.png)
Guest Musicians
Nicolenco Trio
The Nicolenco Trio is made up of siblings who love to make music together. Known for their passionate playing, the group has won multiple awards at the provincial and local level, but what they enjoy most is sharing music with others. Besides playing at weddings, retirement homes and church/community events they are also lead members of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra as well as the Langley Senior Youth Orchestra. In 2025, the trio had the opportunity to tour Vancouver Island and Spain with the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra. The siblings are currently homeschooled which gives them the ability to focus on their musical ambitions. The Nicolenco Trio is looking forward to being a part of the upcoming Freedom Celebration Singers concerts and sharing music from the heart together.
Alina
Alina is a 17-year-old violinist who began her violin studies at the age of 5. Alina is part of the Langley Senior Youth Orchestra and serves as the Concertmaster of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra. In 2025, Alina was accepted into the prestigious Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Young orchestral program and has performed in venues such as the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany, and the Royal Concertgebouw Hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Known for her passionate playing, Alina has been featured as a guest soloist with the Vancouver Island Symphony, Fraser Valley Symphony, and has won many local and provincial competitions, both as a soloist and chamber musician. Outside of her own solo studies, she enjoys teaching her violin students and performing in a chamber ensemble with her siblings. This summer, Alina is looking forward to attending the Shkolnikova Academy in France, under the mentorship of Dmitry Sitkovetsky, and being part of the European Youth Orchestra Academy in Germany.
Elise
Elise, 15, has been playing violin for 10 years. She has been part of the Vancouver Kessler Academy chamber orchestra and is the principal second for the LCMS Senior Orchestra and the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra. Elise has won first place in the solo category at the BC Provincial Music Festival and second place with the Nicolenco Trio chamber group in 2025. Being a member of the Rose Gellert String Quartet mentorship program has inspired her to broaden her musical skills and learn to play the viola. Besides her own studies, Elise enjoys teaching violin at the Bakerview Music Academy and loves seeing the difference music makes in the community. She is looking forward to attending the Kessler Academy String Program this summer in Vancouver and the VSO International Young Artists Festival. Elise is grateful to be playing on a Hermann Janzen violin and viola.
Lukas
Lukas is a 13-year-old cellist who began his studies at 4. He serves as the principal cellist for the LCMS Senior Orchestra as well as the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra. In 2025, he was the runner-up in the BC Provincial Music Festival in his category and has won many local and provincial competitions, both as a soloist and chamber musician. His favourite repertoire is from the Romantic time period and he is excited to finally be playing on a full-size cello.
Lukas chose to play the cello because it’s bigger than his older sisters’ violins and fell in love with its rich sound. In his free time, he enjoys Lego, fishing and scooter riding. One of his dreams is to tour the world with his cello someday.
Eden Heyns
Cellist
Originally from South Africa, Eden began studying the cello around the age of seven and received private instruction for many years. She has participated in numerous Eisteddfods, performed with a chamber ensemble, and attended the International Academy of Music in Italy at the age of sixteen. For years she performed with two orchestras in South Africa, working her way up to principal cellist in both. Here in Canada, Eden has played with the Trinity Western University Orchestra, and also teaches beginner cello for Long and McQuade in South Surrey.
Anna Krahn
Violinist
Anna Krahn is in her fourth year at Biola University studying music education and violin performance. She is from British Columbia, Canada, and grew up in a musical household as the oldest of seven children. She has always appreciated spreading the gift of music to others through performing, teaching, and collaborating in orchestras and chamber ensembles.
Anna studied piano with Dr. Betty Suderman and violin with Dr. Calvin Dyck, and has performed with the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra and the Vancouver Island Symphony. She taught piano and violin privately since 2016 and at Bakerview Music Academy from 2018–2020. At Biola, she studies under Professor Elizabeth Larson, serves as concertmaster of the Biola Symphony Orchestra, and plays in the Biola String Quartet.
In 2024, she attended MasterWorks Festival, studying with conductors from major U.S. orchestras. She finds joy in using music to uplift others and hopes to pass on her skills to future generations.
Nicolenco Trio
The Nicolenco String Trio is made up of siblings who love to make music together. Knowing each other really well and living together makes practicing a lot easier! Besides playing at weddings, retirement homes and church/community events they are also active members of the Abbotsford and Langley youth orchestras. In 2023, they had the privilege to play at the Provincial Music Festival in Penticton where they received second place in the chamber group category. They love being homeschooled, which allows them to focus on their passion of music. In the future, they would love to go on tour to share music selections from the heart, and attend chamber music workshops.
