Bruno Deschênes is a composer and performer of Japanese shakuhachi, having obtained his master’s degree (shihan) in 2016. He is the artistic director of Ensemble Matsu Také, a Japanese music ensemble based in Montreal. One of their CDs is available internationally: Yamabiko, Echo of the Mountains (ARC Music, EUCD 2731, 2017). In April 2022, he conducted a concert at Bourgie Hall combining Baroque and Renaissance flutes, Japanese shakuhachi and koto, and cello. For this new concert, he is broadening the ensemble’s sound horizons by adding the Middle Eastern nay, the Chinese dizi, and Iranian percussion.

Boaz Berney studied baroque flute with Wilbert Hazelzet at The Royal Conservatory, The Hague. He is active in various early music ensembles and performs music from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. In addition to his activities as a performer, Boaz also makes copies of historical flutes after original instruments in various European museums. He plays on flutes that he has made himself and participates regularly in international early music exhibitions. All of this is linked to his research on the history of the flute and his lectures given at various symposiums dedicated to historical woodwinds.

Boaz Berney performs regularly on the international stage as a flutist for various Renaissance and Baroque ensembles. He is a founding member of the Renaissance flute consorts Modena Consort and Discantvs. His ensembles also provide him with an excellent opportunity to test and perfect the various consort models he has made over the years.

Boaz also leads www.berneyflutes.com

Kyran Assing, a Montreal-based Trinidadian cellist-gambist, performs locally and internationally with classical and world music ensembles while advancing cultural sustainability through teaching, arts administration, and non-profit endeavors. Holding degrees from UBC and McGill, he specializes in historical African diaspora music practices in the Americas, supported by prestigious scholarships and grants. As founder of Les Goûts réunis des Amériques, Kyran arranges and performs European and American baroque repertoire and serves on the board of Les Voix Humaines viol consort.

A professional musician for nearly 50 years, multi-instrumentalist, and holder of a master’s degree in shakuhachi under the name Zenchiku. Michel Dubeau has accompanied and collaborated with artists such as Gilles Vigneault, Diane Dufresne, composers Michel Cusson, Anthony Rozankovic, René Dupéré, and Philippe Leduc, to name a few. He is currently actively collaborating with the Oktoecho collective and the Saimaniq project (an Inuit throat singing ensemble with electro-ethnic influences). The ensemble has produced two CDs: Saimaniq (winner of an Opus Award) and the recent Sivumut. The shakuhachi has been part of his life for nearly 30 years, and he continues to study the Dokyoku (Watazumi) style with master Kyle Chomei Helou, a disciple of master Kinya Sogawa.

Renowned for her beautiful tone and expressive playing, Canadian flutist Mika Putterman enjoys sharing her passion for research and historical knowledge during her concerts.

Mika Putterman studied at McGill University with Claire Guimond and earned her master’s degree at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with Barthold Kuijken and Marc Hantaï. Mika is very active as a chamber musician and orchestral musician with ensembles throughout North America and has made numerous recordings for CBC Radio, Radio-Canada, Analekta, ATMA Classique, Outhere, and early-music.com.

In 2004, she founded the chamber music series Autour de la flûte to showcase the flute in all its forms. Now in its 20th season, ADLF has welcomed more than 100 local and international artists to the stage.

Mika teaches historical flute at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music.

A specialist in the Chinese bamboo flute (dizi), Shuni Tsou began touring internationally at the age of 14 and has twice won first prize in national music competitions in Taiwan. Currently based in Ottawa, Shuni has performed at festivals and concert halls in Montreal, New York, and Europe, including the Venice Biennale. Her artistic interest lies in combining traditional and contemporary music in a meaningful and relevant way. Shuni Tsou holds a Bachelor of Music degree from York University, England, and a Master of Arts (MA) in Ethnomusicology from the University of Maryland.

Ziad Chabat is an accomplished Lebanese nay player. He studied music at the Lebanese National Conservatory of Music. He has been playing with Oktoecho since arriving in Canada in 2008. He is a regular guest at the Arab World Festival, in addition to playing with the Arabic Canadian Orchestra. He has participated in several concerts with renowned singers from the Middle East. He contributes to recordings of film and documentary music. Generous with his time, he teaches nay, the ancient oriental bamboo flute.

Ziya Tabassian began learning the tombak (Iranian percussion instrument) at the age of ten. As a percussionist, Ziya Tabassian is active in early music, contemporary and modern music, as well as world music. Ziya has performed in over forty countries, in prestigious concert halls and festivals with internationally renowned ensembles. He has several albums to his credit. His latest album, “Remembrances,” features his original compositions for instrumental ensembles. His compositions are characterized by a rich tapestry of sounds, harmoniously weaving together traditional and modern influences. His art continues to captivate audiences, offering a compelling blend of tradition and innovation. Today, Ziya is the artistic director of the Festival Accès Asie.