Your First
String Quartet Choice
In & Around Calgary, CA
Let us enrich your event, wedding or celebration with our ensemble experience! Calgary’s Lily String Quartet is a dynamic chamber ensemble dedicated to excellence.
This Canadian group was formed in 2005, and is recognized by audiences and critics alike as a top ensemble of Western Canada.
.jpeg)
Meet the Quartet
This bilingual string quartet from Calgary is comprised of Elisa Milner, Diane Lane, Patricia Higgins and Andrea Case, all of whom hold a position in the top tier of Canadian chamber musicians. Whether from the Alberta prairies, the city life of Calgary, or the beauty of Québec City, these women have brought together their varied experiences to produce a unified and tantalizing sound. With the members of Lily String Quartet having individually trained at North America’s premiere universities and conservatories, they have a wealth of knowledge and experience that enriches the quartet. LSQ performs regularly in Calgary and beyond. 2021 has found Lily embracing the new digital age with zoom dinner concerts for ATCO and new partnerships with Candlelight and Fever Events. Past concert work has included performances for the CBC, Sled Island Festival, The Lake Louise “Ice Magic” Festival, The Banff Centre, One Yellow Rabbit Theatre’s High Performance Rodeo, New Works Calgary, Harry Manx and Reuben and the Dark.
A hallmark of LSQ’s work is collaboration; the group members have performed with a jazz trio, multiple Calgary-area choirs, music programs, schools, Indie-rock groups, folk performers and an accordion player, just to name a few. Lily Quartet was invited to seminars at Juilliard School and Stanford University and performed in and helped develop an original musical with folk artist Lullaby Baxter. The group toured the BC interior in 2020, Alberta with the Hutchinson Andrew Trio in the spring of 2013, Eastern Canada in the fall of 2012 and Western Canada in 2008; LSQ has performed both in concert and at educational outreach programs in seven out of ten Canadian provinces.
ELISA MILNER
Elisa is a collaborative violinist and violin teacher from Calgary. She is an active orchestral and chamber musician and plays with the Calgary Philharmonic, the Red Deer Symphony and the Lily String Quartet. Elisa has a Bachelors of Music degree in violin performance from the Cleveland Institute of music as well as a Masters of Music degree from Kent State University. She has studied with principal members of the Cleveland Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Royal Swedish Opera, and the Miami String Quartet. She has also worked with members of the Cleveland Quartet and the Cavani String Quartet. Elisa has also held positions and played with many other orchestras including the Akron Symphony, Youngstown Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Erie Philharmonic and Edmonton Symphony. Elisa enjoys performing and recording on her own and with the Lily Quartet with many artists such as Harry Manx, Josh Groban, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Reuben and the Dark, Matt Epp as well as with the Hutchinson Andrew Jazz trio and many other local artists. She also regularly plays candlelight quartet concerts with the Lily Quartet as well as other local musicians. Elisa has taught violin for over 25 years and also stays very busy keeping up with her three active and musical children.
Diane Lane
Diane was born in Claresholm Alberta, DIANE LANE began her violin studies in Lethbridge before attending the Mount Royal Conservatory of Music in Calgary. Then Diane graduated from McGill University with her Bachelor of Music degree under the tutelage of Yehonatan Berick. Diane continued her studies with Edmond Agopian at the University of Calgary and graduated with a Master’s degree in violin performance in 2003. Diane is a founding member of the Lily String Quartet. In 2007, Diane attended seminars with the quartet at The Juilliard School of Music and Stanford University. She is Assistant Concertmaster of the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra and has an active teaching studio at Mount Royal Conservatory. Diane has adjudicated for a number of festivals in Alberta and is an active orchestral and chamber performer, playing with ensembles in and around Calgary.
PATRICIA HIGGINS
Patricia received her master’s degree in viola from Quebec Music Conservatory and has been a very active member of the musical community since. She is currently the violist of the Lily String Quartet, and has played with many orchestras including the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Patricia is passionate about performing and wishes to instill a love of music in all of her students. She believes that it is important to share the joys of classical music, and takes great pride and pleasure in educating the musicians of tomorrow who will one day share their own musical joy with the world.
ANDREA CASE
Andrea has a Master’s Degree in cello performance from McGill University where she studied on scholarship with Antonio Lysy. She spent her childhood in Calgary where she studied with John Kadz at the Mount Royal Conservatory. She made her solo debut in 1997 after winning the Calgary Concerto Competition. Andrea is the cellist of the Lily String Quartet, a group that is often heard live on CBC and has performed across Canada and the United States. As well as being an avid chamber musician, Andrea is sought after as an orchestral musician, coach and teacher. She has adjudicated at festivals throughout Alberta and British Columbia, and teaches at the Amici String Program and summer school. Andrea and her husband live in Medicine Hat with their sons, who keep them running!
Repertoire List
Please see our repertoire lists (LINK) for weddings and events. If you don’t see what you would like, let us know, as we may have it from a recent event or can help you find and purchase a quartet arrangement of your choice. In order to comply with copyright laws, any new selection we perform must be given to us as a string quartet arrangement. We are not able to arrange songs for the quartet.
*Please note that a list of our concert repertoire is available upon request for concerts and series bookings.
*When choosing from our popular list, please note that there will be no lyrics when we perform. If the words to a song are your favorite part of a selection, please consider rather choosing something with a melody that you enjoy, as this element is translated better in instrumental performance.