Oleg Chelpanov, violin

An accomplished orchestral and chamber musician, violinist Oleg Chelpanov earned his Doctoral degree from the Saint Petersburg (Russia) State Conservatory in 2002 and continued his studies at the University of Minnesota, under the tutelage of Sally O'Reilly. While residing in Minneapolis, Mr. Chelpanov performed numerous solo and chamber music recitals and played frequently in both the Minnesota Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. In 2006, he won a permanent position with the world-renowned Saint Petersburg (former Leningrad) Philharmonic Orchestra, and spent the following three years performing as a member of the orchestra in the finest venues across Europe and Asia. Currently based in Gatineau, QC, Mr. Chelpanov maintains a teaching studio and appears regularly with the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

Sonya Matoussova, cello

A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, cellist Sonya Matoussova is a versatile musician with a passion for music education. An active performer, she is an extra musician with the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

Ms. Matoussova has appeared as soloist with the Mercury Chamber Orchestra, the Houston Hwamei Chamber Orchestra, the Symphony of Southeast Texas, and the “Dwoch Cesarzy” Festival Orchestra. She has won top prizes at several competitions, including the Schlern International Competition (Italy) and the Canadian Music Competition. Her passion for chamber music has taken her all over the world, with performances in Canada, the United States, Brazil, Italy, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, and Armenia. 

As a pedagogue, Ms. Matoussova is committed to fostering community and excellence in her studio through group classes, music theory lessons, and ensemble playing. She is dedicated to creating unique performance opportunities for her students, including outreach activities and interdisciplinary collaborations. An enthusiastic chamber musician from a young age, Ms. Matoussova is a strong advocate for ensemble playing as an essential part of musical training. To this end, she enjoys collaborating with her colleagues to form student chamber groups, in addition to running a studio cello choir.

Ms. Matoussova is an alumna of the Da Camera Young Artist Program (Houston, TX) and holds degrees from the University of Montreal (class of Yuli Turovsky) and the University of Houston (class of Vagram Saradjian). In addition to her musical endeavors, she is a dedicated yoga practitioner and teacher.