Jim Picken (organ and piano) is an Associate Director of Music Ministry at Knox Presbyterian Church, accompanist for the Calgary Men’s Chorus, and enjoys collaborative work, on piano or organ, with solo singers and instrumentalists.
He is proud of the numerous organ recitals he has performed, among them: a recital at Christ Church in April 2001 in aid of Amnesty International; at Central United to celebrate Alberta’s Centennial in 2005; and at the Jack Singer Concert Hall for the First North American OutGames in April 2007.
Jim has also played some of the world’s most famous pipe organs: during a seminar in 2001 he played in Notre-Dame, St.-Sulpice, La Madeleine, and La Trinité, Paris. During tours with Christ Church Choir to England in 2002 and 2011, he accompanied choral services on the organs of Wells Cathedral, Chichester Cathedral, St. George’s Chapel Windsor, and St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.
His second favourite instrument is the cello, and collaboration with Liz Tremblay in cello and piano repertoire is a dream come true!
Liz Tremblay (cello) hails from Brighton, in the UK, having studied both piano and cello at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She was active for many years in Bermuda, teaching and performing. After arriving in Kingston Ontario in 2005 (quite the climate change!) she continued to be a very busy chamber and orchestral player and teacher. She moved to Calgary in 2012, promptly threw herself into the local music scene, and rapidly became a well-known figure in local orchestras such as the Calgary Civic Orchestra, The Symphony of the Kooteneys and The Blue Arch Strings. She also maintains a large private studio for piano and cello, and still finds time to practice her saxophone!