Biographies
Brian Johnson
is a gold-medal Bachelor of Music graduate of the University of
Regina originally from Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. During his studies,
he performed with the Regina Symphony Orchestra, and in 1983 became
a member of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. Since 1987, Brian
has been Principal Second Violin with the Regina Symphony Orchestra,
and has taught violin at the Regina Conservatory of Performing Arts,
for the Regina Board of Education and was a teacher and conductor
for the Moose Jaw Youth String Orchestra. He is the founding
conductor of the Moose Jaw Community String Orchestra, and regularly
coaches the second violins of the South Saskatchewan Youth
Orchestra. Brian is a well-known violin, viola and cello bow maker,
with musicians in Europe, Asia and North America using his bows,
including fiddling and classical soloists. He was also a Teaching
Musician for the National Arts Centre of Canada's Music Alive
program in Saskatchewan schools from 2006-2011. In 2011, Brian
produced his first solo recording album, “Songs Without Words”,
featuring original compositions. As well, Brian is nearing the
completion of his studies to be a Certified Professional
Accountant. Brian lives in Regina with his wife Lisa Simmermon and
their son, Hans.
David Johnson
holds degrees in music performance and computer science from the
University of Regina. He is Assistant Principal Second Violin with
the Regina Symphony Orchestra, and during the day works for the
Worker’s Compensation Board keeping their computer systems in
tip-top shape.
Lisa Simmermon,
originally from Moose Jaw,
is a music performance graduate of the University of Ottawa. She was
a percussionist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, timpanist
with the Ottawa Symphony, Assistant Conductor of the Ottawa Youth
Orchestra and Director of the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra, and a
percussion instructor for the Ottawa Board of Education as well as
Ottawa and Carleton Universities. As Canada's first female
professional timpanist with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Lisa
also taught at Lakehead University. Moving to the prairies, she
became a percussionist and, later, the Principal Timpanist of the
Regina Symphony Orchestra, and spent time as the Director of the
Regina Community Orchestra and the Regina Conservatory Junior
Orchestra. Lisa visited Saskatchewan schools for six years with
Brian as a Teaching Musician in the National Arts Centre of Canada’s
Music Alive Program, coaches the percussion section of the South
Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra, and is very active each spring as a
Saskatchewan music festival adjudicator. When not working on
music, Lisa provides a home-based education program for her son who
has autism.
Cassandra Loustel
is a senior at the University of Regina studying double bass
performance. She is a member of the Regina Symphony Orchestra,
University of Regina Orchestra, U of R Composition Students’ New
Music Ensemble, and is Principal Double Bass in the South
Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra (which has included performances with
the Regina Symphony Orchestra and multi-year participation in the
Banff Youth Orchestra Symposium). She also performs with Regina
chamber music groups, including multi-genre Ambiance Music, her
folk-rock group Eden and Escrow, and the Baroque period instrument
ensemble Per Sonatori through their Professional Placement
program. Cassandra has also studied with the Principal Bass of the
London Symphony Orchestra (Joel Quarrington), Saskatoon Symphony
Orchestra (Richard Carnegie), as well as musicians with the Ensemble
Polaris (Alison Melville), Tafelmusik (Julia Wedman), and the
Aalborg Symphony Orchestra (Jeff White). |