Magisterra Soloists: Ten Years of Excellence Enriching London’s Cultural Mosaic

Previewed by Daina Janitis

Magisterra Soloists are honoured to begin 2026 with their annual Holocaust remembrance concert, dedicated to commemorating the victims of the Holocaust and honouring the survivors on Sunday, January 11, at Museum London.

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Nine years ago, I picked up the phone. When the call comes from a former student (and former member of the London Youth Symphony), I’m curious to see where innate talent and hard work have taken a person like this. It was a request: “Daina, my Western professor is starting up something unique. She’s brilliant, and the idea is great. Can you help?”

An irresistible request. Through months of meetings with Annette-Barbara Vogel and some of the most brilliant young people in London, Magisterra Soloists International acquired the documentation to become a non-profit charitable organization, with the mission of playing a significant role in invigorating and enriching the local artistic experience.

And what has happened in the last ten years?

Magisterra at the Museum: An annual series of accessible, educational chamber music experiences that strengthen community ties in London.
Sensory Concerts: Inclusive shows for those with sensory sensitivities, led by emerging Magisterra Fellows to promote disability awareness in the arts.
Magisterra in Schools: Outreach reaching thousands of youth, especially in underprivileged and rural areas, with live classical music exposure.
Fellows Mentorship: Trains nearly two dozen young artists in performance and operations for professional careers.
Young Performer’s Award: Annual auditions for local string players, offering stipends and solo spots at events like the Christmas Baroque concert.

What makes a Magisterra chamber concert unique? I’d have to credit that to Annette-Barbara Vogel’s amazing vision and circle of friends in the varied professions of music. Each program is assembled from a trove of world literature, and the performers are assembled for intense days of rehearsal before the concert. The result is a freshness, energy, and connectedness that is breathtaking.

(Pictured: Artistic Director, Annette-Barbara Vogel)

This year’s program for the annual Holocaust Remembrance Concert brings together some chamber musicians you will long remember.

Joining Magisterra’s Artistic Director Annette-Barbar Vogel will be:

Brett Kingsbury: Dr. Kingsbury is a Canadian classical pianist and educator known for his work as a soloist, chamber musician, and professor. He serves as pianist for the Madawaska Chamber Ensemble and holds the position of assistant professor at Western University’s Don Wright Faculty of Music, teaching studio piano, Performance Research, and Piano Literature

Vera Sherwood: Vera is a Russian-Canadian violinist and educator active in the classical music scene, particularly in Ontario. She began her violin studies at the Perm Music School in Russia, continued at Moscow Gnessin High College, and completed her education at the M. Glinka Nizhny Novgorod Conservatory. Her work includes recitals and concerts in Canada, reflecting her transition from Russian training to a prominent role in North American classical music circles.

Jutta Puchhammer: Let me try to condense her bio! Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot is a Viennese-born violist renowned for her exceptional performances and dedication to the viola repertoire, now residing in Canada. She has served as a full professor of viola and chamber music at the Université de Montréal since 2002, with prior teaching at institutions like Juilliard, Curtis Institute, and international festivals including Orford Music and Sarasota. Puchhammer-Sédillot has also led masterclasses worldwide and held leadership roles such as president of the Canadian Viola Society (2006-2014) and the International Viola Society since 2020.She earned the International Viola Society’s Silver Alto Clef Award (2019), the highest honor from IVS, where she has served as president since 2020, plus the Maurice Riley Prize (2006) and Canadian Life Achievement Award (2022).

Miriam Stewart-Kroeker: The versatile Canadian cellist from Hamilton, Ontario, is known for her work with regional orchestras and chamber ensembles. A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University (Honours BMus in Cello Performance and Chamber Music Diploma) and McGill University (MMus with Matt Haimovitz), she studied under Paul Pulford and the Penderecki String Quartet. Founding cellist of the Andromeda Piano Trio and Kestrel String Quartet, she performs regularly in prominent Southern Ontario series, including Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society, Guelph Connections, and Toronto Chamber Players. Her Banff Centre residencies, chamber awards, and innovative events like “Yoga with Cello in the Park” highlight her engaging, community-focused artistry that resonates locally.

THE PROGRAM:

Blues for piano by Simon Laks

Simon Laks (1901–1983), known for surviving Auschwitz as conductor of the prisoners’ orchestra, composed this likely in the interwar period amid his Parisian output of chamber works and songs. The “Blues” evokes a moody, syncopated idiom fitting his blend of Polish lyricism and French elegance.

Sinfonia Concertante op.68 by Walter Braunfels

The piece spotlights virtuosic interplay among the soloists against a string backdrop, evoking a “curmudgeon grotesquery” alongside hearty peasant vigor and high emotional torque. Its edginess and folk-lyric passages reflect Braunfels’ influences from Berlioz, Mahler, and Schoenberg, while rooted in his conservative tonal world.

Quintet No. 1 by Ernest Bloch

The opening Agitato surges with a gruff motto theme amid whirling rhythms and anxious microtonal shadings, cycling Brahmsian motifs into thorny, powerful exchanges. A haunting Andante mistico offers lyrical respite with long-breathed lines, flowing into the Allegro energico finale’s rippling currents and consoling C-major close. Extended techniques like harmonics, sul ponticello, and col legno amplify its raw, visceral string writing.

Every time I attend a Magisterra concert myself, I thank the fates for that phone call nine years ago.

What Magisterra has developed in our relatively small “City of Music” is a testament to the incredible powers of music. I was going to quote Martin Luther about those powers, but Billy Joel fits the bill about Magisterra: “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by.”

IF YOU GO:

What: Magisterra Soloists present Silenced, Survived, Holocaust Remembered.

When: Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 3:00 pm.

Where: Museum London – 421 Ridout St. N

Tickets: Purchase your tickets at the door or click the following link to buy them in advance: https://tr.ee/KN2HMuPE7C