Eric Elliot Lee is a Montréal-based biracial theatre practitioner and musician. Originally from Waterloo, Ontario, Eric specializes in musical theatre composition and music direction. He has studied at Concordia University (BFA) and McGill University (BA), and is a very active member of the English-language Montréal theatre community. Most recently, Eric has been working as one of the music directors and teachers at the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts and has worked on dozens of productions for kids and young adults; he is also currently collaborating with the NAC's English Theatre department as a songwriter. Eric also runs a private voice studio for young students looking to explore every colour of their voices, emphasizing the value of improvisation and mindfulness in music. One of Eric's primary passions is music copying, which allows musicians from many different backgrounds the ability to communicate quickly and effectively. He spends most days freelancing as a music copyist/engraver, and is thrilled to be collaborating once again with the Banff Arts Centre as the music librarian (having worked as a remote freelancer in the 2024 production). Eric believes that music can open up infinite worlds to explore and create, and he can't wait to see what possibilities lie ahead.

Jessica is a Set and Costume Designer, born and raised in Vancouver BC, and a new resident of Edmonton. Her design work has been seen on stage and screens across North America.

Select recent credits: Die Walküre (Edmonton Opera), Dance Nation (The Search Party), Son of a Preacherman (Pacific Theatre), Heist (Grand/Citadel), A Streetcar Named Desire (Citadel/Theatre Calgary), The Sound of Music (Citadel/RMTC/Citadel), Ring of Fire (Arts Club), Sunrise Betties (ITSAZOO), An UnDeveloped Sound (Electric Company), Julius Caesar (Bard on the Beach).

Jessica worked as the Assistant Head of Wardrobe at Bard on the Beach for seven seasons and is a three time Jessie Richardson Award winner, with a total of seven nominations. She is a graduate of Studio 58 and Emily Carr University of Art + Design. 

Sophie Tang is an award-winning lighting and set designer working in Theatre, Opera and Dance. She has worked with companies including Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Electric Company Theatre, Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, City Opera, Theatre Calgary, Artsclub Theatre, Bard on the Beach, Citadel Theatre, Canadian Stage and so on. Selected credits: Pride and Prejudice (Grand Theatre), The Little Prince (Pacific Opera Victoria), Three Musketeers (Citadel Theatre x Artsclub Theatre), The Lehman Trilogy (Theatre Calgary), Salesman In China, Rez Sisters ( Stratford Festival), The Apple Cart (Shaw Festival), Choir Boy (Canadian Stage x Artsclub Theatre), Jersey Boys, Legend of Georgia McBride, 12 dates of Christmas, The Orchard (Artsclub Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, Henry V, Romeo and Juliet, Harlem Duet, (Bard on the Beach), The Pearl Fishers, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Vancouver Opera).

Chihiro Yasufuku・安福知優 (she/her) is an early-career portfolio artist of Japanese descent, currently based in Tkarón:to, Ontario. With a background of 20 years of study as a violinist which eventually expanded its roots to singing, Chihiro is an active vocalist, actor and performer-collaborator in opera, theatre and workshop spaces. When not on the stage or pursuing her studies as a violinist, Chihiro nurtures her passion for arts administration. In 2021, Chihiro co-founded the Hibiki Project, a collective committed to expanding the prominence of Japanese and related musical genres within and beyond the community. In previous seasons, she served as Production Assistant to Amplified Opera’s digital development workshop, Infinity Café, and was Associate Producer of the concert series, AMPLIFY 1.0. A strong advocate of Japanese recital and choral repertoire, Chihiro has also offered Japanese lyric diction coaching for clients in the Greater Toronto Area including Soundstreams Choir 21, Brampton Children’s Chorus and Exultate Chamber Singers. Chihiro is an alumna of the University of Toronto’s Opera School and Classical Voice Performance program. She currently studies with Dr. Lorna MacDonald.

Christian Matta is a rising Italian-Canadian tenor currently pursuing a Master’s of Opera at the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Wendy Nielsen. He has been recognized for his warm tenor sound and clear top register. Christian has appeared in several productions in Toronto including Gastone in La Traviata, Ferrando in Così fan tutte, and Raymond Massey in The Avenue of Avarice.

Christian has had the privilege of participating in masterclasses with renowned artists and educators such as Jason Ferrante, Alain Coulombe, and Ambur Braid. His versatile repertoire spans from early music to contemporary opera, as he has performed everything from Monteverdi to works composed within the last decade. He has performed a multitude of Oratorio works as a soloist, including Handel’s Esther, Mozart Requiem, and Vivaldi’s Gloria.

Christian looks forward to workshopping as Paul Lucas in The Book of Tales, Mithri in Aarna and the Silver Cypress, and St Matthew's Passion here at Banff this summer. He is excited to learn from esteemed faculty alongside talented colleagues in a growing artistic community like Banff.

Christian Matta was generously supported by the Banff Centre Artists' Awards.

Sarah Yunji Moon is a Toronto-based flautist celebrated for her expressive artistry, technical mastery, and commitment to contemporary music. She has performed as a soloist with esteemed ensembles such as the Seoul Philharmonic and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and held principal flute positions with Symphony Nova Scotia (2008–2010) and the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra (2016–2018).

An advocate for new music, Moon is the founder of Rosedale Winds, a chamber group dedicated to modern woodwind repertoire, and a member of the Thin Edge New Music Collective. She also performs with Charm of Finches, Canada’s first professional flute quintet, known for its innovative programming and dynamic performances. Ms. Moon’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Flute Performance from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Music in Contemporary Performance from the Manhattan School of Music.

