The newly formed Bella Corda String Ensemble, or simply Bella Corda, is a trio made up of highly sought after professional musicians based out of Timmins, ON. The ensemble features Angela Garwood-Touw on violin, Joanna Millson on viola and Yu Pei on cello.

Each found their way to Timmins independently and got to know each other through the Timmins Symphony Orchestra (TSO). They possess a high level of refinement both technically and musically on their instruments and have become well known throughout Northern Ontario and beyond for their abilities as both soloists, chamber musicians and orchestral players. The three can often be found gigging together around Timmins and road tripping to places like Sudbury, North Bay and Quebec where they regularly play in other orchestras. It was only a matter of time before these three discovered their shared love for pop music and playing music outside the traditional realm of classical music and got to work bringing their vision to life.

The group aims to create an intimate experience through the use of unconventional lighting, staging and seating, along with the occasional spectacular dress. The audience will be immersed in the beauty of the space while taking in music from pop to classical. The program is curated to highlight the beauty of the string trio and you will hear favourites like you’ve never heard them before. It is with great thanks to the Tamarack Festival that they bring this vision to life for the first time.

Joanna moved from Nova Scotia and is the Principal Second of the TSO. She can usually be found walking her two shelties or working for her family’s forest business.

Yu hails all the way from China and joined the symphony as Principal Cello in 2022. Her experience skydiving makes her the risk taker of the group.

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Angela originates from New Brunswick and is the long time Concert Master for the Timmins Symphony Orchestra. She spends her free time chasing after her two young children.

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All three share the teaching of the TSO School of Music’s student string ensembles while also offering their own private lessons. And one more thing they share is a love of cats!