Grails and Relics

Violist Benjamin Rota has developed an international career spanning more than fifteen years, combining chamber music, recitals, and orchestral performance. Trained at the Conservatoire de de Paris and holding a Master's degree from the Université de Montréal, he is recognized for blending technical rigor with artistic sensitivity. He founded and directs the ensembles La Camerata (Canada) and La Chambre Harmonique (France), as well as the AltoFest festival in Quebec. His career has taken him to major venues across North America and Europe, and upcoming projects will bring him to Brazil and Vietnam. He regularly shares his expertise through masterclasses and teaching at international conservatories.

Acadian pianist Julien LeBlanc is celebrated for his refined artistry and deeply sensitive musicianship. Based in Montreal, he performs regularly throughout Canada and Europe as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative pianist. A sought-after partner for singers including Miriam Khalil, Nathalie Paulin, and Peter McGillivray, and for violinist Marc Djokic, he is also the co-founder of Trio Arkaède and performs with Trio LeBlanc. Internationally, he served as music director for Catherine Major's Albertine en cinq temps at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris and made his recital debut at the Capitole de Toulouse. His solo album Mélancolies (Leaf Music, 2015) was widely acclaimed.

Drew Lavigne is the anglophone Poet Laureate of Moncton, New Brunswick. A member of the editorial board at The Fiddlehead and host of the Attic Owl reading series, his recent work has appeared in Valium, Visual Arts News, Tourniquet Magazine, and with Éditions Rhizome. He translated the collection Poems Twofold with Georgette LeBlanc and is the author of Evening Dress, published with Anstruther Press.