NOAM BIERSTONE is a Canadian percussionist and curator dedicated to modern artistic performance. Committed to the creation and development of new music, Noam’s main projects include his saxophone & percussion duo scapegoat, the Montreal performance series NO HAY BANDA, and Architek percussion quartet. Noam pursues ongoing collaborations with various composers and artists, with a particular interest in works that expand the notion of percussion playing through new techniques, hybrid instruments, and performer-controlled electronics. Noam is regularly invited to perform at international festivals and with leading new music groups, and in his spare time he enjoys cooking, biking, and doing yoga. www.noambierstone.com

BEN DUINKER pursues a dual career in performance and academics. He has won prizes in the OSM Standard Life Competition, PASIC Solo Percussion Competition, and the Prix D’Europe. His playing has been described as displaying “breath-holding physical grace” (Chronicle Herald) and as “revealing exceptional dexterity and precision” (La Presse). Duinker holds a PhD (Music Theory) and MMus (Percussion) from McGill University. His doctoral research investigates the role of rhythm and metre in the construction, performance, and perception of the rapped vocals of hip-hop music. www.benduinker.com

Born and raised in charming little Luxembourg, percussionist ALEXANDER HAUPT has made sounds and noise his speciality. He is at home in many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, and chamber and orchestral music from the 16th century onward. Haupt has performed on many of Quebec’s stages, namely the Maison Symphonique (Montreal), the Grand Théâtre de Québec, Festival de Lanaudière, and Domaine Forget with Orchestre Metropolitain, Orchestre Symphonique de Trois-Rivières, Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, collectif9, Sixtrum Percussion Ensemble, and many others. He holds a MMus in Percussion from McGill University.

ALESSANDRO VALIANTE has been immersed in his native Montreal’s beautiful and diverse culture since birth. He is a versatile percussionist, active in genres ranging from chamber music, rock, musical theatre, world music, to hip-hop. Valiante was a featured soloist in the Random Walks Xenakis Festival (Toronto) and has frequently collaborated with Sixtrum (Montreal). He holds a bachelor and master of music performance from McGill University, where he established himself as a specialist in the chamber repertoire of Steve Reich, Iannis Xenakis, David Lang, and John Cage and worked with a diverse set of composers including Vinko Globokar and Thierry De May. www.alessandrovaliante.com