Alina
My name is Alina and I am 15 years old. I started studying violin at age 5 with Beth Nickel and have been studying with Dr. Calvin Dyck for the last three years. I am part of two orchestras, the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra and the Langley Youth Orchestra. I love to play the violin because it allows me to connect with people through music, make new friends and grow as a person by overcoming challenges. In my spare time, I love to read a good historical fiction book, sketch or work on my embroidery. My dream is to one day study at a music conservatory in Europe and have a career in violin performance as well as conducting.​​​​​​
Elise
My name is Elise and I am 13 years old. I started to play the violin when I was 5 years old with Beth Nickel. I am currently studying with Dr. Calvin Dyck who has been an amazing inspiration for me and I enjoy playing in two youth orchestras. Last year, I had the honour of winning first place at the Provincial Music Festival for solo violin. Besides music, I also love to bake, watercolour and embroider. My hope is to pursue violin performance and pedagogy as a career and to study at a music conservatory in Europe. Violin has become a huge part of my life and I hope that I can inspire others to develop a love for music as well. ​​
Lukas
My name is Lukas and I am almost 11 years old. I have been playing the cello since I was 4. My first cello was a 1/8 size and now I play a 3/4 size. I like naming my cellos and my current cello’s name is Lubava. I chose to play the cello because it has a very nice and deep sound and it’s bigger than my sisters’ violins. My teacher is Joel Stobbe and I think he is fabulous because he teaches me lots of hard things. I also love to play in two orchestras. In my spare time I like building Lego, fishing and scootering. One of my dreams is to tour around the world with my cello one day!
Ben Goheen
Cellist
Ben Goheen holds his Masters degree in Cello Performance from the University of British Columbia. Since his move from Ontario, he has enjoyed performing with several symphonies and ensembles, including: Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Opera Orchestra, Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, and Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra. He is also an active chamber musician and loves performing with a variety of smaller chamber ensembles throughout the Lower Mainland, including the Somerset Trio and Rose Gellert String Quartet (Langley Community Music School's quartet-in-residence).
In addition to performing, Ben is also the conductor of Surrey Symphony Society's Symphonic Strings, and enjoys a full schedule of cello students throughout the week. If he had to choose a second passion for life, his answer would be quick and easy: beach volleyball.
Andrew Greenwood
Baritone
Andrew Greenwood, a captivating baritone hailing from Vancouver, has been praised for his seductive and elegant vocal texture. Known for his focused and round sound, Andrew possesses a unique blend of power and creamy elegance that captivates audiences worldwide. With recent engagements spanning renowned theaters in Germany and Canada, he has proven himself as a versatile and sought-after performer.
His notable roles include Amonasro in Aida at the Stadttheater Hildesheim and Stadttheater Wolfsburg in Germany, Frank in Die Fledermaus for Vancouver Opera, Zuniga in Carmen, The Doctor in Samuel Barber's Vanessa for Pacific Opera Victoria, Rigoletto at Stadttheater Hildesheim, Prince Yamadori and The Imperial Commissioner in Madama Butterfly for Vancouver Opera, and the title roles in Macbeth and Nabucco. He has also portrayed Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Germont in La Traviata for Opera Pro Cantanti in Vancouver, and the Emperor in Der Kaiser von Atlantis for City Opera Vancouver.
Andrew's Canadian credits extend to Pacific Opera Victoria, Burnaby Lyric Opera, UBC Opera, Opera Breve, Western Concert Opera, and Modern Baroque Opera. His versatility shines through his appearances as a concert and oratorio singer, performing in works such as Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, Handel's Messiah, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, and various Requiems by Verdi, Mozart, Brahms, Fauré, and Duruflé. He has collaborated with prestigious organizations including the Vancouver Symphony, Vancouver Bach Choir, Vancouver Island Symphony, and Festival Vancouver.
Andrew's international career includes notable performances at the Prague State Opera, where he debuted as Escamillo in Carmen and Germont in La Traviata. He also showcased his talent in Switzerland, with roles such as Marcello in La bohème for Opera Studio de Genève and The Ferryman in Benjamin Britten's Curlew River in Lausanne and Cuenca.
With his captivating stage presence and versatile vocal abilities, Andrew Greenwood continues to enchant audiences worldwide with his exceptional artistry and passion for the operatic repertoire.