As an educator, Sarah serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at Queen’s University, where she directs the Flute Choir and teaches flute performance. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes the integration of contemporary works into the classical canon, fostering a deeper connection between performers and audiences. Ms. Moon’s dedication to expanding the flute repertoire and her dynamic presence on stage continue to inspire audiences and students alike.

Sarah Yunji Moon was generously supported by the Frederick Louis Crosby Memorial Endowment.

Peng Lin was generously supported by the Helen Graham Artist Award.

Peng Lin is the recipient of the 2025 Vigo International Piano Competition’s Piotr Anderszewski Prize and First Prize at the 2023 Massarosa International Piano Competition.. She made her New York Lincoln Center debut in 2015 with the Juilliard Orchestra, conducted by Peter Oundjian. She has been a laureate of prestigious competitions, including Rhodes International Piano Competition, Rina Sala Gallo International Piano Competition and UK Open Piano International Piano Competition. Her performances have taken her to acclaimed venues such as Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Weill Hall, and Shanghai Concert Hall. She has also appeared at major festivals including Aspen Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival and Taos Chamber Music Festival.

Born in Kulangsu, China’s ‘piano island’, Peng Lin made her orchestral debut at age nine. At sixteen, she received a full scholarship to attend the Juilliard School, where she earned both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees. She continued her education at the Yale School of Music (MMA), the Royal College of Music in London (Artist Diploma), and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, graduating with the highest distinction under Benedetto Lupo. Her principal mentors include Dmitri Alexeev, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Hung-Kuan Chen, Benedetto Lupo and Peter Serkin.

Peng Lin was generously supported by the Isobel and Tom Rolston Fellowships in Music Endowment.

Born and raised in Timmins, Ontario, flutist Katie Kirkpatrick is a versatile performer currently based in Toronto. Passionate about solo, chamber, and orchestral playing, she has performed with ensembles across Canada and Europe. Katie has received several distinctions, including the Maritsa Brookes Concerto Competition, the Young-Ja Park Chamber Music Competition, and is a three-time recipient of the Porcupine Music Festival’s Instrumental Plaque and Rosebowl.

She recently appeared as a concerto soloist with both the Timmins Symphony Orchestra and the Western University Symphony Orchestra. Her most recent recording project was in partnership with the Canadian Music Centre on Robert Lemay’s album Clés, released in May 2024.

Katie is currently completing her Master of Music in Flute Performance at the University of Toronto, where she studies with Kelly Zimba Lukić, principal flutist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She previously earned her Artist Diploma and Bachelor of Music from Western University, studying with Stephen Tam and Anne Thompson.

Katie Kirkpatrick was generously supported by the Lockwood Family Endowment Fund for Music.

Beatrice Ferreira is a Canadian-American composer and string improvisor currently based in London. With a style described as ‘atmospheric, surreal… [and] occasionally unnerving - perhaps better to say haunted’ (Spectrum Culture), she draws upon contemporary and traditional materials to destabilize our perceptions of extramusical sound. 

With over a decade of experience writing for solo, concert, and theatre settings, Beatrice has established herself in the contemporary music scene as a skilled yet playful voice. Her works have premiered at Southbank Centre, Snape Maltings, Barbican Centre, National Sawdust, and Domaine Forget de Charlevoix. In addition to her work as a composer, she is an experienced string improvisor. Past work has included collaboration with Montreal projects Alex Rand and The Weather Holds.

Beatrice holds an M.A. from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in Opera Making and Writing, and a B.Mus. in Composition from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. She has been named finalist in SOCAN (2021), BMI (2020), and ASCAP Morton Gould (2018) Young Composer Awards. 

Beatrice Ferreira was generously supported by the Gladys and Merrill Muttart Foundation Endowment.

XiuZhang Cao learned piano at the age of 6 and began learning trombone from his father at the age of 12. In 2019, he got into the third year of junior high school affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music studied under Professor Guo Pengyuan. In the same year, he was admitted to the pre-college at Tianjin Juilliard School under the guidance of Professor Lee Allen. In 2021, he received the highest scholarship to enter the Interlochen Art Center in the United States studied under Professor Thomas Riccobono. In 2023, he received a full scholarship to enter the Curtis Institute of Music in the United States studied under Professor Nitzan Haroz and Professor Matthew Vaughn.

XiuZhang Cao won first place in the trombone category at the 5th Yantai Youth Instrumental Music Competition in 2015. In 2019, participated in the 7th China International Brass Music Festival and won first place in the Trombone Youth Group. In January 2021, won the first place in the Youth trombone performer category at the first New Zealand International Brass Competition. In August 2021, participated in the 8th International Brass Music Festival in China and won second place in the professional category. In October 2021, he won the championship of the 64th Interlochen Concerto Competition in the United States and collaborated with the Interlochen Orchestra to perform David trombone concerto. Received the Interlochen Young Artist Award in May 2023.

XiuZhang Cao has served as the trombone principal of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Interlochen Orchestra, and participated in collaborative performances with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at the Lincoln Art Center in New York. During this period, he collaborated with well-known orchestras such as the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony In C Orchestra in the United States. Currently serving as the principal trombone of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra.

XiuZhang Cao was generously supported by Banff Centre Artists' Awards.