Jonathan Werk
Jonathan Werk is an oboist living and freelancing in Montreal's West Island, after growing up and studying in Ottawa. Music has always been a central focus in Jonathan's life; starting at a young age he developed a love for music of all genres, from classical to jazz to klezmer. Jonathan performs orchestral music, chamber music, contemporary music, as well as a wide array of folk music including klezmer, Irish, and Quebecois. In particular, Jonathan is sought after for playing Contradances, Balfolk, and English Country Dances. In addition to being a skilled oboist, he is a fluent improviser, he excels at working by ear - which is particularly helpful outside of the classical scene- and he has written and arranged many pieces of music for himself and others to perform.
Jonathan studied with Charles Hamann and received his Bachelor's of Music in oboe performance from the University of Ottawa in 2016, and was a member of Canada's National Youth Orchestra in the summer of 2016. Jonathan's studies also brought him to international music festivals such as Klezkanada, Silkroad's Global Musician Workshop, and various summer festivals hosted by the Country Dance and Song Society.
Jonathan plays for many dance events in Canada and the United States in the bands Modern Birds, Gròóvåtrøñ, Overnight Goats, Cedar Waxwing, Les Quatre Patates, as well as many more unnamed groups and configurations. Since the pandemic, Jonathan became heavily involved in remote and virtual recording work, including producing many fully remote symphonic orchestra recordings in online groups such as the Untitled Virtual Ensemble and The Pixel Mixers. Jonathan releases music online under his real name and also under the moniker “oboejdub.” Besides oboe, Jonathan can also be seen performing on accordion, piano, penny whistle, bombarde, and didgeridoo.
Amy Melnychuk
Amy Melnychuk is a passionate musician and educator, playing both oboe and piano professionally for over a decade. She has performed in a wide variety of chamber and orchestral contexts, most notably as an extra musician with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and as contract second chair of the Symphony of the Kootenays for two seasons. Her professional freelance career has included performances at events, church services, art galleries, recitals and concerts, including performances with the Sinfonia de l’Ouest, Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra, Medicine Hat Symphonic Society, Calgary Arts Orchestra and Ambrose University College Chamber Orchestra. She placed third in the National Music Festival and she performed as a soloist with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as a finalist in the RBC Concerto Competition. She has taught oboe for many organisations, including the Mount Royal University Conservatory, Banff Music Retreats, Musicamp Alberta and the Banff Youth Orchestra Symposium. Amy completed an Associate Diploma in Oboe Performance (ARCT) through the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), as well as an ARCT in Piano Performance and an ARCT in Piano Pedagogy. She also completed a Licentiate Diploma in Piano Performance (LBCM) through the British Columbia Conservatory of Music. She has been an accompanist for exams, competitions, juries and performances. An RCM Certified Teacher, she has taught at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Staccato Music Studios, West Point Grey School of Music, Imagine Music Inc. and Chinook School of Music. Amy has a Masters in Oboe Performance from the Schulich School of Music at McGill University studying with Ted Baskin, supported by the Schulich Grad Scholarship, the McGill Grad Excellence Award and the British Columbia Arts Council Scholarship. She studied privately with Beth Orson in Vancouver for two years and she received her Bachelor of Oboe Performance with Distinction studying with David Sussman at the University of Calgary, where she was the recipient of the David Frederick Baker Memorial Prize, the Newcap Award in Music, the John K. Nikel Memorial Scholarship for Music Education, F. M. Mcleod Prize, the Nickle Family Foundation Scholarship, the Music Matinee Scholarship and the Calgary Pro Musica Chamber Music Prize. Amy currently spends most of her time running the Bellamy School of Music in Dorval, Quebec of which she is the owner and founder.