About

Pianist Sharon Gow-Knickle joins former students Sacha Arnaud, Jade Ley and Kathryn Wagner for “Pianos with Panache!” a special concert with two pianos on stage at St John’s Anglican Church in Lunenburg on Saturday June 29th at 7:30 pm. This group of musicians have formed close ties over many years and are inviting the public to this one-time event to celebrate their love of piano and performance. A boisterous program includes Anderson’s Carmen Fantasy based on themes by Bizet, Saint-Saëns’s mysterious Danse Macabre, and Rossini’s rollocking Overture to William Tell. With repertoire ranging from four hand duets and duos to eight hands on two pianos, it will be an evening filled with drama, excitement and panache!

About the Artists

Sharon Gow-Knickle

Sharon Gow-Knickle holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance from Dalhousie University (B.Mus.), a student of Prof. Lynn Stodola and a Master of Music Degree in Performance from the Manhattan School of Music where she was a student of Dr.Solomon Mikowsky. She attended the renowned Bowdoin Summer Music Festival for two summers, studying with Martin Canin of the Juilliard School and also participated in Chamber Music and Master Classes with internationally acclaimed artists. Ms. Gow-Knickle has served on the Piano Faculties of Acadamie Ste. Cecile, in Windsor, Ontario, and Mount Royal University, in Calgary, Alberta. She has extensive experience as a collaborative pianist having worked in Toronto and on the Accompanying Faculties of the University of Windsor, Mount Royal University Conservatory as well as collaborations with students of the University of Calgary. Other performance experience includes a variety of chamber music, solo concerts and as featured soloist with orchestra in Florida and with Nova Sinfonia in Halifax. Sharon has performed on numerous occasions in the Music and Meditation Series in Lunenburg, the Government House Concert Series, Musique Royale and Cecilia Retreat series. Sharon has served as Examiner for the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts and has enjoyed giving Masterclasses for the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers Association. Currently, she is the accompanist for the South Shore Chorale and looking forward to other collaborations. Sharon resides in Lunenburg with her husband and where she maintains a private teaching studio.

Sacha Arnaud

Born in 2002, Sacha Arnaud is a French-Thai pianist currently studying at the Haute École de Musique in Geneva. She started playing the piano at the age of 6 in Canada where she was a student of Sharon Gow-Knickle. At an early age, Sacha participated in the Bridgewater and Lunenburg Music Festivals, where she won numerous prizes for her performances. During her studies in Canada, Sacha received five Gold Medals from the Royal Conservatory of Music.

In 2014, Sacha returned to France where she continued her musical studies at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional in Clermont-Ferrand. At the age of 15, she received her Diplôme d’Etudes Musicales (DEM) in Piano with Distinction, as well as a DEM in Chamber Music, with Distinction. In 2023, Sacha received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. She is currently studying for a Master’s Degree in Piano Pedagogy with Francois Dumont. Through numerous courses and master classes, Sacha has had the opportunity to work with leading musicians such as Betrand Chamayou, Cedric Pescia, Abdel Rahman el Bacha, Laurent Cabasso, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Romano Pallotini, Éric Heidsieck, and Simon Docking. Passionate about musical collaboration, Sacha is regularly involved in chamber music and other collaborative projects.

Jade Ley

Jade Ley grew up in Bridgewater and is entering her third year of the Doctor of Dental Surgery program at Dalhousie University. In 2022, Jade graduated from Dalhousie with a Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences with Honours and a Minor in Music. During her undergraduate degree, Jade was a student of Peter Allen and was selected to perform as a soloist with the Dalhousie Symphony Orchestra at Concerto Night in 2019 and 2020.

Jade has won many awards at local music festivals and has performed at the Nova Scotia Provincial Music Festival several times, where she was the winner of the Junior Piano Jtle in 2017. Jade has also received three Regional Gold Medals from the Royal Conservatory of Music, which are awarded annually to students who receive the highest exam grades in their region. In 2016, she was invited to perform a recital for the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia at Government House in Halifax. Jade has had the great privilege to perform in masterclasses for renowned pianists Janina Fialkowska and Martha Argerich.

Kathryn Wagner

Kathryn Wagner grew up near Lunenburg and holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Dalhousie University. During her time at Dalhousie, she studied with Lynn Stodola and Tietje Zonneveld, and is also a former student of Sharon Gow-Knickle. Kathryn’s performance experience includes concertos with both the Dalhousie Symphony Orchestra and the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, a solo concert series throughout the province in 2017, and representing Nova Scotia in the 2017 Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Associations’ National Piano Competition. She has worked extensively as a collaborative pianist and chorister with organizations including Choirs for Change and Xara Choral Theatre, both based in Kjipuktuk/Halifax. Kathryn is currently completing her final year of medical studies at Dalhousie University.