Bios
Pierre-Paul PROVENCHER (bandonéon)
Born in Québec City, Pierre-Paul Provencher is the only Canadian to hold the diplomas of Brevet d’Exécution, Diplôme d’Exécution and the Diplôme Supérieur d’Exécution in concert accordion from the École Normale de Musique de Paris. He has performed in Canada and in France as soloist, chamber musician and with such orchestras as the Victoria Symphony Orchestra (B.C.), the Ensemble Instrumental Appassionata (Montreal) and l’Orchestre de Chambre de Hull (Gatineau), and others. His repertoire extends from Bach to Messiaen, and includes premieres of contemporary music, as well as his own compositions. Specializing in the music of Astor Piazzolla, he has participated in performances of Piazzolla’s opera, music for bandoneon and orchestra, tango nuevo quintet, bandoneon and string quartet, and solo bandoneon. He has taught harmony, counterpoint and solfège at the University of Ottawa for twenty years. He is also the artistic director of Les Concerts Ponticello, a classical concert series in Gatineau. Mr. Provencher has received numerous grants from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and the Canada Council.
www.pierrepaulprovencher.ca
Laurie ROSEWARNE (piano)
Laurie Rosewarne has a A.Mus. diploma in piano pedagogy from the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music. She studied concert accordion at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, and graduated with an ARCT in accordion pedagogy. She also holds a B.A. (Major in Music) from Carleton University. She is a founding member of Camerata Music, an Ottawa school of music, where she teaches piano, accordion and music theory. She has taught music history at the University of Ottawa for twenty years. Laurie performs regularly as a concert accordionist (often as part of Duo Arcana), as well as a pianist.
Erik Johnson-Scherger
(violIn)
Erik Johnson-Scherger began classical training on the violin at the age of six and followed that through to the completion of a Master’s of Music from the University of Ottawa in 2019, where he studied with Yehonatan Berick and Yosuke Kawasaki. Erik also holds a Bachelor’s of Music Performance and a Diploma in Chamber Music from Wilfrid Laurier University, where he studied violin, viola, and chamber music with Jerzy Kaplanek and other members of the Penderecki String Quartet, in addition to studying improvisation with Kathryn Ladano. Erik’s current projects include Duo d’Asyl with classical guitarist Simon Berniquez, with whom he won Ottawa Chamberfest’s 2019 ChamberPints competition, as well as the chamber-jazz quartet Side-Eye and Grace, whose first album, Liminal Spaces, was released in March 2020. Erik is also a member of the Ottawa chapter of Ensemble Allure, a contemporary chamber collective. Erik has performed with the Kingston and Ottawa Symphony Orchestras as a section violinist and mandolinist, given concerts of avante-garde and improvised music with the NUMUS String Orchestra and Improv Ensemble.
Rémi BARRETTE (guitar)
Rémi Barrette (guitar), originally from the Outaouais region, studied guitar with Patrick Roux at the Conservatoire de musique de Gatineau, where he obtained a “Prix avec grande distinction”. He has studied with the greatest masters of the classical guitar, such as Manuel Barrueco, Roland Dyens, Leo Brouwer and Sergio Assad. He is also the winner of numerous first prizes in various national and international competitions. A founding member of the Trio Alla Grande, he leads a career as soloist, chamber musician, teacher, composer, and producer.
Vicente GarcÍa (double bass)
Vicente Garçía has been a music lover since a very young age. Born and raised in Venezuela, Vicente emigrated to Canada at the age of twenty with his parents and sister. He is a classically trained bassist and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Performance from the University of Toronto and a Master’s in Music from the University of Ottawa. Vicente performs regularly in the Ottawa-Gatineau area with the Ottawa Baroque Consort, the Gatineau Symphony Orchestra, and various other groups. Vicente combines his career in performance with business, and holds a Graduate Certificate in Music Business. He has been working in marketing and sales since 2018.