Israeli born Canadian/Russian violist Alisa Klebanov has been rapidly building her career as an orchestral musician since the summer of 2018, when she made the full switch to the viola from violin. Through winning an orchestral fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival in 2018, she had the opportunity to study with Professors James Dunham and Masao Kawasaki, as well as to take part in the Aspen Chamber Symphony for the full summer session. In addition to her orchestral studies in Aspen, Klebanov took full advantage of the education program within Canada’s National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. In 2017, she completed the NACO Institute of Orchestral Studies. Taking part in this program launched her career into the orchestral world on viola. Recently, Klebanov has completed the National Arts Centre’s Young Artist Program, where she studied with Pinchas Zukerman and performed in his masterclass. Other summer music programs in which she has taken part in include the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and the Orford Music Festival where she completed a string quartet program, coached by the Kuss String Quartet and the Fine Arts String Quartet. At Orford, she also participated in masterclass programs with professors William van der Sloot and Michael Frischenshlager.
As the former principal violist of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, Klebanov has taken many solo opportunities within Ottawa and its orchestra, such as appearing as soloist with the Ottawa Symphony premiering Harry Stafylakis’s “Singularity” for 3D printed solo instruments. In December 2018, she appeared as guest soloist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra as a result of winning the first prize at the National Arts Centre Bursary Competition. Following a successful audition, Klebanov joined the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s viola section in the 2019/2020 Season.
As a passionate collaborator, Klebanov has performed in many chamber music concerts. This led to collaborations with internationally acclaimed musicians including Robert McDuffie, Yehonatan Berick, Joel Quarrington, Jessica Linnebach, Paul Marleyn, etc.
In the spring of 2019, she completed her undergraduate studies in her home town at the University of Ottawa, majoring in violin and viola studying with Yehonatan Berick and Michael van der Sloot. As a result of winning the concerto competition at her alma mater, she returned to perform with the University of Ottawa Orchestra in October 2019. Her hobbies include cooking, exploring new places, and most of all, wine tasting.