Jani Parsons, Co-Director
Praised for her “combination of tenderness and vivacious energy” (San Francisco Chronicle) and “sheer virtuosity” (LA Splash), Canadian pianist Jani Parsons has established herself as a musician of warmth, brilliance, versatility, and vivid expression. An active soloist and chamber musician, Jani is a founding member and executive director of Latitude 49, a mixed chamber ensemble recently in residence at Princeton University and the pianist of the Aurora Trio with violinist Timothy Steeves and cellist Max Geissler. Jani joined the faculty at the University of Calgary as the newly appointed Assistant Professor of Piano and head of the piano program in 2021. As an avid performer and supporter of living composers, Jani has worked directly with many composers including Steve Reich, Christopher Cerrone, John Zorn, Stacy Garrop, Marc Mellits, Roshanne Etezady, Augusta Read Thomas, Jared Miller and Shulamit Ran and has premiered upwards of eighty new solo and chamber works. She is especially enthusiastic about featuring a wide array of “classics” and undiscovered masterpieces in her programming that spans from pre-Baroque to newly inked works. A sought-after chamber musician, Jani has appeared with the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, members of Bang on a Can All-Stars, Eighth Blackbird, and New Music Detroit as well as members of the Chicago and Detroit Symphony Orchestras. Performances across North America include the Chan Centre for the Arts (Vancouver, British Columbia), the Banff Centre for the Arts, Detroit Symphony Center, Detroit Institute of Arts, the Ravinia Festival and the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago) and at various educational institutions including the New England Conservatory, Indiana University, and Northwestern University among others. Jani has appeared in 8 professionally released recordings and can be heard on the New Amsterdam label, Tzadik label and Çedille Records among others.Jani studied in Canada with Lorraine Ambrose at the Vancouver Academy of Music and graduated from the University of Michigan under Arthur Greene and John Ellis. She has served on faculty at the Fresh Inc. Summer festival, the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp and the Piracicaba International Piano Festival in Brazil.
Chris Sies, Co-Director
Chris Sies is a percussionist and sound artist who seeks to bring visceral sonic and performative experiences to diverse audiences. A unique performer with “virtuoso flair" (Detroit Free Press), Chris has appeared with such groups as New Music Detroit, The National Arab Orchestra, Man Forever, So Percussion, The Black Earth Ensemble, My Brightest Diamond, and the Fulcrum Point New Music Project, among many others. As a composer and collaborative artist, Sies has worked in many facets including dance, performance art, and multimedia with works presented by the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS), The Percussive Arts Society, The American College Dance Association, The Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, New Music Detroit’s Strange Beautiful Music, and the Detroit Bureau of Sound. Through the integration of percussion and live electronics, Chris’s music lives at the crossroads of the academic avante garde, DIY rock, and power electronic genres with his music being described as an "aural assault" (TEMPO), possessing a "searing intensity" (College Music Symposium). Aside from his work with Latitude 49, Chris also records under the duo project ARCHISMS with long-time friend and collaborator Sam Cooper, and is a member of the Willo Collective, a percussion-heavy venture dedicated to creating collaborative and interdisciplinary work. Chris also performs under the moniker S[K]IES - a solo project dedicated to what he calls “psychedelic noise-metal” through relentless experiments with percussion and electronics that focus on sounds and structures inspired from altered states of consciousness. As passionate educator over the years, Chris has instructed a diverse body of students, holding faculty positions at Triton College (River Grove, IL), The People’s Music School (Chicago, IL), The Chicago Academy for the Arts, Baylor University (Waco, TX), and the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI), where he directed the Modern Percussion Lab from 2020-2022. Previous students have won international competitions, attended various music festivals, and gone on to become educators at universities, public schools, freelancers, and creators forming their own artistic projects and original work while investing in their communities.
Aine Kay Sison, Director of Social Media
Aine Kay Sison is a tuba player and a percussionist. With a Bachelor's of Music degree from the University of Calgary and currently a Masters student at McGill University, she has proven that great things come in small packages. Standing at an impressive four feet eleven inches, she proudly claims the title of the world's most vertically-challenged tuba player. Beyond her tuba expertise, Aine Kay has been studying percussion for over a year under the guidance of Chris Sies. When she's not busy “oom-pah-ing” or dreaming of percussion greatness, Aine Kay can be found at her second home – the local animal shelter. And after a long day of practice, you'll find her chowing down on Korean fried chicken.
