny Belzberg Theatre
Tier A $85.00 | Tier B $65.00

Stephen Isserlis and Connie Shih

Cellist Steven Isserlis joins pianist Connie Shih for an intimate recital performance. Shih studied at Banff Centre in 1992, and Isserlis will be stepping on the Banff Centre stage for the first time during this year’s BISQFest. Isserlis is a transformative artist who reminds audiences of the importance and power of live music. He lights up the stage with electricity and a compelling communicative power that fully immerses the audience in the artist's feelings.

Steven Isserlis & Connie Shih
Saturday, September 5 | 10:30 a.m.
Rolston Recital Hall
$64
Steven Isserlis & Connie Shih
Saturday, September 5 | 2:30 p.m.
Rolston Recital Hall
$64
Festival Finale: Barry Shiffman, Steven Isserlis and Banff Festival Strings
Sunday, September 6 | 7:30 p.m.
Rolston Recital Hall
$75

Opus13

BISQC 2022 laureates and first prize winners at the 2025 Wigmore Hall and Bordeaux International String Quartet Competitions, Opus13 returns to Banff for two performances. In addition to performing standard string quartet repertoire by composers such as Mozart, Bartók, and Schubert, Opus13 regularly performs Nordic classical and contemporary music. This year, they will perform String Quartet No. 2 “Intimate Letters” and String Quartet No. 1, Op. 27.

Opus13, Wigmore Hall Competition Prizewinners
Friday, September 4, 2026 | 10:30 a.m.
Rolston Recital Hall
$64
Opus13, Wigmore Hall Competition Prizewinners
Friday, September 4, 2026 | 2:30 p.m.
Rolston Recital Hall
$64

This intimate weekend concert experience offers curated opportunities to hear laureates from world-renowned musicians alongside the impossible-to-describe beauty of Banff. For more information on BISQFest’s lineup, ticket packages, and schedule, visit banffcentre.ca/bisqfest.

– 30 –

See Banff Centre’s Media Room here.
For photos, information, or interview requests, please contact:

Carly Maga
Director, Communications
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
tel: +1.403.763.6210
cell: +1.403.431.3423
carly_maga@banffcentre.ca

About BISQFest

The Banff International String Quartet Festival (BISQFest) is a signature festival experience of the Banff International String Quartet Competition, offering audiences an intimate encounter with leading artists in chamber music today. Set against the backdrop of Banff National Park, the festival reflects Banff Centre’s commitment to artistic excellence, experimentation, and creative collaboration.

About Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

Banff Centre
107 Tunnel Mountain Drive
Banff, Alberta
Canada
T1L 1H5
403.762.6100
www.banffcentre.ca

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Lauren DeLaunay Miller is a journalist and audio producer for the adventure podcast, the Dirtbag Diaries. She is the author of Valley of Giants: Stories from Women at the Heart of Yosemite Climbing (Mountaineers Books, 2022), winner of the 2022 Banff Mountain Book Competition Award for Climbing Literature, born out of her experience living and climbing in Yosemite as part of the Yosemite Valley Search & Rescue team. Lauren received a master's degree in journalism from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and lives in Bishop, California, with her husband, son, pup, and flock of hens.

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Rob Lovell is the publisher and chief executive of Scottish Mountaineering Press, an award winning publisher owned by the charitable Scottish Mountaineering Trust. A latecomer to publishing, Rob has run the Press since 2018, building a list spanning mountain literature, photography, fiction and guidebooks – including three category winners in the Banff Mountain Book Competition: The Great Sea Cliffs of Scotland (Mountain Image, 2021), The Fox of Glencoe (Mountain Literature, 2022) and Northern Horizons (Guidebooks, 2025). Alongside the Press, Rob is part of the team behind the Fort William Mountain Festival, running events, coordinating its marketing and helping to shape the program. A rock climber, hillwalker and mountain biker, he lives in Inverness and divides his time between books, the hills and a young family.

