PAUL BARNA
MUSIC AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Paul Barna, has been seen as soloist, chamber player and orchestral musician throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
Highlights of previous performances include: performing for an opening game for the Hamilton Tiger Cats, recording for the JUNO’s award ceremony with celebrated rock band, The Arkells, (He can also be seen and heard on several of their music videos) performing for the closing ceremonies of the Pan Am games of 2015 with Terra Lightfoot and the National Academy Orchestra as well as performances with the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony featuring Inuit throat singer, Tanya Tagaq. He recently performed with JUNO award winning artist, Jeremy Dutcher and is featured on an episode of Murdoch Mysteries; “Murder in F Major” In 2023, Paul was selected for the Aldershot Community Honour Roll award in recognition of his outstanding community contribution and commitment to the arts. In 2025, Paul was selected as recipient for Burlington’s Community Builders Award for his excellence and contributions in education.
Paul’s eclectic and vast repertoire combined with his keen interest in new music had led him to record on various CD’s including a premier performance of Abigail Richardson’s composition The Labyrinth with the Schulte Strings Chamber Orchestra, and recording Mahler’s Ninth Symphony with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. (Disc had a JUNO nomination track, Isomorphia) Paul was also part of the Inaugural season of one of Canada’s newest concert halls, Koerner Hall. Paul’s string playing can be heard on a recent release of local folk/ blues artists Andre Bisson’s latest new album, The Ballad of Lucy Stone and the recently released album Latchford. Paul recently collaborated with acclaimed soprano Kira Braun and can be heard on her latest recording of From The Diary of Anne Frank by Morawetz.
Paul is currently a highly in demand freelance musician within the Greater Toronto Area, performing with various orchestras and ensembles. He has performed as soloist with the Mississauga Symphony, North York Symphony Orchestra, Symphony on the Bay and regularly appears with with Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Kitchener Waterloo Symphony, Esprit Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony and Sudbury Symphony as to name a few. He formerly studied viola with Mr. Steven Dann, however past teachers include Atis Bankas. He is also the owner and operator of a booking company, Paul Barna Strings where he books and coordinates specialized performances for weddings, events and galas. He is currently serving as Principal Second violin with the Burlington Symphony
Orchestra in addition to freelance performances across southern Ontario.
Mr. Barna is a graduate of the Glenn Gould School of Music and Young Artist Performance Academy program at The Royal Conservatory of Music as well as successful apprentice from the National Academy Orchestra; Canada’s only professional training orchestra.
Not only a devout performer, Paul is a sought after educator and instructor. He currently has a large and flourishing studio, Paul Barna Music Studio that has celebrated a decade of providing high level music instruction to students and currently serves as the primary violin instructor at Redeemer University. He founded and directs the Burlington Chamber Sinfonia; an ensemble comprised of advanced students with a focus on performing solo repertoire with the ensemble and runs an apprenticeship style program that hires advanced students and emerging artists to perform professionally. Many of his students are award winning and celebrated young musicians that can be heard in youth orchestras across Ontario. They have appeared as gusts soloists, hold concertmaster positions, principal section positions and various leadership positions within the ensembles, including the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. In November 2021, Paul helped to initiate a mentorship program with the Burlington Symphony where talented and hard working students were able to join the orchestra as a side by side in concert. His students regularly work towards completing Royal Conservatory examinations and participate in local competitions. Paul’s students are routine prize winners at festivals, scholarship recipients at elementary to post secondary levels, and have gone on to win provincial competitions (Grade 10 Provincials Gold medal 2023). His teachings have led him to substitute at various music schools and institutions ranging from Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Oakville Symphony Youth Orchestra, Mississauga Symphony Youth Orchestra and formerly Axis Music in Toronto; a string program developed for under privileged youth. He has also served as faculty assistant at the Interprovincial Music Camp in Parry Sound. In addition to loving his career and being an avid car nut, real estate enthusiast and horological aficionado, there are few things that bring Paul as much joy as successfully pulling off one of his elaborate, ingenious and oh so witty practical jokes/ pranks on unsuspecting students…
ASHLEY GREEN
PANELLIST, ADJUDICATOR, AND GUEST ARTIST
Ashley Green is a cellist with a rich musical and multicultural background. A Dutch-Canadian born in Salzburg, music has been a part of his life since before he could walk.
Discovering his passion for the cello at age 12, he went on to complete a Bachelor of Music specializing in cello performance at The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. His performance career has since taken him around the world, playing with orchestras such as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Victoria Symphony, the Nuremberg Symphony, and serving as Principal Cellist of the National Opera Orchestra in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, for two years.
Combining his love of music with his passion for travel, he now performs chamber music recitals aboard Holland America cruise ships. To date, he has visited over 75 countries across 6 continents, delving deeply into the chamber music repertoire—from the Baroque era to modern-day compositions.
RACHEL ROTELLA
GUEST STUDENT HELPER/MENTOR
Rachel Rotella currently studies with the Penderecki String Quartet at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. She has taken part in various music competitions including the Laurier Concerto Competition where she made it to the final round in her first year of university. She has also participated in music festivals such as Quartetfest, Festival del Lagos, Musicfest Canada, and Cascade Peaks Chamberfest. In addition to studying violin for the past decade, she has also played a variety of other instruments including piano and clarinet. Although not completed her studies yet, Rachel strives to continue to practice and improve to the best of her abilities, and also to pass some of her knowledge onto beginner students. Aside from music, Rachel also enjoys reading, writing and spending time with her cats.
RAE GALLIMORE
GUEST AUDITION PANELLIST AND GUEST CLINICIAN
Born and raised in Victoria, BC, Rae is a violist currently based out of Toronto. Throughout North America, Rae brings her passion for performance and education. She is a graduate of the Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory and the Victoria Conservatory of Music through Camosun College.
As a soloist, she has shared the stage as a soloist with the Sooke Philharmonic and Sidney Classical Orchestra. As well, Rae has premiered new works, including the opportunity to play as the selected soloist for a composer reading with the Victoria Symphony. To promote her enthusiasm of new music, as part of a recent West Coast concert series, she commissioned a viola/piano duo for a selected young composer.
While studying, Rae found a love for engaging with her surrounding communities. As a Community, Performances and Partnerships at NEC and as a Morse and GLUCK fellow at Juilliard, she brought performance and education to public schools, hospitals and retirement homes. Currently, Rae is a teaching artist for Sistema Toronto as well as a private violin teacher.
She has been participant of The Banff Center masterclasses, Heifetz Summer Institute, Juilliard Chamberfest and the National Arts Center Young Artist Program. Rae currently plays a 2010 Topa viola.
Outside of music, Rae enjoys the thrills of creative writing and riding around the city on her bike, stopping in at a local cafe for a warm coffee and baked good!