Laura Jones, Festival Manager
Possessing a robust background in event management, coordination, and administration, Laura Jones is stepping into the role of Festival Manager with a wealth of experience. With over five years in corporate event management, she has honed her leadership and logistical skills, contributing to the meteoric growth of Calgary’s Blackline Safety.
​
Laura holds a Master’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Calgary where she studied both music and dramaturgy. She has applied her skills as a dramaturg for several projects and is a proud member of Secret Lady Project, captivating audiences with performances at Tadpole’s ‘On the Brightside’ festival and the Bug Incision concert series. Unveil the magic and mischief with @secretladyproject on Instagram.
​
Laura is thrilled to combine her expertise as an artist and event manager to support Sound Atlas as Festival Manager, aiming to create unforgettable experiences that blend her passionate artistry with logistical finesse.
YUAN GE, Director of Education
With over four years of teaching experience in both private and public capacities, Yuan is excited to join the Sound Atlas team as the Director of Education. Although originally a classically trained violinist, Yuan has chosen the electric guitar as his principal instrument and invests most of his time in rock, metal, and fusion genres nowadays. He now teaches in his home studio in Calgary, Alberta.
Originally from the music business world, Yuan spearheaded effective marketing campaigns for top artists such as Christina Aguilera, Nicky Jam, Hikaru Utada, and Kenshi Yonezu in his previous work at Sony Music Entertainment. He hopes to combine his expertise in creative marketing and education to help develop the education facet of Sound Atlas.
Yuan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Business & Management from Berklee College of Music and a Master’s degree in Music Industry Leadership from Northeastern University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Music Education at the University of Calgary, where he is researching a novel method of using the guitar to teach world music in K-12 classrooms.
Alex Bohn, Sound Engineer
_edited.jpg)
Alex Bohn is a Canadian Métis audio engineer based in Calgary, Alberta. He specializes in acoustic music recording, mixing, and mastering with a focus on classical, jazz, and folk music recording. Alex holds a Master of Music in Sound Recording from McGill University where he studied under recording greats such as x14 Grammy winning Richard King, and audio pioneer George Massenburg. He has worked on projects that have won Juno Awards, Canadian Film and Television Awards, Indigenous music awards, and WCMA’s as well has won multiple awards with the Audio Engineering Society.
Andy Hall, Website and Promotion Design
Andy Hall is a freelance saxophonist and teacher based in Ann Arbor, MI. He has performed as a soloist with the Michigan Symphony Band, World Youth Orchestra, Triangle Wind Ensemble, and was a featured artist on NPR’s “From the Top”. He has competed and placed in numerous state, national, and international competitions, winning first place at the national level of the 2009 NFMC Biennial Competition, 2nd Place in the North Carolina Symphony Concerto Competition, and being named a 2009 Presser Scholar for excellence in saxophone performance. ​Chamber accomplishments include membership with various prize-winning saxophone quartets over the past eighteen years, and one of the founding members of the contemporary music ensemble Latitude 49. He was also the baritone saxophonist with The Moanin’ Frogs from 2014-2021, a modern vaudeville saxophone sextet performing throughout the country and internationally. In 2018 The Moanin' Frogs won the wind division of the MPRIZE Chamber Arts Competition. Andy holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Master of Music in Performance from the University of Michigan, alongside a Bachelor of Music from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in saxophone performance. Andy has taught the saxophone professionally in group and private settings for eighteen years. He has held the official position of saxophone instructor at North Carolina School of the Arts Community Music School, Dexter Community Schools, Northville Community Schools, Saline Community Schools, and Pinckney Community Schools. He currently has a private, award-winning studio with students from Dexter, Pickney, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Saline based from his home in Ann Arbor. ​Andy’s principal teachers and mentors include world renowned saxophonists Donald Sinta, Dr. Steven Stusek, Dr. Timothy McAllister, Chad Eby, and Dr. Susan Fancher.