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Balkan-born and Vancouver-based recording artist Kristian Alexandrov is an accomplished, versatile and sought after pianist, drummer, composer & producer with a burgeoning list of industry honours, high-profile collaborations and lauded international performances to his credit.

Originally from Sofia, Bulgaria, Kristian grew up in a family of musicians who revered and celebrated music. At just six years old, Kristian was accepted into the prestigious L. Pipkov School of Music where he completed twelve years of intense, comprehensive training as a pianist and percussionist. Kristian’s natural ability, extensive education, and passion for performance enabled him to tour throughout most of Europe before he was out of his teens. His ability to effortlessly move between different musical styles has earned him a reputation as a leading figure in Canada's music scene, where he has been active since 1995.

Onstage Kristian has worked alongside some tremendous and renowned Canadian and International artists, including: Warren Hill, James Ehnes, Measha Brueggergosman, Jackie Richardson, Wycliffe Gordon, kd lang, The Tenors, Senator Tommy Banks, All Star Brass, Danny Nielsen, Order of Canada Big Band, Akaga, Tom Jackson and Decidedly Jazz Danceworks and Youth Singers of Calgary. Kristian is a long-standing musical director and collaborator for acclaimed trumpeter Jens Lindemann & Acoustic Soul recording artist Shannon Gaye.

As a featured and supporting artist, Kristian’s performance highlights include: Seongnam Opera House (Seoul, South Korea), Beijing Exhibition Center Theatre (Beijing, China), Eilat Chamber Music Festival (Eilat, Israel), Sochi Music Festival (Sochi, Russia), Cancun Jazz Festival (Cancun, Mexico), Bansko Jazz Festival (Bansko, Bulgaria), Bulgarian Embassy (Washington DC and New York, NY), Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony (Vancouver, BC), Vibrato’s Jazz (Los Angeles, CA), International Trumpet Guild (Grand Rapids, MI), Benaroya Hall (Seattle, WA) Koerner Hall (Toronto, ON) and National Arts Centre (Ottawa), and Montreal Jazz Festival (Montreal, QC).

Fuelled by innovation and artistic exploration, Kristian's expertise extends beyond performance into composition and production. He has composed award-winning music for film, television, dance and live theatre, showcasing his talent for creating emotionally resonant scores. As a recording artist, he has released two solo original CD's Funked Up Jazz and Akoustika, as well as Perched on the Edge of a Quarter Note, the soundtrack for Decidedly Jazz Danceworks touring production.

As a producer, Kristian is known for his keen ear and attention to detail, working with artists across a variety of genres. He's contributed to three Juno-nominated CD's: Lauren Spencer-Smith Unplugged Vol. 1 (2020), Order of Canada Soloists Sweet Canadiana (2017), and Jens Lindemann and Tommy Banks Legacy Live (2016). He's also a co-writer with Tate McRae for her RIAA gold-certified single One Day (2017)

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Dave Pierce is an Emmy Award-winning Canadian composer, arranger, conductor, producer and performer whose career has spanned major international stages, recording studios and live spectacle.

Known for bringing orchestral scale together with a performer’s instinct for rhythm, pacing and audience connection, Pierce has created music for Olympic ceremonies, television productions, concert events and large-scale live experiences around the world. His collaborations include work with Michael Bublé, Bryan Adams, Céline Dion, Robbie Williams, Sarah McLachlan and many others.

A drummer and multi-instrumentalist by background, Pierce brings a distinctly physical and spontaneous approach to performance. Whether at the piano, behind the drums or leading musicians from the podium, his work is grounded in communication, curiosity and the shared energy of live music.

For this artistic experience at Banff Centre, Pierce joins internationally acclaimed trumpeter Jens Lindemann for an evening shaped by musicianship, storytelling, improvisation and the joy of two longtime artists responding to one another in real time.

The result is less a conventional concert than an invitation into the creative process: where virtuosity, humour, memory and musical instinct meet onstage.

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