February 21, 2026
Glad Day Lit, 32 Lisgar St, 1pm
Astrid Nakamura
Violinist
Astrid Nakamura maintains a performing career as a chamber, solo, and orchestral violinist. She has been part of a diverse array of ensembles across North America, such as the Houston Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Musiqa Houston, Kinetic Ensemble and Ensemble Urbain. Her chamber ventures also include summer fellowships at Yellow Barn, Music Academy of the West, and the McGill International String Quartet Association. Astrid is devoted to outreach and currently teaches at public elementary schools in Houston as a DACAMERA member, and has also performed concerts in partnership with the MD Anderson Cancer Center, NobleMotion Dance, and the University of Houston BRAIN Center. She completed her master's degree at Rice University and is an alumna of McGill University, and is currently a Rebanks Fellow at the Glenn Gould School. Astrid currently performs on the c.1830-1850 ’Eckhardt-Gramatte’ Chanot I violin, on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank, and is supported by the Sylva Gelber Foundation.
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astridnakamura.blog
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Diane Kim
Violinist
Diane Dahyeon Kim is a Korean-Canadian violinist who is actively performing worldwide. She was part of the National Youth Orchestra in 2022 and 2023 where she received the Stephen Sitarski Leadership
Award. Diane made her debut with Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. She has received 1st prize in the Young Artist Competition - Burlington Symphony and Lazlò Spezzaferri International Music Competition. Diane graduated from the Glenn Gould School's Bachelor of Music program, studying under Paul Kantor and Barry Shiffman. She received her master’s degree at the Gustav Mahler Privat Universität, studying under Sae Won Suh. Currently, she is pursuing an Artist Diploma program at the Glenn Gould School under Min Jeong Koh and Marie Berard.
Shyler Macaggi
Violist
Italian American violist Shyler Macaggi is a versatile musician accomplished in orchestral, chamber, and solo performance. He began his studies at the age of 11 at the Thurman White Academy of the Performing Arts, and later studied with violist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Dmitri Kourka. Currently, Shyler is studying at the Glenn Gould School with Canadian violist
Steven Dann.
Shyler has had success in competitions such as the Susan Barton Music Competition, the Carol Jackson Concerto Competition, the Nevada Music Educators Association All-State Command Performance, the Las Vegas Philharmonic Concerto Competition, and the Henderson Symphony Concerto Competition, to name a few. Most recently, Shyler was chosen as a semifinalist for the Johansen International String Competition. He has also had the opportunity
to work with world renowned musicians such as Dimitri Murrath, Paul Coletti, Juan-Miguel Hernandez, Keith Hamm, Steven Tenenbom, and members of the Kelemen String Quartet.
Shyler Macaggi has served as principal violist of the Nevada All State Orchestra, CCSD Honor Orchestra, Las Vegas Young Artists Orchestra, and the Green Valley High School Symphony Orchestra. He plays on a wonderful viola made in 2021 by luthier Patrick Higgins.
Amanda Chi
Cellist
Taiwanese-Canadian cellist Amanda Chi has established herself as a dynamic performer and artist, captivating audiences internationally since the age of seven. She is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at The Glenn Gould School at The Royal Conservatory of Music, studying with Hans Jørgen Jensen and Andrés Díaz. Amanda holds a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from New England Conservatory and a Master of Music from The Juilliard School, where she was a recipient of the Irene Diamond Graduate Fellowship and the Stonzek Memorial Fellowship. She also earned a Master of Musical Arts from Yale University, where she studied under Paul Watkins of the esteemed Emerson Quartet.
She has performed in prestigious venues across North America, Europe, and Asia, including Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, and the National Concert Hall in Taipei. Her artistry has been shaped through collaborations with world-renowned musicians and conductors, and she is a frequent substitute musician with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Canadian Opera Company.
Amanda’s musical journey began in Taipei, Taiwan, and at the age of eleven she relocated to Toronto, Canada, upon receiving a scholarship to the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists, where she studied cello under the guidance of David Hetherington. In 2013, she became the youngest cello prizewinner of the Toronto Sinfonietta Concerto Competition. Over the course of her studies, Amanda has performed in master classes taught by acclaimed artists, such as Timothy Eddy, Joel Krosnick, Colin Carr, Carter Brey, Raphael Wallfisch, Steven Isserlis, Desmond Hoebig and many others. She has participated in music festivals such as the Banff Centre Arts programs, Music Academy of the West, Aspen Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Formosa Chamber Music Festival, Taipei Music Academy Festival and Orford Musique.
Amanda served as principal cellist of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (2019–2020), has led the Yale Philharmonia, the Juilliard Orchestra, and the Music Academy Festival Orchestra, and has performed under the baton of Sir Antonio Pappano, Peter Oundjian, Leonard Slatkin, Hugh Wolff, Kent Nagano, Hannu Lintu, Giancarlo Guerrero, and Fabio Luisi. She has also collaborated with artists Frank Huang and Cynthia Phelps in a performance of Mendelssohn’s Octet in Taipei. Most recently, she was invited to participate in the orchestral symposium and leadership forum at the Tianjin Juilliard School.
