Ensemble Passamano | Tango Landscapes : Piazzolla, Villa-Lobos and Kapustin
Ensemble Passamano
Tango Landscapes : Piazzolla, Villa-Lobos and Kapustin is a spellbinding musical journey into the captivating world of Ensemble Passamano. A trio of instrumentalists who bring their strengths to bear in a variety of combinations, this concert brilliantly blends classical music, tango and the world of jazz. This tapestry of sound is a vibrant exploration of the sensual rhythms of Piazzolla’s Argentine tango, the evocative melodies of the eclectic Villa-Lobos and the virtuoso jazz-improvisation style of Kapustin.
Artists:
Aidan Fleet, cello
Aidan Fleet began learning the cello at the age of six with Anne Contant and entered her studio at the Conservatoire de Musique de Gatineau in 2011. He was principal cellist of the Ottawa Youth Orchestra for 6 years and participated in the Kiwanis Music Festival several times, obtaining first prize (advanced category) at the provincial level in 2017. He has been soloist with the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra on two occasions. His musical training includes programs such as the National Youth Orchestra, the Young Artists Program in Ottawa, the Domaine Forget Academy, and more recently, the National Arts Centre Orchestra mentorship program. In 2023, he obtained his bachelor’s degree at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal with Elizabeth Dolin.
In 2022, he became a member of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and joined Ensemble Passamano the following year. He currently teaches at the Conservatoire de la Montérégie while completing his master’s degree at McGill University with the cellist Matt Haimovitz. He plays on a 2004 cello made by Martin Héroux and an 1890 W.E. Hill and Sons bow generously loaned by Mr. Roger Dubois and CANIMEX INC.
Kevin Chen, piano
Kevin Chen began his piano studies at the age of five and was admitted to Marlene Finn’s piano class at the Conservatory of Music of Quebec in Gatineau in 2012, at the age of eight. A national finalist several times at the Canadian Music Competition and a grand-prize winner of the Ontario Music Festivals Association, he also won the first prize as well as the audience prize in the junior category at the Thousand Islands International Piano Competition in New York in 2019. In 2021, he was the recipient of a scholarship from the Grande Finale Desjardins at the Festival-Concours de Musique Classique in Sorel-Tracy as the first-prize winner of the 17 years and under category. In 2022, the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival awarded him the Marion Hewitt Memorial Scholarship and the Anne F Crain Fund senior scholarships.
At the Conservatory, Kevin won the 2017 CMG Concerto Competition, the 2020 OSG Concerto Competition, as well as the 2024 CMM Concerto Competition. In 2015, he performed with the renowned pianist Lang Lang at the National Arts Center. He also appeared on TV shows such as Virtuose on Radio-Canada and La Fabrique culturelle on Télé-Québec. In 2022, he had the opportunity to perform as a guest artist in a recital as part of the DOMS series in Ottawa. Kevin achieved the excellence level on his baccalaureate performance examination at the Conservatory of Music of Montreal.
As a member of Ensemble Passamano, a trio featuring flute (Annie Noël-de-Tilly), cello (Aidan Fleet) and piano, Kevin teaches, regularly publishes recordings, and frequently performs as a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist. He has studied with many distinguished professors, including André Laplante, David Jalbert, Jean Saulnier, Michel Fournier, and Dmitri Alexeev. After earning a double DEC in music and science, Kevin is currently pursuing studies in neuroscience at McGill University and in music at the Conservatory of Music of Montreal with the professor Richard Raymond.
Annie Noël-de-Tilly, flute
Annie Noël-de-Tilly, recipient of the second prize at the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) Competition offered by the Crabtree Foundation, is a talented emerging flutist from the Gatineau-Ottawa region. She began her studies at the age of nine under the tutelage of Pascale Margely and earned her Bachelor of Music in Performance from the Conservatoire de Musique de Gatineau in 2023.
With natural musicality and sensitivity, she quickly distinguished herself in solo and chamber music competitions, including the NACO competition, Pentaèdre-Youkali, Rising Stars, Classival, etc. Annie has frequently performed with the Orchestre des Conservatoires, and more recently, with the Orchestre de l’Université de Montréal, where she is currently pursuing her master’s degree with Ariane Brisson. Always seeking new challenges, Annie regularly participates in workshops such as the Camp musical international d’Orford and the Domaine Forget Academy. Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to perform and receive guidance from esteemed masters such as Juliette Hurel, Michel Bellavance, Mario Caroli, and Julien Beaudiment.
Passionate about chamber music, she is the artistic director of Ensemble Passamano, a trio (flute, cello, piano) that she founded in May 2022. This group has won the Grand Prize at the Classival competition, and the first prize at the Rising Stars competition at Ottawa Chamberfest. Her dedication to chamber music earned her an invitation as a guest artist with the prestigious Ensemble Prisme for their 2022-2023 season.
Annie Noël-de-Tilly plays on a handmade silver Brannen flute and a grenadilla wood Haynes piccolo.
