Testimonials

Mark Ferris, violin,a founding member of YSQ, is a graduate of Yale University. He is concertmaster of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and formerly Sinfonia of the North Shore and was with the CBC Radio Orchestra (Now NBO) for 2 decades. He has toured with the Winnipeg and National Ballets and played for Phantom of the Opera, Showboat, Sunset Blvd., Fiddler on the Roof, and Hello Dolly. In addition to playing violin, Mark composes and arranges for Video games, CD's and Television.

Cam Wilson, Violin , Cameron Wilson is currently a violinist with Van Django, Joe Trio, The Hard Rubber Orchestra and Mariachi del Sol. He is also a composer/arranger whose works have been performed by numerous symphony orchestras and ensembles and soloists across Canada and the U.S. He has collaborated with CBC author and storyteller Stuart Mclean and the CBC Radio Orchestra on "History of Canada" and "I Remember Wayne". In 2009 he composed and premiered a violin concerto with the Hard Rubber Orchestra.

Marcus Takizawa, Viola, has studied with Karen Tuttle and Gerald Stanick, membeof the Chicago, Guarneri, and Juilliard String Quartets. He has an M. Mus. from the Juilliard School. Marcus has been a finalist at several music competitions including the Eckhardt-Gramatte, ASTA, and Irving Klein International String Competitions. He performs regularly with the Vancouver Symphony and The Turning Point Ensemble. Currently he is developing music for laptop and electric viola and excerpts of his improvisatory electronic music can be heard at myspace.com/marcustakizawa.

Henry Lee, viola, a founding member of YSQ, has a M. Mus. from the Juilliard School. While in New York City, he was a member of the award winning Metamorphoses Chamber Ensemble and appeared at Avery Fischer Hall, Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall. He was a winner of the Carmel Chamber Music competition and has recorded for Archetype, Bose, New World Records, and Sony Classical labels. His recording of the music of Earl Kim was #2 on the New York Times 'Best of 2002' list and was chosen for the “Critics’ Choices: Classical Music, 2001” by the Times. Henry also has a degree from the American Center for the Alexander Technique.

Finn Manniche, cello, a founding member of YSQ, is an eclectic and passionate musician with a music degree from UBC and a penchant for playing anything and everything on guitar and cello. He plays swing and new music, Bach to Bocherini, Surf and otherworldly sounds. He can be heard live and on CD with the Armadillo String Quartet, Ensemble Symposium, the Jazzmanian Devils, Soul Crib, the Paperboys, Denzel Sinclair, 54/40, Murray McLauglin, Mae Moore, Cam Wilson's varying orchestral extravaganzas and much, much more.