Founders and Directors Elissa Lee and Johannes Debus present BIGLAKE, an annual festival in Prince Edward County (PEC).

Founded in 2018 by classical musicians Elissa Lee and Johannes Debus in Toronto, the BIGLAKE Festival has become a cornerstone of quality classical music in Prince Edward County. This premier scenic arts festival unites world-class concert musicians, showcasing a diverse range of musical experiences across multiple genres and enriching audiences through thoughtful curation. With Debus, an esteemed Music Director for the Canadian Opera Company, and Lee, a Juno Award-winning violinist, co-directing the festival, it seamlessly merges tradition and innovation throughout the year. BIGLAKE intertwines various musical genres and cultural influences, creating unique, intimate musical experiences that make Prince Edward County a top destination for art lovers.

BIGLAKE presents CLASSICS with 10 exciting concerts and events during its annual week-long festival in August in Prince Edward County. You can experience masterpieces of the classical music repertoire that have lived the test of time, performed by some of the world’s top musicians.

I was glad to have the chance to interview Elissa about the upcoming Festival.

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Barczablog – Are you more like your father or your mother?

Elissa Lee: Visually, I look a lot like my mother. I have even done a double take when looking at pictures of mom when she was younger, I thought it was me in the photo!

In terms of strength and drive, I get that from both. I lived the typical child of immigrant parents story, and I was brought up to be resilient and hard-working, with a clear determination to succeed.

BB – What is the best or worst thing about what you do?

Elissa Lee: The best thing is meeting so many amazing people all the time! It is never boring and there is always something new that inspires me happening. The worst is the jetlag, but you get used to it.

BB – What ability or skill do you wish you had, that you don’t have?

Elissa Lee: I wish I could improvise! I have tried improvising, and as a classically trained musician through and through, it was not a part of our training. In the past, improvising unheard of for any musician, but as the technical demands became more and difficult, that element has unfortunately disappeared in classical music.

BB –When you’re just relaxing and not working, what is your favourite thing to do?

Elissa Lee: Eating junk food. Particularly dill pickle flavoured popcorn and sour gummy bears.

BB: What was your first performance that you remember?

Elissa Lee: I remember snippets of my very first competition, I was 8 years old. I can remember thinking that the lights were super bright and I had to squint my eyes. In my mind, I don’t remember anything about the performance, the only that I was thinking about was that after I played, I would be rewarded with a Happy Meal from McDonalds. I also won $50, but that was not as important.

BB: Dogs or cats?

Elissa Lee: Cats!!!

BB: I have been enjoying the Toronto Summer Music Festival this past month. How is a summer festival different and why does that make a festival special? 

Elissa Lee: Summers are usually when many musicians can take a break from the orchestral season. When thinking of a summer festival, one of the main draws for musicians is location. Many summer festivals are in pristine idyllic holiday places, like Prince Edward County. It is a huge draw for musicians to work but in a gorgeous setting away from the city. 

BB: Who are you programming in August at the 6th annual BIGLAKE Festival in Prince Edward County from August 21–29, 2026.

Elissa Lee: This year, BIGLAKE is proud to present two feature artists of international renown: violinist Kerson Leong and Philharmonisches Streichquartett Berlin.

We welcome back pianists Ilya Poletaev and Philip Chiu, as well as Ensemble Made In Canada.

All the artists will have their featured performances, and will also collaborate with each other to present playful and dynamic musical experiences in various venues.

BB: I suspect you’ve had some funny experiences in previous BIGLAKE Festivals.

Elissa Lee: Trying to figure out how to transport a double bass in a hard flight case through the County and to Toronto… that was a serious challenge!

Or cellist Bryan Cheng having serious travel woes… after being stuck on a plane/train/automobile for more than 2 days, he performed to a patiently waiting sold out audience as soon as he arrived

BB: Have you ever felt a challenge reconciling the business side with the art of music?

Elissa Lee: Always! A lot of the masterpieces that we recognize and genius today were rejected by audiences when they were first performed. Artists push boundaries and create amazing art when they stay true to their voice and vision and not worry about being popular, but without an audience it is all pointless. So it is a fine balance of staying true to oneself, but also listening and adapting. Just like when playing chamber music, or in a relationship for that matter!

BB: If you could tell the institutions how to train future artists, what would you change?

Elissa Lee: I would add:

1– a course to maintain and take care of your muscles and body

2- add a basic business course

3- add a public speaking course

BB:  Is there a teacher or an influence you’d care to name that you especially admire or wish to thank? 

All of my teachers have left a strong mark on me, but the one teacher that made the largest impact on me as player and as a human being is Lorand Fenyves.

The things I learned from him remain with me as a basis in everything I do and play. I am extremely grateful and privileged to have been his student. 

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BIGLAKE presents CLASSICS with 10 exciting concerts and events during its annual week-long festival in August in Prince Edward County. Experience masterpieces of the classical music repertoire that have lived the test of time, performed by some of the world’s top musicians.