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Our season finale features the Festival Trio with pianist Ken Gee, violinist Sadie Fields and cellist Paul Pulford. Prepare to be transported through the rich tapestry of classical music and hear these accomplished musicians perform some of the most celebrated piano trios.
Go Back To Home PageChamber music is often called the music of friends—and for good reason. It was originally written to be performed in intimate spaces by small groups of musicians, with no conductor and no barriers between artist and audience. In this format, every note matters, every gesture is shared, and musical conversation becomes deeply personal.
That intimacy is what makes a performance like this one so special.
When The Festival Trio takes the stage at Peller Hall, it won’t feel like you’re just watching a concert—it’ll feel like you're being welcomed into a story, a dialogue, a shared emotional experience. These three artists have played together for years, and that connection shows in every phrase, every glance, every moment of silence they let linger.
Whether you’re a seasoned listener or simply curious, chamber music is an invitation to slow down, listen closely, and feel more deeply. And with a program of universally loved classics, brought to life by three of Canada’s most seasoned musicians, this is the perfect opportunity to discover (or rediscover) what makes this art form timeless.
Sadie Fields, a Canadian/British violinist currently based in Brussels, enjoys a richly varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, curator, and artistic director. Her love affair with the violin began at the age of seven when her primary school visited the renowned Axelrod collection of Stradivarius violins. Mesmerised by the sound, she convinced her mother to let her start lessons, leading to a lifelong dedication to the instrument.
Performing regularly across Europe and North America, Sadie's concerts also take her further afield, including to Asia, the Middle East, and New Zealand. A passionate advocate for chamber music, she was the founding leader of the Castalian String Quartet and violinist of Trio Khnopff. She also founded the Belgium-based Flash Ensemble, a flexible chamber group centered around a string trio, and is a member of the Festival Trio in Canada. In addition to her ensemble work, Sadie collaborates with a range of distinguished pianists and recently formed a duo with Italian accordionist Luca Piovesan. Most recently, Sadie has been appointed leader of the acclaimed Edinburgh Quartet, an ensemble with a rich history spanning over more than 60 years.
As a recording artist, Sadie’s most recent release features Flash Ensemble’s interpretation of the complete string trios by László Lajtha (Pavane Records, 2023), awarded 5 stars in Diapason. Her recording with Trio Khnopff, Weinberg – 1945, was BBC Music Magazine’s ‘Chamber Disc of the Month’ in January 2020. Sadie has also recorded extensively for BIS and Champs Hill Records, earning accolades such as BBC Music Magazine’s Editor’s Choice and the German Record Critics’ Award.
Sadie is the founder of Mini Concerts (Brussels) and artistic director of the Music in Rannoch series in the Scottish Highlands. She holds a PhD from the Royal Academy of Music in London, where her research focused on tradition and learning in relation to Bartók’s violin works. Sadie plays on a fine Italian violin made by Gioffredo Cappa in 1687.
Paul Pulford is a chamber musician, soloist, conductor, and educator. Since his debut recital in Winnipeg, he has performed on four continents and recorded over 30 CDs.
For over 25 years, he was a member of the internationally acclaimed Penderecki String Quartet (1990–2013) and the Orford String Quartet (1987–1989). With Penderecki, Pulford recorded the complete Bartók String Quartets, piano quintets by Brahms, Shostakovich, and Schnittke, and numerous works by Canadian composers.
He has performed in many of the world's leading venues, including the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Wigmore Hall (London), Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (NYC), and Kennedy Center (Washington), as well as major halls in Rome, Barcelona, Mexico City, and across Canada and Japan.
From 1989 to 2017, Pulford served as Professor of Cello and Director of Orchestral Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, where he also spent seven years as Associate Dean of Music. He founded QuartetFest, a chamber music festival fostering international collaboration and mentorship. Pulford is now Professor Emeritus at Laurier.
He was also artist-in-residence at UNB Fredericton (1984–1989) as a member of the New Brunswick String Quartet and currently lives in Long Reach, New Brunswick, with his partner Anne-Marie Donovan.
His recordings include the complete Beethoven works for cello and fortepiano with Boyd McDonald (ebs label), and Brahms cello sonatas and songs (Doremi).
Ken Gee is a classical pianist born in Hamilton and now based in Guelph. A graduate of McMaster University, he was awarded the McMaster Medal for the Creative and Performing Arts and studied piano with Boris Berlin in Toronto.
Ken’s career includes work as a music critic for The Hamilton Spectator, chamber music manager, co-director of the Hamilton Kiwanis Music Festival, and educator at McMaster, Sheridan, and Mohawk College. He also developed classical piano software for PG Music Inc. and continues to engrave scores for the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Ken has performed an extensive range of chamber music—particularly for violin/piano, cello/piano, and piano trios—and has soloed with orchestras in concertos by Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Bloch, and notably gave the Canadian premiere of the Yellow River Concerto.
He is the pianist for the Suzuki String School of Guelph and its affiliated summer institutes in Waterloo and Montreal. He also serves as a chamber music coach, adjudicator, and board member for the Guelph Youth Music Centre and the Kiwanis Music Festival of Guelph. In 2008, he received a City of Guelph Mayor’s Award.
Ken is the founder and sole organizer of Guelph Musicfest, now entering its 19th season in 2025.
