The Classical Intensive Program is a unique opportunity for students to enhance their ensemble skills, develop musicianship, and explore a new string repertoire. Led by the talented members of Cascadia Strings, students will have the chance to delve into a diverse range of chambermusic that combines Classical works with carefully crafted arrangements of popular music from the last century, all with the goal of providing live, meaningful musical experiences.
This intensive 10-day program includes multiple performance opportunities for our students, including mass String Orchestra, smaller chamber groups and the experience of accompanying the Summer Festival Choir as part of their July 4th Finale Concert. Our Classical Intensive program will culminate in a concert on July 7th, where students showcase their newly acquired skills and demonstrate their passion for music.
Join us for an enriching experience that will provide you with a deep appreciation for music and the opportunity to collaborate with other talented musicians. The Classical Intensive Program promises to be an unforgettable time of learning, growth, and artistic expression.
Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Kathryn is an active & versatile freelance violinist and educator on Vancouver Island. Her passionate and intuitive musicianship has brought her the opportunity to perform with distinguished ensembles around Canada and the USA. Currently, she performs with the Victoria Symphony, Music for The Pause, Victoria Baroque Players, Pacific Baroque Orchestra, and Sidney Classical Orchestra.
She was born into a musical family, with both parents educators and string performers, and has many fond early childhood memories of tagging along to with her father, professional cellist and conductor, at his Windsor Symphony rehearsals. She studied at the University of Toronto and University of Michigan under the tutelage of the late Yehonatan Berick as a merit scholar.
Over the years, she has brought her talent various music festivals, including the Vancouver Bach Festival, Berwick Academy at the Oregon Bach Festival, Brott Music Festival, Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, Domaine Forget, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and Interlochen Centre for the Arts.
As a busy entrepreneur, Kathryn is the owner, artistic director, and avid arranger of Cascadia Strings, a highly sought-after, award-winning professional event music company, as well as a concert chamber ensemble, providing live music from Victoria to Whistler and everywhere in between.
Kathryn can also be heard on the album, “La riche canadienne: The Music of Elinor Dunsmuir”, an exciting project which premieres a collection of post-romantic, recently-unearthed chamber works by the fascinating Canadian composer.
Campbell River native, Tyson Doknjas, is an active freelance violinist and private teacher in Victoria. He is a member of the Victoria Symphony and performs with various groups on Vancouver Island, including Pacific Opera Victoria, Victoria Baroque, Pacific Baroque Festival, and Aventa Ensemble.
Tyson studied violin performance at the University of Victoria with Sharon Stanis of the Lafayette String Quartet. Tyson has participated in various orchestral programs across the country, including the National Academy Orchestra in Hamilton, Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute in Toronto, and Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific in Powell River.
As an avid music educator, Tyson worked as a string mentor through the University of Victoria, where he worked at grade schools across the Greater Victoria region.
He was also a coach for the Sooke String Academy as well as a teacher for the Harmony Project in Sooke, B.C. On multiple occasions, he has also served as a string sectional coach for the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra.
Tyson enjoys adjudicating at various music festivals, including: the performing arts festivals in Kamloops, Cowichan Valley, the North Island, and Campbell River.
Violist Jessica Pickersgill’s passion for music began at a young age and has since blossomed into a genuine desire to help others fall in love with music through her performance. As a result, she has performed for audiences in Canada and around the world, including Italy, Russia, and America.
Jessica attended the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University, where she earned her Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance under the tutelage of two master violists: Rebecca Albers, the Assistant Principal of the Minnesota Orchestra, and Lawrence Dutton, Violist from the esteemed Emerson String Quartet.
She then continued to expand her education and performance practice at the renowned New England Conservatory (NEC) in Boston, where she studied under Avery Fischer Grant Recipient and William Primrose Competition winner, Dimitri Murrath. She graduated Cum Laude with a Master's in Viola Performance.
During her extensive educational pursuits, Jessica continued to work and study with world-renowned musicians, including Hsin-Yun Huang, James Ehnes, Richard Aaron and many more. During this time, her enthusiasm for chamber music was fostered through coaching from eminent ensembles, including The Emerson String Quartet, The Borromeo String Quartet, The St Lawrence String Quartet and a host of others.
During her time in school, she often subbed for the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra under music director Benjamin Zander, was invited and attended the Rome Chamber Music Festival three times, and was notably selected as a finalist for the Lower String Concerto Competition at NEC.
She is now on the sub list for a variety of orchestras, including the Victoria Symphony and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, is performing solo and chamber works around Victoria, and is also dedicating her time back to younger generations, acting as a teacher and head of the string department at the Victoria House of Music.
Originally from Burns Lake, BC, Erin is a freelance cellist, session musician and cello teacher, now settled in beautiful Victoria, BC. As a young artist, she performed her solo set at the “Listen Up” Festival in Vancouver and was selected to record her compositions at CBC Radio 2.
Receiving multiple fine arts scholarships, including an entrance scholarship to Capilano University, she completed her studies at the University of Victoria, earning her Bachelor's of Music degree in 2010 and Master's of Cello Performance in 2012 under the mentorship of Pamela Highbaugh-Aloni.
Erin is a founding member of the two-time award winning “Cascadia Strings”, as well as writing/recording/performing in her band “Auburn Blind.” As a cellist she has played with the Prince George Symphony, the former Galiano Chamber Orchestra, Sooke Philharmonic and the Civic Orchestra.
Erin has had lots of fun recording in music studios all over Vancouver Island with groups such as Current Swell, Fox Glove and Noah Edwards. Session recording has also been an exciting new venture for Erin, recording cello for documentaries The Wild (2018), Walking With Plants (2019) and soon to be released indigenous documentary to be featured on Chek News, Tzouhalem (2021) She has also done session work for Cloudrise Pictures including the animation mini series: Esluna: The First Monolith (2019) and Esluna: The Crown of Babylon (to be released in 2021).