KPU Music Alumni Named in CBC Music Hot 30 Under 30

Thu, Aug 11, 2016

Two former KPU Music students have recently been named in the CBC "30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30, 2016 edition". Taz Eddy, trumpeter and Chelsea Rus, soprano both made the list. Congratulations to Taz and Chelsea! Their bios are below and the full 2016 list can be found here.

11. Taz Eddy, trumpeter

Age: 26
Hometown: Maple Ridge, B.C.

2015-16 was a pretty solid concert season for freelance trumpeter Taz Eddy. He had his first gig with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, played principal trumpet with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens (including 18 sold-out shows of The Nutcracker), went on tour in the U.S. with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (Stravinsky's Rite of Spring at Carnegie Hall was a highlight) and recorded and performed with Half Moon Run for their latest album and Montreal shows. In his rare down time, Eddy likes to cook vegetarian dishes — "so long as what I'm eating didn't have parents, I want to try it" — and make his own repurposed furniture. He's looking forward to performances of Prokofiev's Romeo et Juliette and Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in 2016-17.

In his spare time, trumpeter Taz Eddy makes his own repurposed furniture.

25. Chelsea Rus, soprano

Age: 25
Hometown: Abbotsford, B.C.

In February, Chelsea Rus won the inaugural $25,000 Wirth Vocal Prize held at McGill's Schulich School of Music, where she recently completed her master's degree, studying with Joanne Kolomyjec. Earlier in the school year, she made a big impression as Adina in Opera McGill's production of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore. In September she joins l'Atelier lyrique of l'Opéra de Montréal and will make her company debut as Frasquita in Bizet's Carmen in May 2017. Rus will make her Toronto recital debut on Dec. 1, singing a program of songs by Schubert, Strauss and Poulenc at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. While she looks elegant in concert dress, Rus is equally at home mountain climbing, fishing and camping. And don't even bother challenging her to a game of foosball.

Soprano Chelsea Rus won the inaugural Wirth Vocal Prize in February 2016.