Pianist Claire Butler is from the North-East of England and studied piano performance at the Royal College of Music, London with professors John Barstow and Bernard Roberts. After graduating, Claire taught in music schools and continued performing in England before taking a position at the Bermuda School of Music. An experienced soloist and accompanist, Claire has performed concertos with orchestras in the UK and collaborated with many talented musicians. Now a resident of Calgary, Claire is music director of Silver Stars Musical Revue Society, pianist for Calgary Girls Choir and the new music director of St Andrew’s Anglican Church.

A native of Tacoma, Washington, double bassist Matthew Heller joined the Calgary Philharmonic in 2007. He has appeared frequently as a recitalist and chamber musician, including performances with the Mountain View Chamber Music Festival, Land’s End Chamber Ensemble, Kensington Sinfonia, and Instrumental Society of Calgary. He was awarded the Instrumental Society’s inaugural Janice Waite Scholarship in recognition of his contributions to Calgary’s performing arts community. He also performs as principal bass with the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra in Boulder.                                                                                                                                              Mr. Heller was previously a member of the New World Symphony (Miami, Florida), Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He has been an orchestral fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, and performed chamber music with the St. Lawrence String Quartet at Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina.  Matthew completed studies at the New England Conservatory and at Northwestern University. He has studied with some of today’s most accomplished bassists, including Donald Palma, Harold Robinson, Michael Hovnanian, Matthew McDonald, and Joel Quarrington. Mr. Heller performs on an Italian double bass attributed to Antonio Gilbertini, dated 1841.

Matt and Claire have played together at Classical Revolution Calgary evenings, as part of ‘The Jabberwocky Players’, recitals at Living Spirit Church and St Mary’s Parish (Banff) and in their jazz trio Clicquot Trio with a recent concert at Music in the Plaza at Heritage Park.