2025 Festival Artists
Out of Pocket Trio
Out of Pocket Trio is an Edmonton-based jazz fusion group featuring Tae Kim on piano, Tony Flanagan on drums, and Chris Larsen on bass. Influenced by legendary trios like Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, and Hiromi, they bring together deep improvisation, playful energy, and tight musical chemistry. They've performed across Alberta at notable venues such as the Yardbird Suite and the Fairmont Palliser, sharing their dynamic sound with a wide range of audiences. Their performances strike a balance between artistry and spontaneity—always aiming to push boundaries while having a great time doing it.
Itamar Prag, pianist
Pianist Itamar Prag began piano studies at the Givatayim Conservatory of Music. He then attended Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts and later the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University. Prag is pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Piano Performance at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montreal.
Prag enjoys a vibrant performance schedule as a recitalist, soloist, and chamber musician. He debuted at the age of 11 as a soloist with the Tel Aviv Soloists Ensemble. He later performed as a soloist with leading Israeli orchestras, including The Israel Symphony Orchestra – Rishon Lezion, The Haifa Symphony Orchestra, and The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. Prag won the Classical and Romantic Concerto Competitions of the SSoM and performed as a soloist with the McGill Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Alexis Hauser. In 2019, Prag won an audition by Maestro Zubin Mehta and performed with the BMSM Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Yoel Levi. He has also performed as a soloist under the batons of Lahav Shani, Frederic Chaslin and Omer Wellber and Vag Papian. Prag won several prizes in piano competitions in Israel and abroad, including the first prize at the Pnina Salzman Piano Competition in Israel.
His teachers were Andre Laplante, Arie Vardi, Hannah Shalgi, Kyoko Hashimoto, Ilya Poletaev, Asaf Zohar, and Vadim Monastyrski. Prag has performed in recitals across Israel, Europe, and North America, including Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, France, Spain, Georgia, the USA, and Quebec. He has also performed in masterclasses with Murray Perahia, Richard Goode, John Perry, Piotr Paleczney, Eliso Virsaladze, and Gabriel Kwok. He received scholarships from The America-Israel Cultural Foundation (2006-2020) and Zefunot Culture and a scholarship for young musicians in memory of Ruthy and Benny Mushkin
Solina Lee, cellist
Recently named in the Canada Broadcasting Corporation’s 2024 edition for the “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30”, emerging Korean-Canadian cellist, Solina Lee, is recognized for her musical sensitivity and sincerity. She is currently the President and Artistic Director of Wild Rose Chamber Music, a budding arts non-profit organization dedicated to bringing accessible and inclusive classical chamber music to the Edmonton community.
Solina has been a recipient of numerous awards and scholarships. She was awarded the Persons Case Scholarship from the Alberta Ministry of Arts, Culture and Status of Women. She was a designated Schulich Scholar and recipient of the Graduate Excellence Recruitment Fellowship during her time at McGill University. Ms. Lee was a semi-finalist at the Concours Prix D’Europe in 2023, and a semi-finalist in the 2022-2023 Golden Violin Competition at McGill University. Solina was a selected participant of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal “Orchestral Immersion Project” in 2022, where she had the opportunity to perform in the orchestra at the Maison Symphonique under the baton of Maestro Rafael Payare.
As an avid chamber musician, Ms. Lee was a founding member of the 8PM Piano Trio. During her time in the trio, they were awarded the grand prize at the 2021 McGill Chamber Music Competition, which included a residency at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria. The trio has performed at the Chappelle Historique du Bon-Pasteur in Montréal and in the Musical Chairs Chamber Music Festival.
Summer festivals she has attended include Morningside Music Bridge, Orford Music, Encore Chamber Music Institute, and Toronto Summer Music, where she had the opportunity to perform with many distinguished artists, including Yura Lee, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, and Andrew Wan. She has been selected as an Interplay program participant at the Banff Centre of Music for Arts and Creativity, and will be a part of the orchestra for The Handmaid’s Tale new arrangement’s World Premiere.
Solina received her Bachelor of Music and Master in Music at McGill University, Schulich School of Music, where she studied with principal cellist of the Montréal Symphony, Brian Manker.