Rebecca Weger is currently in her second year of a bachelor's program in violin performance in the studio of Andrew Wan at the Schulich School of Music, McGill University. She grew up in Regina, studying violin with Rudolf Sternadel at the Conservatory of Performing Arts. In 2014 and 2016 she was the recipient of the President's Gold Medal, awarded annually to the Conservatory's most outstanding student. Rebecca was a member of the Regina Symphony Orchestra for four seasons, playing her debut concert at the age of thirteen. She is a regular participant at the Regina Music Festival, having won the Shumiatcher String Competition, the Gyro Club Senior String Scholarship as well as the Kinsmen and Lion's Competitions. Rebecca has played in masterclasses for James Ehnes, Erika Raum, Martin Beaver, Annalee Patipatanakoon, Axel Strauss, Mark Fewer Yehonatan Berick, and Midori. Rebecca was a member of the South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra for six seasons, performing Beethoven's Violin Concerto with the orchestra in 2014 and serving as their concertmaster in her last year. She has participated in summer programs with Regina Summer Strings, the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy, Camp Musical des Laurentides, Orford Music and Domaine Forget. Rebecca is a proud recipient of a Prince Edward Arts Scholarship from the Saskatchewan Arts Board and would like to thank them for their financial support of her studies at McGill University.
Cherith Alexander is a dynamic pianist based in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. As a respected piano and theory teacher in the community for over twenty years she has worked with a variety of students of all ages and levels. Many of her students have received awards including RCM gold medals and provincial music festival honors. In 2011 her pupil Meagan Milatz was the grand prize winner in the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Association piano competition.
An experienced collaborative pianist and chamber musician, Cherith has performed with many renowned musicians and especially enjoys coaching young musicians "from the piano bench". For the past few years she has been employed part-time as an accompanist/coach at the Conservatory of Music in Regina. One musical highlight for Cherith has been travelling nine times to the National Music Festival as an accompanying pianist for the Saskatchewan competitors. In 2015 she was delighted to perform as a guest pianist with the Regina Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players.
Cherith is passionate about the value of music festivals and has had the privilege of adjudicating at festivals throughout Western Canada including Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, and the Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver Kiwanis Festivals. In 2017 she developed the curriculum for and facilitated the first "Adjudicator Boot Camp" in Saskatchewan which is a workshop designed to train and inspire new and current adjudicators in her province.
Cherith was educated at the University of British Columbia where she was a pupil of Kum Sing Lee. Some of the other influential teachers in her life have included William Moore of the University of Regina and Marcelle Guidos of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan under whose direction she completed her A.R.C.T. at the age of fifteen. As a young student she was honoured to win the SMFA Concerto Competition in 1991 after which she performed as a guest soloist with the Regina Symphony Orchestra.