Moshe Hammer
Executive & Artistic Director

World-renowned violinist and teacher Moshe Hammer has seen the scars of war and violence and the power of music to heal them. Born in the ruins of Budapest, Hungary after World War II, Moshe and his family traveled to the new country of Israel as refugees. There, as Israel was struggling to build itself in a troubled region of the world, young Moshe established himself as an award-winning musician. Moshe has studied at the University of Tel-Aviv’s Rubin Academy of Music, the Julliard School in New York and with violin masters Jascha Heifetz in Los Angeles and Yehudi Menuhin in London.

A naturalized Canadian, Moshe Hammer has traveled the concert venues of the world and performed with many symphony orchestras. He was also the founder and leader of the Toronto based chamber group, The Amadeus Ensemble.

Moshe is a regular and welcome guest in various music festivals on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. He brings to his performances a charismatic stage presence, a tone of unmatched subtlety, vitality and artistry of the highest order. Hammer loves to work with young musicians and offers master-classes everywhere he travels. For more information on Moshe Hammer, please visit www.moshehammer.com.

Ross Inglis
Violinist

Ross Inglis began violin studies at the age of three, adding piano in the following year. After completing his A.R.C.T. diploma in piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music here in Toronto, Ross entered the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. Since returning to Canada, Ross has collaborated with countless organizations throughout Ontario, including Churches, School Boards, and Theatre companies.

Ross is the Director of Music at Knox United, and he currently runs a private studio of twenty students in addition to teaching over 200 violinists in Regent Park, Whitby and in the Jane & Finch corridor through The Hammer Band and conducts choirs at Temple Sinai synagogue in Toronto.

Not only is Ross an accomplished musician, he is also an accomplished athlete. He has run 25 marathons or ultra-marathons, including four Boston Marathons. He and his wife, are enjoying the incredible experience of raising two beautiful children, both already accomplished athletes.

Brian Baty
Double Bassist

Brian Baty attended the University of Toronto where he studied the Double Bass with Joel Quarrington. He is currently principal double bassist of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra and also works as a freelance musician throughout Ontario where he regularly performs with orchestras in Windsor, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto, Hamilton, and Kingston among others.

Brian has also mentored and served as principal bassist for the National Academy Orchestra for the past two seasons. As a teacher, Brian has been a double bass Instructor at Lakehead University and the Kincardine Summer Music Festival and also maintains a private studio at his home in Kitchener, Ontario.

Brian is thrilled to be teaching with Hammer Band. Having received his own start in music through the public school system, he is particularly aware of the impact music can have on a student’s life.

Grace Moon
Violinist & Violist

Grace (Kyungrok) Moon obtained her master’s in Music Performance at the University of Toronto with Remi Pelletier. In 2017, she received her MMus in violin performance from the University of Alberta with Robert Uchida and Guillaume Tardif. In 2022, her string quartet won the University of Toronto Felix Galimir Chamber Music Award. Grace is also the winner of the Alberta Baroque Ensemble Competition.

Grace has received several distinctions, including the Beryl Barns Memorial Scholarship, Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship, Alberta Graduate Student Scholarship, and Kathy Hogan Memorial Scholarship. She had a masterclass with Nancy Dahn, Taras Gaborah, Jonathan Crow, and Juan Miguel Hernandez.

She is the principal of the viola section of the Kingston Symphony Orchestra. Grace also regularly plays with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as a section viola.

Rebecca Morton
Cellist

Cellist Rebecca Morton began her studies at the age of six at the Hamilton Suzuki School and went on to study at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto with David Hetherington where she was awarded the Gold Medal for achieving the highest string mark in Canada. Continuing at the Eastman School of Music, she was the recipient of a six year scholarship and graduated with highest distinction receiving Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees under Paul Katz and Steven Doane. Since graduating, she has won numerous scholarships and awards including semi-finalist in the 2003 Eckhardt-Gramatte String Competition.

Currently living and freelancing in Toronto, Rebecca has taught extensively in the Toronto area as well as at McMaster University. Rebecca looks forward to joining the Hammer Band family in September 2024.

Naomi Barron
Cellist

Currently based in Toronto, Naomi Barron enjoys a multifaceted career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player and educator.  She performs regularly with groups such as the Toronto Symphony and Canadian Opera Company and has recorded live in the studio for CBC radio.

An avid chamber musician, Naomi’s experience includes recent collaborations with such renowned artists as Isabel Bayrakdarian and Robert McDonald as well as performances with Group of Seven and Against the Grain. She is a former member of the internationally acclaimed Orquesta Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, Spain (under the direction of Lorin Maazel and Zubin Mehta) as well as former co-principal cellist of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Tenerife. 

Passionate about bring music to children, Naomi has guest taught at the RCM, JCC and the Etobicoke Suzuki Music School, as well as The Hammer Band. She spends her summers in southern Oregon where she is in her nineteenth season as principal cellist of the Britt Festival Orchestra and is regularly featured as a soloist.

Eric Fahn
Violist

Eric D. Fahn received his Honours Bachelor of Music degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, his Bachelor of Education degree (Artist-in-Community Education Program) from Queen’s University and a Diploma in Arts Management from Humber College. He studied the violin with Alec Catherwood and our own Moshe Hammer (York University); and the viola with world-renowned violist Rivka Golani.

Eric is currently the principal violist of the Milton Philharmonic Orchestra and the Ontario Cross-Cultural Society Symphony Orchestra. He was also the principal violist of the Oakville Chamber Orchestra from 2000 – 2014 and has been a section viola with the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra since 1988.

In addition to being a freelance musician in the GTA, Eric is the music director and church organist of St. Joseph’s Parish in Toronto, and enjoys teaching the next generation of musicians as well.

Praise Lam
Violinist

Canadian violinist Praise Lam is thrilled to be working with the Hammer Band. An avid promoter of arts in education, Praise believes in the power of music. Having worked with students and youth orchestras of all ages in the Peel and Toronto School Boards, Praise continues to maintain an active role in music education.

Her performances as a award-winning violinist has taken her from her hometown stage in Canada to appearances in Hollywood’s 20th Century Studios Newman Scoring Stage in Los Angeles, California.

An accomplished pianist and composer as well, Praise currently works as a professional freelance musician in Toronto. Praise holds an ARCT Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music, a Bachelor of Music Performance degree and a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Toronto. For more information on Praise Lam, please visit www.praiselam.com.

Natasha Zado
Cellist

Cello and theory teacher Nathash Zado is passionate about teaching and seeing her students reach their full potential. A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, Natasha holds an Honours Bachelor of Music Degree in History, Theory, and Critical Analysis, with a concentration in Music Theory. On top of her studies in music theory, she regularly performed in solo and chamber music recitals, as well as orchestra concerts and opera performances as principal cello.

Natasha is a trained cello and early childhood teacher in the Suzuki method. She has taught at a number of music programs including the MNjcc Suzuki and summer camp, Sistema, and Etobicoke Suzuki Music. Maintaining an active career as a performer, freelancing at weddings and other events, Natasha aims to help her students find their musical voice through a solid foundation of technique and a love of music.