Born and raised in Hokkaido, Japan, Sakurako Jayne Abe is a collaborative pianist who received her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance with honors from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music. Jayne is currently pursuing her master’s degree in collaborative piano at the Manhattan School of Music on a full scholarship, specializing in vocal repertoire. Studying with Thomas Lausmann, Jayne has been involved in the opera productions of L’elisir d’amore, An American Dream and The Crucible. She was chosen as a participant of The Aspen Music Festival in 2025 as a Collaborative Piano fellow and one of the main pianists of Così fan tutte. Instagram: @jayne.bibi

Chihiro Yasufuku・安福知優 (she/her) is an early-career portfolio artist of Japanese descent, currently based in Tkarón:to, Ontario. With a background of 20 years of study as a violinist which eventually expanded its roots to singing, Chihiro is an active vocalist, actor and performer-collaborator in opera, theatre and workshop spaces. When not on the stage or pursuing her studies as a violinist, Chihiro nurtures her passion for arts administration. Recently, she was the Assistant Company Manager to the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s Interplay program, as well as the Production Assistant to Amplified Opera’s digital development workshop, Infinity Café. A strong advocate of Japanese recital and choral repertoire, Chihiro has also offered Japanese lyric diction coaching for clients in the Greater Toronto Area including Soundstreams Choir 21, Brampton Children’s Chorus and Exultate Chamber Singers. Chihiro is an alumna of the University of Toronto’s Opera School and Classical Voice Performance program. Instagram: @chihirosounds

Born in Izumisano City, Japan, composer, pianist, organist, and educator, Kento Stratford (b. 1997) leads a diverse artistic practice throughout Canada and beyond. Drawing from his own Japanese Canadian heritage, Kento’s music inhabits a sonic world balanced between two contrasting traditions: one forward-moving, consumptive, and grandiose, the other understated, reductive, and temporally unbound. His works are inspired by a wide range of personal interests spanning everything from science fiction to ancient medicine. Kento’s works have been performed and commissioned by a diverse group of artists and ensembles, including most recently: the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto, the Choir of St. James Cathedral, Odin String Quartet, HAVEN Trio, Sirius Piano Duo, Concreamus Chamber Choir, and theremenist Thorwald Jorgensen. His music has been heard at festivals in North America and Europe including at CAMPGROUND22, Connecticut Summerfest, and the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival. Kento is also active as a performer, appearing regularly in recitals and concerts as a solo and collaborative pianist. In addition to work as a concert performer, Kento thoroughly enjoys working with sacred music and has held numerous appointments as a church musician. Kento holds a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance and composition from the Dan School of Drama and Music at Queen’s University, as well as a Master of Music degree in composition from the University of Toronto. Instagram: @kentostratford