Müge Büyükçelen, violin
Müge Büyükçelen is an internationally acclaimed violinist celebrated for her versatility, artistic excellence, and commitment to both classical and contemporary music. Her distinguished career encompasses solo performances, chamber music collaborations, recordings, educational leadership, and artistic direction, establishing her as a prominent figure in Canada’s musical landscape.
As a soloist, Büyükçelen has performed major repertoire, including the violin concerto by Ludwig van Beethoven, and has premiered numerous contemporary works, notably a violin concerto by Jared Miller. Her international engagements have taken her throughout Australia and New Zealand, and she has collaborated extensively with composers including Jennifer Butler, Paul Frehner, and Michael Finnissy.
A dedicated chamber musician, Büyükçelen is a member of the Emily Carr String Quartet (ECSQ). The ensemble’s recording, Beloved of the Sky, received a nomination for Best Album of the Year at the 2024 Western Classical Music Awards. Her solo recording, Spanning Tree, was also recognized with a nomination for Best Classical Album in 2022.
Büyükçelen serves as a core member of the Victoria Symphony, the Emily Carr String Quartet, and the Aventa Ensemble. A passionate educator and mentor, she is on faculty at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, where she serves as Co-Head of the Strings Department. She also serves as Co-Artistic Director of the Gary Karr Young Artists Performance Academy , helping guide and inspire the next generation of emerging musicians.
Her academic and pedagogical credentials include a Master’s degree in Music Performance from Bilkent University, an Associate Teaching Diploma from the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and service as a teaching assistant at the Toulouse National Conservatory. Her expertise is further recognized through invitations to serve as a juror for prestigious competitions and awards, including the Eckhardt-Gramatte National Music Competition and the Juno Awards.
Throughout her career, Büyükçelen has appeared as a soloist with orchestras around the world and has championed the music of contemporary Canadian composers. Among the notable works she has premiered are Archimedes’ Codex by Michael Oesterle and Canadian Four Seasons by Cameron Wilson. Through her performances, recordings, educational leadership, and advocacy for new music, Müge Büyükçelen continues to make a significant and lasting contribution to contemporary classical music in Canada and beyond.
Cory Balzer, violin
Cory Balzer began playing the violin and piano at the age of five in his hometown of Calgary, Alberta. Since his early days studying violin with Dr. Lise Elson at the Mount Royal College, he has gone on to perform in recitals and concerts throughout Canada, US, Australia, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. He has performed in venues as diverse as Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House to Sidney BC.
Following completion of a Bachelor of Music Performance degree at McGill University, Cory played for two seasons in Les Jeunes Virtuoses de Montreal. As a member of the Cartier String Quartet, he was a winner in the Debut Young Concert Artists Series and performed on CBC and Radio Canada on several occasions. Cory continued his studies with Kenneth Goldsmith at Rice University in Houston, Texas where he earned a Master of Music degree.
In 1997 Cory moved to Victoria to join the Victoria Symphony. He spent the 2000 and 2001 seasons playing with the Trius quartet at the Shaw Theatre Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake ON. The quartet performed bi-weekly concerts in addition to being heard in various plays and musicals for Shaw Festival. The quartet also embarked on a Rocky Mountain Tour bringing music to many smaller towns in Alberta and BC. Cory has also played at the Charlottetown Festival and has participated in festivals at the Banff Centre, Stanford University, Snowbird (Utah) and Meadowmount School of Music.
Cory has been a member of the Galiano Ensemble since 2001 and a founding member of the Emily Carr String Quartet since 2006.
Mieka Michaux, viola
Originally from Victoria, British Columbia, Mieka Michaux is a versatile orchestral and chamber musician who performs on both modern and baroque viola. Since 2001, she has been a member of the Victoria Symphony and also currently serves as Principal Viola of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, presented by Early Music Vancouver.
Mieka is a founding member of the Emily Carr String Quartet (2006) and Victoria Baroque (2011) and performs extensively with these ensembles. She has also toured and recorded internationally with both Aventa Ensemble and the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, appearing in performances across North America and abroad.
Mieka holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Victoria (1998) and a Master of Music from Rice University in Houston, Texas (2001). Her advanced training includes participation in the Music Academy of the West, the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, the Orford Music Academy, and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute.
Alasdair Money, cello
Cellist Alasdair Money grew up in Victoria and studied with James Hunter for many years at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. He graduated in 1991 from the Associate in Musical Arts Diploma program and went on to complete a Bachelor of Music degree at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. While there, he studied with Lawrence Lesser and Michael Haber. After graduating from NEC in 1995, Alasdair went to England to study in London with Raphael Wallfisch at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he received a postgraduate diploma in cello performance.
Alasdair has attended the Banff, Orford, and Brott festivals in Canada, as well as the Dartington, Evian, and Verbier music festivals in England and Europe. Alasdair works with the Victoria Symphony, the Emily Carr String Quartet, the Odyssey String Quartet, and the Aventa Ensemble. He has also performed with the Galiano Ensemble, the Vancouver Island Symphony, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. He also completed a Master of Music degree in cello performance at the University of Victoria, where he studied with Pamela Highbaugh-Aloni and Paula Kiffner.