photo: Laurence Svirchev

Mike Braverman – woodwinds

As an extremely active performer and composer throughout many of Vancouver’s top jazz and commercial ensembles, Mike is also the musical director of Vancouver’s exciting Jewish/World beat band, OLAM. In 1998 Mike won a prestigious musical award from the Canada Council that saw him further his musical studies in New York and Israel. He has performed throughout North America and Europe with a wide variety of ensembles. He holds both Music and Education degrees from the University of British Columbia, and he is active as a music educator throughout Vancouver’s colleges and high schools.

Boris Sichon – multi-instrumentalist

Born in Ukraine, where he started his music education, Boris left for St. Petersburg to attend the Academy of Music and work with the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra under many well-known Russian conductors. After graduation, Boris joined the Jewish chamber musical theatre in Moscow for 6 years and the main Russian National Folkloric Band for the next 5 years, performing in 25 countries in 5 continents. From 1990, Boris worked with the Footsbarn Travelling Theatre in France. He then spent 5 years in Israel, working with Habima National Theatre, teaching at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, writing music for films and plays, and performing. Came to Canada in 2004, Boris has performed as a soloist and with Yungchen Lhamo, Jerry Douglas, Pavlo, Uzume Taiko…etc. His music for theatres was nominated by the JESSIES for outstanding sound design/original composition with “Helen`s Necklace”, Pi Theatre. Boris owns a unique collection of over 200 rare ethnic musical instruments, collected during his travels around the globe.