Praised for his “assured and lovely” playing by Classical Voice of North Carolina, Dr. Leonardo Perez is currently Head of Strings and Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he also conducts the Dalhousie Symphony Orchestra. Previously, he held the position of Instructor of Violin and Viola at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and was the Orchestra Director of the IUP Symphony Orchestra. He has been invited to give masterclasses at the University of Iowa, Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Sistema New Brunswick, among others.

An avid collaborator and chamber musician, Leonardo has made numerous appearances at concert series throughout the United States and Canada. For the 2021-22 season, engagements included several performances with the Music Room Chamber Players series in Halifax, NS, and appearances at the Antigonish Performing Arts Series and the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance. Leonardo has also performed at the Musique Royale series in Mahone Bay, NS, Scotia Festival, and with Symphony Nova Scotia. Previously, he was the violinist of the Litton Piano Trio at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has appeared regularly as a Next Generation Artist of the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival in Greenville, NC, performing with artists such as Xiao Dong Wang, Michael Kannen, Hagai Shaham, Colin Carr, Melissa Reardon, Raman Ramakrishnan, Hye-Jin Kim, Emanuel Gruber, and Ara Gregorian. 

Leonardo has conducted the Pennsylvania Music Educator’s Association district orchestra and Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, and as conductor of the Dalhousie Symphony Orchestra conducts two concerts a year at the Fountain School of Performing Arts.

Dr. Perez received his Bachelor of Music degree from East Carolina University. He holds a Master of Music (MM) degree in Violin Performance from the University of Southern California, an MM in Orchestral Conducting from East Carolina University and earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) in Violin Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa.

Stationed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Emily became a full-time musician with the Stadacona Band of the Royal Canadian Navy in 2017. A member of the Canadian Armed Forces since 2011, she has had many opportunities to perform across Canada, the United States, Belgium, Bermuda, France, and New Zealand, including the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium as the first female Canadian trumpet player to participate in the Last Post Ceremony. Emily has performed with various orchestras such as the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, the National Academy Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. During her time with the National Academy Orchestra in Hamilton, Ontario Emily was featured as a soloist in “The Carnival of Venice” which was described as “virtuosity of a rare order delivered with effortless ease. It ought not to go unnoticed.” (Alan Walker, English-Canadian Musicologist and Biographer).

Emily‘s formal training includes a Bachelor of Music with honours in Music Education from the University of Western Ontario and a Masters of Music performance at the University of Ottawa under the tutelage of Karen Donnelly. Emily is currently the trumpet instructor with the Fountain School of Performing Arts at Dalhousie University.

Seventeen-year-old Devin Huang is a Grade 12 student at Sacred Heart School of Halifax and has been a student of Prof. Lynn Stodola since 2016. Since being introduced to piano at the age of seven, he has shown great enthusiasm towards piano performance, both solo and chamber.

Devin had a very exciting and successful summer competing in one of the prestigious National competitions: Representing Nova Scotia at the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals National Competition (FCMF) in August 2023. Devin won the First Prize in the Emerging Artist Piano Division and went on to compete in the Grand Award Competition with the other Emerging Artist winners from other disciplines. He was declared the Grand Award Winner.

After winning the Debut Atlantic Musical Excellence in 2023 and 2022, Devin was invited by Debut Atlantic to give recitals in New Brunswick and PEI. In 2021, Devin won the First Prize in the Emerging Artist Piano Division at FCMF. He represented the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers’ Association at the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association Piano Competition in July 2021 winning Third Prize as well as the Chopin Award for the best performance of a work by Chopin. In August 2020, Devin was named by CBC Music on the Canada’s hot “30 under 30” classical Musicians. He was interviewed by CBC Radio One and his video was broadcast by CBC TV News as well as on social media by CBC Music.

Devin has been a regular participant in numerous Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festivals, winning several named prizes and scholarships, including the prestigious President’s Cup for four years as well as the Dr. Piano and Yamaha Canada Rose Bowl in 2023, 2021 and 2020. He has been a National Finalist for the Canadian Music Competition, 2017-2019, winning first prize each year in his age category as well as the overall Grand Prize in all instruments, age 11 – 14 in 2018.

Devin has performed solo piano recitals numerous times under the auspices of Debut Atlantic, Cecilia Concert, the Lieutenant Governor’s House, Scotia Festival of Music, and Musique Royale, and has performed as soloist with Nova Sinfonia, Chebucto Symphony Orchestra and joint concerts by Nova Scotia Symphonia and Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra. Devin has been awarded scholarships from various organizations such as Nova Scotia Talent Trust, Debut Atlantic, Doctor
Piano, Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festivals etc. The generosity and support of these organizations continues to inspire Devin’s passion and enthusiasm for music!