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).