Karol Mabel Contreras Jaramillo
• Cello, Latin Choir & Music History
English & Spanish
Originally from a small town in Mexico, Karol loves sharing her knowledge of music, wherever she can. After over ten years of experience, she’s comfortable teaching in almost any context. Her approach to teaching encourages students to be active listeners and critical thinkers, drawing from the pedagogy of Suzuki, Popper, Duport and Bach. She believes that knowledge empowers and that music can help individuals develop their potential.
Before coming to Canada, Karol performed in several professional settings in Mexico, including with the Symphonic Orchestra of Auguascalientes, Philharmonic Orchestra of Xalapa and the Symphonic Orchestra of Zacatecas. While completing her M.Mus. in Cello Performance at Brandon University, Karol took part in several performance initiatives across Manitoba such as the Winnipeg New Music Festival and Wheat City Nuit Blanche. Finally, after moving to Ottawa, Karol has premiered several contemporary compositions for the cello. Currently, she can be found performing in a verity of styles, from folkloric Latin to pop, in Ottawa and Gatineau.
Yanik Fillion-Murphy
• Piano, Composition & Theory
English & French
Yanik is a lifelong pianist, whether as a soloist or a collaborator. While an undergraduate student, Yanik discovered his enthusiasm for guiding others towards music. Yanik is an effective teacher of both popular and classical repertoire and composition. While emphasizing strong musical foundations, Yanik excels at satisfying students’ musical curiosity. Since he believes anyone can find fulfillment in music, he teaches various types of students from beginners, both adult and child to advanced students looking to hone their skills. Whether looking to start the piano, explore composition, prepare for theory exams or cultivate collaborative skills, Yanik is here to help you navigate the journey.
While attending Brandon University, working towards his B.Mus. in Piano Performance, Yanik won the Tudor Bowl, as the champion of the Brandon Festival of the Arts. In addition, Yanik is one of handful of pianists to ever perform André Mathieu’s challenging Piano Concerto No. 4 as a soloist with orchestra.
Yanik attained his M.Mus. in Composition from the University of Ottawa under Dr. John Armstrong. In 2018, he wrote a suite for piano quartet entitled Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast, which was performed at the Winnipeg New Music Festival and at the Trinity Laban CoLab in London, UK. In 2019, his string quartet received 2nd mention at Nuestra América, an international composition competition, premiered by the José White String Quartet . Most recently, Horizons réfracté was selected and performed as a winner of the Ottawa Pops Orchestra’s New Works Project.
Amanda Judit Contreras Jaramillo
• Violin, Viola, Music Theory (online)
English & Spanish
Violinist Amanda Contreras was born in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Surrounded by music from her early years, she started her musical studies at the age of seven. A Graduate student of Ms. Kerry DuWors, Amanda completed a master’s degree in Violin Performance awarded with the Gold Medal in the Spring of 2022 at Brandon University.
Miss Contreras has collaborated and performed with different orchestras in renowned venues around the world, like Palacio de Bellas Artes and Auditorio Nacional (Mexico City), Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center (Miami, Fl.), Sint-Martinuskerk Church (Overpelt, Belgium). Amanda is also a sought-after performer in the Western Manitoba communities and her music collaborations span different music genres, from classical to pop and folk music.
At her home city, Amanda created two social outreach programs, “Discovering the violin”(2009) and “Sanando Almas” (2021), which were aimed to promote music education for children, and social connection with the marginalized people of her community. These projects were granted financial aid by the local government of Aguascalientes.
Amanda has been an active music educator since 2013. In 2020, she founded the Crescendo School of Music, in Aguascalientes. At Brandon University and the Brandon University Conservatory, Miss Contreras served as a violin and ear training instructor from 2022 to 2024. Since the Fall of 2024, she works as a Teaching Artist through the Sistema New Brunswick program at the Elsipogtog F. N. Community School, in Elsipogtog, NB.
As a performer and educator, Amanda strives to motivate communities to follow the musical path in a kind and conscious way.