Violin/Viola
Recipient of the Women's Musical Club of Toronto graduating scholarship for 2006, violinist Kenin McKay recently completed her Bachelor of Music Degree in Performance at the University of Toronto with honours standing. Kenin's chamber group, the Blume Quartet, won the University's prestigious Felix Galimir Award for 2007, which included a featured concert, as well as full sponsorship to participate in the Banff Centre for the Arts renowned Chamber Music workshop. This previous year she participated in the International Bach Festival directed by Maestro Helmut Rilling, and performed Bach's Concerto for Two violins with the St. Lawrence String Quartet. She also presented Britten's opera "The Rape of Lucrecia" as part of a small ensemble, in conjunction with the University of Toronto's Opera School.
A seasoned orchestral player, Kenin most recently performed with the Kingston Symphony orchestra in their Fort Henry concert series. Last summer she was also a member of the National Academy Orchestra under the baton of Boris Brott. Other ensembles she has performed with include the Canadian Sinfonietta, the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, the Brampton Lyric Opera, the Korean Canadian Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra, where she has acted as concertmaster and principal second. As a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada in 2002, she toured Asia with conductor Kazuyoshi Akiyama. In 2005 Kenin was awarded full tuition scholarship to attend The Banff Centre's Summer Music Festival, where she studied with Scott St. John and Erika Raum. Previous summers, she participated in the Domaine Forget Academy, Scotia Festival of Music, and the Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute, where she studied and performed with musicians such as Victor Yampolsky, Regis Pasquier, and members of the former Orford String Quartet.
Growing up in Brantford, Ontario, Kenin was an active member of the local music community, serving as concertmaster of several ensembles, and performing as a featured soloist with orchestras and in recital. She was also a member of the violin ensemble "Zimrah," which produced a CD recording in 1998 called "Music to Warm the Soul." In 2002 Kenin received her ARCT diploma from The Royal Conservatory of Music in Violin Performance.
Kenin is currently pursuing her musical interests at the Masters level at the University of Toronto, where she studies with Annalee Patipatanakoon. In addition to her many performance commitments, Kenin also maintains a busy teaching schedule.