Heifetz Hear & Now 2023-24: Rachell Ellen Wong

Recipient of a prestigious 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant – the only early music specialist in the respected program’s history – and Grand Prize winner of the inaugural Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition, violinist Rachell Ellen Wong is a star on both the modern and historical performance violin stages. With performances across five continents, Rachell has established herself as one of the leading historical performers of her generation, collaborating with esteemed ensembles such as the Academy of Ancient Music, Jupiter Ensemble led by lutenist Thomas Dunford, Bach Collegium Japan, Ruckus Early Music, and Les Arts Florissants, among others. Equally accomplished on the modern violin, Rachell made her first public appearance with Philharmonia Northwest at age 11 and has since performed as a soloist with orchestras such as Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Panamá, Orquesta Sinfónica de Costa Rica, and the Seattle Symphony. In 2020, Rachell made her conducting debut with the Seattle Symphony, leading a performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons from the violin. Currently, she serves as concertmaster of the Seattle Baroque Orchestra. LEARN MORE

Suren Barry has given numerous solo recitals at La Chapelle Historique du Bon Pasteur in Montreal and has also been invited to perform at the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, at the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY, at the “Im Hayastan” Festival in Yerevan, Armenia, and at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival. An avid chamber musician, Suren regularly performs in various ensembles at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival and at the Festival Pontiac Enchante. Recently, Suren has been performing with the McGill Percussion Ensemble, which included a concert at the McCormick Marimba Festival (Tampa, FL). Suren holds a Bachelor of Music from Carleton University, a Master’s in Piano Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, and is currently pursuing his doctorate at the Schulich School of Music in Montreal. He recently received a prestigious Doctoral Fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for his research on keyboard improvisation in the 18th Century. This project focuses on helping pianists reclaim the rich tradition of improvised classical music.