Carissa Klopoushak has made a name for herself as a curious, creative, and versatile violinist. Based in Ottawa, Canada, she is a proud member of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Ironwood Quartet, and serves as Artistic Director of Ottawa Chamberfest. 

A passionate collaborator, Carissa has been featured at chamber music festivals across Canada and has toured the country extensively in recital. She is a two-time laureate of the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank Competition and winner of the 2009 Eckhardt-Grammatté National Music Competition. In addition to Ottawa Chamberfest, she founded the Ritornello Chamber Music Festival in her hometown, Saskatoon, and co-directs Classical Unbound in Prince Edward County. 

As a dynamic and fluid musician never limited by genre, Carissa is the lead singer, violinist, and arranger in the Ukrainian turbo-folk band Тут і Там (pronounced Toot-ee-tahm). The band has recorded four full-length albums and performed at major Ukrainian festivals across Canada, in Sydney, Australia, and throughout Ukraine.  

Carissa holds a doctorate in violin performance from McGill University, where she focused on the little-known classical violin repertoire by Ukrainian composers.  Her debut solo recording, SOUNDWORLDS, was released in 2016 with Canadian pianist Philip Chiu.