Two Faces of The Dream | Les Deux Visages du Rêve is a national concert series that explores classical music and the inner world of the composer. Presented by Montréal based Harmonaire Musique, the concert hits Ottawa on June 7, 2026, featuring pianist Ying Zhang and violinist Julia Mirzoev.
The Two Faces of the Dream is both a concert and dialogue series that dives into the relationship between the inner psychological world of composers and the classical music they create. Composers’ lives are explored to reveal the emotional, mental, and physical underpinnings of their music.
The Concert Series
The series is designed to invite audiences to experience classical music as an expression of the composer’s humanity — and not simply as a kind of artistic monument.
The title of the series references Schumann’s imagined alter egos, Florestan and Eusebius. Schumann created these fictional characters as an embodiment of his dual nature as an artist, from the passionate and impulsive voice to the introspective and more lyrical side. While these characters are the composer’s personal invention, they speak to broader human experience.
At the concert, live performance is interspersed with dialogue that introduces audiences to the broader dimensions of the musical works and their creators. It’s a shared listening experience where the music offers a space for reflection and understanding, and creates a personal connection. Classical music becomes a living art, demystified and decoded.
The series has been presented at communities across Canada during 2026.
The Program
Along with Schumann, the Ottawa concert presents the work of a variety of composers across the ages:
- Schumann: Piano Sonata No. 1 in F sharp minor, Op. 11
- J. S. Bach: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A minor BWV 1003
- Paganini: Caprice No. 1 in E major
- Carlos Simon: Between Worlds
- Eugène Ysaÿe: Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 27, No. 3 “Ballade”
The Artists
The concert features pianist Ying Zhang and violinist Julia Mirzoev.
Ying Zhang, piano
Ying Zhang was born in China, and first studied music there at the Conservatory of Music’s affiliated
middle and high school. She continued her studies at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University, where she earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance. She then pursued a Post-Graduate Professional Studies Diploma from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
During her studies at McGill, she was recognized with the Paul-Marcel Gélinas et Verna-Marie Parr Gélinas Piano Award for academic and artistic excellence, and received the Outstanding Achievement in Piano award as a graduating undergraduate for excellence in piano studies.
With a repertoire that spans Classical, Romantic 20th century and newly commissioned works, Ying’s concert schedule includes solo recitals along with concerts as part of chamber and contemporary ensembles. In 2026, she will be performing across Canada, including Montréal’s The Blue Lounge Concert Series, in Kingston for the Cataraqui Chamber Music Festival, as well as concerts in Ottawa, Vancouver, and Halifax, among others.
Ying began serving as Artistic Director of Harmonaire Musique in August 2025. She oversees artistic programming, curatorial direction, and the development of the organization’s concert initiatives.
Julia Mirzoev, violin
Violinist Julia Mirzoev is a native of Toronto. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto, McGill University, and the Yale University school of music. She received the Broadus Erle graduating prize at the Yale School of music, and the Golden Violin grand prize at McGill University. She is a Rebanks Fellowship alumni of the Royal Conservatory.
Other awards include top prizes including the prize for the commissioned work at both Michael Hill and the Irving M. Klein international competition, the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal
competition, grand prize at the Canadian Music Competition, and first prizes at the Crescendo
International competition and Cremona music festival competitions.
She has built an internationally recognized career as a soloist that has taken her across North America, Europe, and New Zealand to prominent venues that include Carnegie Hall, Koerner Hall, Roy Thomson Hall, Maison Symphonique, Salle Bourgie, and the Banff Centre.
Julia has performed as soloist with the Toronto Symphony, Brampton Rose Orchestra, Scarborough Philharmonic, Sinfonia Toronto, Orchestra Toronto, and the Montréal Bach Festival Orchestra, among others.
She is also a passionate chamber musician, and won the Yale Chamber Music competition. She has appeared as a fellow fellow at the Sarasota, Manchester, Toronto, Yellow Barn, and Perlman Music Program festivals. Notable collaborations include performances with Roger Tapping, Anthony Marwood, Natasha Brofsky, Barry Shiffman, Alexander Kerr, Julie Albers, Violaine Melançon, Alasdair Beatson, Mark Fewer, and members of the Doric, Danish, Escher, and New Orford String Quartets.
Recent engagements include performances with the Montréal Chamber Music Festival, Amici Ensemble, the Happenstancers, the Art of Time Ensemble, Concerts aux Îles du Bic, Pro Musica Montréal, the Syrinx Series, Ottawa Chamberfest, Stratford Summer Music Festival, the Canadian Chamber Orchestra, and the Banff String Quartet Festival.
Julia is grew up in a family of music educators, and in addition to her private studio, she coaches at the Royal Conservatory’s Taylor Academy and L’Orchestre des Jeunes du Mont-Royal.
She performs on the 1747 “Palmason” Janarius Gagliano violin, on loan via the support of the Canada Arts Council instrument bank.
Concert Details
The concert takes place June 7, 2026 at Huguette Labelle Hall in Ottawa.
- Find concert details and tickets [HERE].
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