Sakka Music is proud to present a rotating roster of accomplished musicians, each bringing exceptional artistry and a deep commitment to uncovering forgotten voices in classical music. Our artists are not only masters of their craft—they are passionate advocates for the beauty and relevance of lesser-known composers.
We invite you to discover the talented musicians who help bring Sakka Music’s mission to life, one program at a time.
25/26 season
Andréa Tremblay holds a Diploma in Music Performance from the University of British Columbia with Corey Hamm, a Master’s Degree from the University of Ottawa with David Jalbert, and a Bachelor’s Degree from the Conservatoire de musique de Saguenay with Monique Robitaille.
She has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Community Involvement, the Governor General’s Medal for academic excellence, and first place in the Canadian Music Competition’s 23-year-old piano category. Andréa has also performed in master classes with renowned pianists such as Angela Hewitt, Robert Levin, and André Laplante.
A co-founder of Festival Tang-aux-foins, a celebrated tango music festival in St-Fulgence, Andréa has been the pianist of the Argentine tango group Guardia Nueva since 2009, contributing to their 2012 debut album.
Violinist Jeremy Ferland has a passion for communication through music. He has appeared as a soloist with the Victoria Chamber Orchestra, the University of Victoria Orchestra, and Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra, among others. He regularly plays in the Vancouver Island Symphony, and also appears as a freelance performer throughout British Columbia. When not performing, he keeps busy as a teacher, coach, and adjudicator. He has a particular fascination with historical pedagogical texts, and seeks to implement their principles in his own playing and teaching.
After initial studies with Dolores Vann and Arthur Polson, he obtained Performance and Teaching Diplomas from the Victoria Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of Burkhard Godhoff. He also completed a Bachelor of Music degree with a major in violin performance in the class of Sharon Stanis at the University of Victoria. He has participated in lessons and masterclasses with renowned musicians such as Pinchas Zukerman, Eugene Fodor, Régis Pasquier, Tadeusz Gadzina, Gwen Hoebig, and Yu Lina (the esteemed Chinese pedagogue who premiered the Butterfly Lovers’ Concerto).
Judy Lou is a passionate cello performer and instructor who completed her Master of Music from University of British Columbia in 2015 under the tutelage of renowned cello performer, Eric Wilson (M.Mus. Juilliard). In University, she frequently served as the principal cellist of UBC Symphony during her years of study and won the prestigious Friends of Chamber Music award for her chamber group in 2012. Currently, she is a cello faculty of Vancouver Academy of Music, Langley Community Music School and Pacific Chamber Music Academy while performing all over the lower mainland of British Columbia.
Since her studies, she has actively contributed to Vancouver’s music community through various performances and educational roles. As an active musician, Judy has performed in notable concert series such as Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Society concert series, Muzewest Concerts Society, Vancouver Art Gallery out to lunch series, Silk Purse Arts Centre: Classical Concerts Series, Vancouver Chamber Music Player, Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra concert series, Cafe Music concert series, and Music Friends. Chamber music brings her tremendous joy as she enjoys the interaction with wonderful musicians. Similarly, she also enjoys playing in an orchestra and has performed with Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Island Symphony, Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, Prince George Symphony Orchestra and Kamloops Symphony.
Risa Tonita. A pianist by formal education, a dreamer by nature, and a passionate baker by hobby, I love to create relatable experiences with my audiences. I enjoy performing as a solo and collaborative pianist, as a singer, and as an actor.
While I spent the vast majority of my life learning to play standard Western Classical repertoire, these days I especially enjoy working on music that makes me feel like I am free to “play” with a sort of childlike wonder and exploration. My favourite pieces to play feature extended techniques such as playing on the strings and pins inside the instrument, using my physical voice to tell a story while playing the piano, and adding items to the strings to create a prepared piano. I also tend to gravitate towards pieces that feature jazzy harmony and rhythm, but I am not a jazzer whatsoever. Some of my favourite recent performances include performing Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Sonata for Violin and Piano with violinist John Littlejohn (Blueridge Chamberfest, 2025), performing with singer/songwriter Alicia Kayley at Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week (November, 2024), performing with bassoonist Ingrid Chiang as part of the UBC Noon-Hours series (March, 2023), a performance of videogame music with the UBC orchestra conducted by Lucas Waldin (November, 2022), and performing in the final round of the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Piano Competition in April, 2022.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Sarah Kwok began her musical training at an early age with the Suzuki method and has most recently completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of British Columbia, studying with David Harding. She also studied at the University of Toronto, where her teachers were Steven Dann and Scott St. John.
An active freelancer, Dr. Kwok performs with the Vancouver Symphony, the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, the Vancouver Island Symphony and the Okanagan Symphony, and has played in concerts presented by the Chutzpah Festival, Sonic Boom Festival, and Music on Main. Sarah is a founding member of the Elysian Trio, with flutist Paul Hung and harpist Vivian Chen, and has also appeared with Turning Point Ensemble, Erato Ensemble, and the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra. She was part of Duo 101 Collective, the ensemble-in-residence at Simon Fraser University’s School of Contemporary Arts, and has participated in the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, the St. Lawrence String Quartet Chamber Music Seminar, the Berwick Academy, and a residency program at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
Yefeng Yin has performed on bass with ensembles around British Columbia, including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Island Symphony, Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and Pacific Baroque Orchestra. He is currently a member of the Regina Symphony Orchestra, and has enjoyed previous membership with l’Orchestre de la Francophonie under the baton of Jean-Philippe Tremblay.
Yefeng completed his orchestral performance studies under the guidance of Kenneth Friedman at the University of British Columbia. During his scholastic tenure, he has been afforded the opportunity to work with artists such as Johannes Debus, Joel Quarrington, and David Murray.
He avidly stewards his permaculture-inspired garden and seeks to ferment the tastiest sauerkraut.
