Artist Training Residencies

During Tafelmusik’s 14^th annual residency, Tafelmusik Artistic Co-Director and violinist Cristina Zacharias and bassist Yussif Barakat will work with students from Western University’s Early Music Studio in three days of rehearsals and sectionals, culminating in a side-by-side public concert.

“These annual Western residencies started in 2012 and have been very successful in community building and artist training. In 2025, the residency included rehearsals, sectionals and a Friday noontime Faculty concert, culminating in the Sunday afternoon student concert led by Tafelmusik musicians. The faculty concert is part of a Western Chamber Music series, and the audience was packed as usual with Western faculty, Western students, and community members.” —Patricia Ahern, Tafelmusik core violinist

As a key component of Tafelmusik’s US/Western Canada Tour (November 2025), orchestra musicians offered masterclasses, workshops, and ensemble coaching for students at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, University of Denver Lamont School of Music, Victoria Conservatory of Music, UBC Baroque Mentorship Program, Kelowna Community Music School, Bishop Carroll High School (Calgary), Mount Royal University Conservatory, and the University of Calgary.

During the orchestra’s South Korea Tour (November 2024), Tafelmusik offered violin, viola, cello, and harpsichord masterclasses at the Seoul Arts Center, building on the success of previous Tafelmusik residencies at Seoul’s Hanyang University.

In January 2025, Tafelmusik Artistic Co-Director and violinist Cristina Zacharias and cellist Michael Unterman travelled to the Conservatoire de Gatineau to offer a period instrument workshop for advanced orchestra students. In addition to facilitating group coaching and sectionals, Cristina and Michael introduced 16 baroque bows from the Jeanne Lamon Instrument Bank to the students so all could have the experience of using authentic tools in performance.

“We spent a really enjoyable day with the students of the Ensemble à cordes at the Conservatoire de Gatineau, first leading sectionals, then coaching the full orchestra together. They were working on a few movements by Rameau and Lully and we worked on incorporating idiomatic bowings and bow strokes, and developing a satisfying groove. We also brought violins and baroque bows from the Jeanne Lamon Instrument Bank (and I passed around my cello as well) so that all the students had a chance to try out period equipment. I think by the end of the day, the music was really starting to click in such a way that’ll stick and that they’ll want to seek out.” — Michael Unterman