The Margaritas Ensemble is a music ensemble featuring a standard string quartet formed by core members – violinists: Natalie Wong, Elena Spanu; violist Fanny Tang; and cellist Alice Kim. Previously known as the ANFA String Quartet, which was formed in 1997 in Markham, Ontario with members and co-founders Natalie and Fanny. Since then we’ve have been performing in weddings, receptions, ceremonies, and other public, corporate, community and charity fundraising events. Events such as the Elvis Stojko Gala Show and the Kiwanis Festivals. We have made a major public appearance in the grand opening of the Remenyi House of Music in Richmond Hill. We acquired the new name, The Margaritas Ensemble, in November, 2005.
Made up of all formally, classically trained musicians, The Margaritas are confident as qualified professionals. Each individual player is enthusiastic about music, especially in chamber music. The group is now serving the Metro and Greater Toronto Areas, including York, Durham and Peel Regions. Regular collaborations with the Cantabile Chamber Singers can be heard in Spring, and with the Blessed Trinity Choir at Christmas.
Margarita #1: Natalie Wong (1st Violin)
Natalie was born in Hong Kong and raised in Toronto. She learned to play the piano at the age of 3, continued on switching to violin at the age of 7. In her formative years, Natalie was involved in many collaborative musical projects including musical and dance theatres. She took part in the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra, the U of T symphony orchestra, string ensembles and the vocal of a rock band inspired by Japanese visual rock music.
Classical violin is Natalie’s expertise, having completed her ARCT in performance at the RCM, and her degree in violin performance at University of Toronto. She studied with Professor Scott St. John, recently a member of the St. Lawrence Quartet, and also with Annalee Patipatanakoon, violinist of the Gryphon Trio. Natalie is active in various music festivals such as the Scotia Music Festival and SOCMI, provided the opportunity to learn from great musicians such as Mark Fewer, The Lafayette String Quartet, Tokai String Quartet, The Penderecski String Quartet, and many more. Meanwhile, she is active in the musical scene in Toronto, performing in numerous productions for Hart House Theatre, Markham Youth Theatre, Theatre at Trinity College, The Scarborough Playhouse, just to name a few. Recently, she has expanded her horizons by playing bass guitar for the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and became involved in the critically acclaimed premiere of Reefer Madness playing both violin and jazz keyboard. She excels also in theory and composition, and have studied with Abigail Richardson and Sasha Rapaport.
In the future, she wishes to further her music studies and collaborate with the Margaritas Ensemble, co-founded with colleague and friend Fanny Tang. Currently the ensemble is working towards promotion through different strategies, exposing the group to a larger market, promoting the power of music in every way.
Margarita #2: Elena Spanu (2nd Violin)
Elena Spanu started playing the violin at the age of three. She began her studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music where she studied with Katharine Rapoport. Her formative training was done in the Suzuki Method and the RCM method. She then attended Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts where she was a strings major and played in all of their strings ensembles. After graduating, she attended the University of Western Ontario where she studied with Robert Skelton, Virginia Baron and Mel Martin. Upon graduating, she received her Bachelor of Musical Arts. It is at Western where she discovered Baroque violin and moved on to complete an Artists Diploma in Baroque violin at the University of Toronto. There she studied with Jeanne Lamon and various other members of Tafelmusik. Elena has also studied with such notable teachers as Kelly Parkins and Mark Skazinetsky.
Elena has had the opportunity to travel with her violin. She has gone to France to participate in the Saintes Music Festival with the Jeune Orchestre Atlantique and to Powell River, British Columbia to participate in the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific program. She also frequents Magic Mountain Music Farm in the Catskills region of upstate New York, where she enjoys expanding her musical knowledge through the guidance of Burton Kaplan.
Elena also enjoys teaching the violin. She is a trained Suzuki teacher and loves to teach people of all ages- from 3 years old to adults. She believes that anyone can learn to play the violin- age is no limit.
On her spare time Elena likes to knit, put together puzzles, play with her cute little dog and fantasize about one day becoming a ballerina.
Elena is thrilled to be joining the Margaritas ensemble and is looking forwards to creating beautiful and exciting musical experiences with them.
Margarita #3: Fanny Tang (Viola)
Fanny began her music studies on the violin at age 6 in Hong Kong, switching to viola at age 13 under the guidance of Mr. Tak-Ng Lai, violin-viola pedagogue and conductor in Toronto, Canada. From 1994 to 2001, Fanny was section member, assistant principal, and principal of orchestras such as the Toronto Chinese Youth Orchestra, Toronto Chinese Philharmonic Orchestra, and Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra.
She attended the University of Toronto in the Performance programme, receiving extensive viola instructions from Mr. Scott St. John. She also performed in the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra, both under the baton of Maestro Raffi Armenian, as section principal and assistant principal. In 2002, she won the Jon Dan Scholarship, and in 2003 she received her Bachelor of Music degree specialized in Viola Performance with Distinction. During her undergrad years, she had private lessons and coachings with visiting guests including Ms. Rivka Golani, the Tokyo String Quartet, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, and many more.
And in 2005, she obtained her Master of Music degree, specializing in Chamber Music Performance from McGill University (now also the Schulich School of Music), guided by Mr. André Roy, former viola member of l’Orchestre Symphonie de Montréal. Her chamber music coaches include Mr. Matt Haimovitz, Ms. Kyoko Hashimoto, and Mr. Douglas McNabney. Fanny was a regular member of the McGill Baroque Orchestra directed by Prof. Hank Knox, playing on a copy of an authentic Baroque viola. As well the modern viola in the McGill Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Alexis Hauser.
Fanny won her first orchestral position at Orchestra London in 2006, and still plays regularly as an orchestral member in various orchestras including Niagara Symphony Orchestra, Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Kingston Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Toronto, Toronto Sinfonietta and many others. Fanny plays on a modern viola custom made for her by Canadian luthier Mr. David Prentice in 2004.
A member and co-founder of The Margaritas Ensemble (formerly ANFA SQ), Fanny is enthusiastic about chamber music in its original settings and its interaction with live audience. Fanny is the acting officer for the ensemble in advertising, marketing, public relations, and website management.
Aside from her performing role, Fanny is also an active music engraver and music arranger. She enjoys the first hand experience of digitizing exciting new music scores for Toronto composer Larysa Kuzmenko, as well as working with harpist Andrew Chan on his collections of harp excerpts and teaching materials. Fanny arranged over 60% of the popular and non-Classical repertoire for The Margaritas.
Margarita #4: Alice Kim (Cello)
Alice Kim has been active as a collaborative performer in chamber and orchestral music. She was recently featured in a concert with the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto which was broadcasted on CBC Radio.
Her appearances as an orchestral player include with National Academy Orchestra of Canada, Toronto Concert Orchestra, London Symphonia (former Orchestra London Canada) as a sub-cellist, and North York Concert Orchestra as a guest principal-cellist.
She received her Masters in music for cello performance at University of Toronto, studying with Shauna Rolston and Joseph Johnson. During her undergraduate studies at McGill University with Matt Haimovitz, she was a member of Uccello ensemble and is featured in the CD Album “Meeting of the Spirit” which was nominated for Grammy’s Award in 2010.