The Joan Marshall Chair
Anna Kozak holds a Bachelor of Music degree from University of Toronto and a Master of Music degree from University of Calgary.
Anna has been a member of the Alberta Baroque Ensemble since 2003, performing as an Associate Concertmaster, chamber musician and soloist. Baroque music has always had a special place in her heart and in 2019 Anna had the privilege to be a participant at the Tafelmusik Summer Institute in Toronto, a two-week intensive course in baroque repertoire and performance practice. There, she had the opportunity to work and study with Jeanne Lamon, Elisa Citterio and other Tafelmusik musicians.
Besides ABE, Anna is a core member the First Violin section of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. She loves being an orchestral musician; it’s a profession that has taken her to concert halls all over Europe with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as Carnegie Hall in New York with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Anna believes that a musician’s life wouldn’t be complete without connecting with other musicians in smaller and more intimate chamber music settings. It is that belief that has made her an active and sought-after chamber musician throughout her career, from being a founding member of Onyx String Quartet to being the Principal Second Violin in the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton.
In 2019 Anna took time off of ESO’s busy schedule to pursue professional development projects. One of those projects was discovering and getting to know repertoire for violin and piano by Ukrainian composers. In that search, she discovered many hidden gems that are rarely played in Canada. With the help of a grant from Edmonton Arts Council, she and pianist Dr. Leanne Regehr completed an independent residency in Calgary and presented a concert entitled Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors where they performed a few of those gems.
Anna has the privilege to perform on a violin made in Florence in 1770 by Giovanni Battista Gabrielli.