“It’s amazing the musical concoctions these three award-winning musicians can cook up with just a violin, viola, cello and some vocalizations.”
- The Vancouver Sun
Infinitus is a critically acclaimed beatboxing string trio known for their unique sound and upbeat performance style. With a repertoire featuring classical standards and original jazz/hip-hop arrangements and compositions, Infinitus is quickly becoming one of North America’s premiere chamber groups.
Infinitus was formed in 2008 by violist Anthony Cheung, cellist Alex Cheung, and violinist John “Adidam” Littlejohn. Collectively, the members hold degrees from the University of Michigan and the Peabody Conservatory and have won awards at the local, national, and international level. They have concertized extensively throughout North America, China, and Egypt, performing in some of the world’s best venues, including multiple Lincoln Center residencies in New York City. Infinitus is dedicated to quality outreach and often conducts masterclasses, workshops, and seminars. To date they have performed over 1300 outreach performances in schools, nursing homes, juvenile detention centres, and hospitals.
Infinitus has been featured on CBC, National Public Radio (USA), DMC TV (Egypt), ViolinChannel.com and in numerous publications. They have released three albums to date: “Infinitus,” “Christmas Fantasia,” and “Pulse - EP” (2022).
The trio is currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The group is currently on the faculty of the Thrive City String Boot Camp and the Vancouver Academy of Music.
John Littlejohn, violin
John “Adidam” Littlejohn is a violinist, pastor, educator, and acoustic hip-hop artist who has been featured on NPR, CBC, ViolinChannel.com, RapRemnant.com, DMC TV (Egypt), and in the Baltimore Sun, Georgia Strait, and Strad Magazine.
John is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory where he completed a Master of Music degree and a Graduate Performance Diploma in violin performance with Herbert Greenberg, after completing a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Michigan. His former teachers include Anthony Elliott, Andrew Jennings, Ann Schoelles, and Yizhak Schotten (viola). Since graduating he has toured throughout Europe, Egypt, China, and North America as a soloist and one-third of Infinitus, the beatboxing string trio. As a founding member of Infinitus he has held multiple performance residencies with the Lincoln Center in NYC. In addition, he has performed with Michael Bublé, Weird Al Yankovic, the Clark Sisters, Richard Smallwood, Regina Carter, Elmo, Andrea Bocelli, the TransSiberian Orchestra, Rod Stewart, Blake Shelton, and Kehinde Wiley. He has served as the concertmaster of the Newark (Delaware) Symphony, and Darin Atwater’s Soulful Symphony; and has been a member of numerous orchestras and ensembles including the Baltimore Opera Orchestra.
In addition to being a violinist, John “Adidam” Littlejohn is a composer and emcee known for his unique style, lyrical ability, and distinctive cadence. In 2022, he composed an original score for Bard on the Beach’s production of Djanet Sears’ award-winning play, “Harlem Duet.” He was referred to in the Vancouver Sun as an “incredibly talented violinist and composer.” He has produced three full-length albums, “Violinistik,” “All Day I Dream About Music,” and “Caterpillar Chronicles.” Tim Smith, music critic of the Baltimore Sun, called his music "distinctive" with "tightly rhymed lyrics," and a VH1 entertainment journalist called his compositions "extremely original and magnificently arranged and played."
John is deeply committed to changing lives through music education and Christian ministry. He is the founder and director of the Thrive City String Boot Camp, a tuition-free intensive retreat for intermediate to advanced string players. He is currently on the faculty of the Vancouver Academy of Music and the Delta Community Music School; and is a frequent clinician and adjudicator at music festivals, camps, workshops, and seminars. In 2019, John was ordained as a pastor and currently serves as an associate pastor at a church in Langley, BC. In 2021, he completed a Master of Divinity degree at Liberty University with a focus in global studies, intercultural leadership, and intercultural ministry.
Anthony Cheung, viola
Anthony Cheung is an avid performer, educator, composer/arranger, and adjudicator. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he completed a double major in Viola Performance and Movement Science (Kinesiology), and was a recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award. He holds multiple personal training certifications, under the American Council on Exercise.
Anthony has won awards at the national and international level, including the ASTA, Chicago Viola Society, and Corpus Christi International Competitions. He has performed throughout North America and Europe, and has been broadcast on numerous radio and television stations, including: CBC, NPR, CTV, and OMNI. Previous teachers include Kurt Sassmanshaus, Yizhak Schotten, and Dave Harding.
As a teacher of prize-winning students, Anthony is passionate about educating and can be found adjudicating competitions and running various clinics, coachings, lessons, masterclasses, and technique classes. He is on faculty of the Vancouver Academy of Music.
Anthony is a zealous advocate for high-quality outreach and can be frequently seen facilitating and performing at fundraisers, nursing homes/senior centres, hospices/hospitals, inner-city schools, and juvenile detention centres.
Alex Cheung, cello
Alex Cheung is gaining a reputation as a compassionate, innovative, and inspiring musician of his generation. Alex graduated from the University of Michigan with a double major in Cello Performance and Movement Science (Kinesiology). He is also a certified personal trainer under the American Council on Exercise.
Principal cello teachers include Wayne Smith, Anthony Elliott, and Eric Wilson. Alex has been awarded numerous accolades throughout his musical journey, competing at the national and international level. While a student at the University of Michigan, Alexander was a recipient of the Martin Luther King Spirit Award, given “in recognition of individuals whose leadership and service exemplify the spirit of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” His work has been broadcast by NPR, CBC Radio One and Two, and on television.
Up through the 2020 musical season, Alex was the co-director of the Vancouver Chamber Players, an organization that presents lesser-known classical works to general audiences and care centres for seniors.
On the teaching side, Alexander integrates his kinesiology training into musical concepts that provide a holistic perspective to learning a string instrument. Utilizing the approach that music is a sport, lessons keep the student engaged while building skills that extend beyond the classroom. Current and former students have competed and are prizewinners in local and provincial events. In addition to adjudication duties throughout the year, Alexander is a faculty member at the Vancouver Academy of Music.