Marc David

Prior to being appointed Music Director of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra in June 2011, Marc David spent 19 seasons as the NSO’s Principal Conductor. He has now stepped down from the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil where he was Artistic Director for 25 years and was Music Director and Conductor of the Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra from 1988 to 1995. As guest conductor, Marc David has worked with orchestras across Canada, the United States, Mexico, Switzerland and Asia.

His engagements include concerts with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (Canada), the Masan Philharmonic (Korea), the Orquesta Sinfonica de Yucatan (Mexico), the Orquesta Sinfonica de la Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico), the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra (Canada), the Kichener-Waterloo Symphony (Canada), the Windsor Symphony, the Orquestra da Camara de Bellas Artes (Mexico), the Bangor Symphony (USA), the Fribourg Youth Orchestra (Switzerland).

In October 2007, Marc David received the Tribute to a Builder of the Arts award at the first Cultural Gala of the City of Longueuil. Also, recipient of grants in conducting from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Quebec Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and l’Université de Montréal, he received the Heinz Unger Conducting Award in 1984. David obtained his Bachelor of Music at McGill University in 1983 and has since continued his studies in orchestral conducting at Hartford University (Connecticut) and at l’Université de Montréal where he completed a doctoral degree (new music conducting). He also studied at the Aspen Music Festival and several years at the Pierre Monteux School (Hancock, Maine), where he was Maestro Charles Bruck’s assistant.

In 2002, Marc David was appointed Adjunct Professor at the School of Music of Memorial University (Newfoundland). Other activities have involved jury work for various competitions and festivals such as the Canadian Music Competition, Prix d’Europe and Jeunesses Musicales Montreal International Competition, as well as sitting on the Artistic Committee of Les Jeunesses Musicales du Canada (2002 to date), the Boards of Directors of Orchestras Canada (1997-2003), and chairing the Quebec regional council of the Canadian Music Centre (2002-03).

Heather Kao

From St. John’s, Heather Kao is the concertmaster of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and first violinist of the Atlantic String Quartet since 2015. She studied at Memorial University with Dr. Nancy Dahn. She has played in masterclasses for Martin Beaver, Lorand Fenyves, Mark Fewer and Pinchas Zukerman to name a few.

She is a past member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Quintessential Vocal Ensemble, and Lady Cove Women’s Choir. Heather has been a guest performer on countless recordings, as well as on TV and radio. She has enjoyed performing in many genres, from pop music with Rod Stewart and Hey Rosetta! to traditional music with Ennis and the Once.

She has played in pit orchestras for many local productions, including White Christmas, Our Divas Do Broadway, West Side Story, Evita, and Annie. In addition to the NSO, Heather teaches with the MUN Chamber Program for Youth, Suzuki Talent Education Program, and in her private studio.

Peter Gardner

When did you join the NSO?

01/01/1972

Who inspired you to learn how to play?

My parents. Very supportive. My teacher at age 12

What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?

If you could pick one artist to collaborate with, who would it be?

James Ehnes or Michael Legrand

What other non-musical creative outlets do you have?

Musical composition, gardening, construction, antiques

Atlantic String Quartet

The award winning Atlantic String Quartet is comprised of the principal string players of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. The current members of the quartet are Heather Kao and Nancy Case-Oates – violins, Kate Read – viola, and Nathan Cook – cello. Hailing from Newfoundland, the UK and the US, they bring rich and diverse experience.

The ASQ is an integral part of the creative life of the St. John’s community and is known for its versatility and ability to work with music and musicians from all styles and genres.

Going from strength to strength they released their first CD in 2020, of the Ravel and Bliss String Quartets, produced by Mark Fewer, for which they won the MusicNL Classical Artist of the Year, 2020.

In addition to leading their sections in the ever blossoming NSO, the quartet presents their own Recital Series. The ASQ programmes a rich and diverse selection of standard and lesser known repertoire, and they are dedicated to performing Canadian works, by composers such as award winning Dinuk Wijeratne, Andrew Staniland and Kellie Marie Murphy. In their 2019-2020 season they presented a programme of music by entirely by female composers (dating from the Middle Ages to the present), and in their 2020-2021 season are continuing to programme music by BIPOC and female composers.

They have shared the stage with such international classical musicians as Charles Richard-Hamelin, Angela Cheng, Ofra Harnoy, Shauna Rolston and Mark Fewer, and artists such as Duane Andrews, The Once, Mary Barry and renowned songwriter Ron Hynes.

Equally comfortable with with classical and other genres they have performed Chick Corea’s “Lyric Suite” for sextet with the fabulous jazz musicians Bill Brennan and Florian Hoefner. The ASQ has collaborated with Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland, Lady Cove Choir and played in various guises at Sound Symposium in St John’s, where in 2018 they performed Raven Chacon’s “The Journey of the Horizontal People”. They are not afraid to improvise. The ASQ is also regularly in demand as session musicians.

As well as in and around St. John’s, the quartet regularly performs around the province, with concerts in Corner Brook, Woody Point, Bonavista’s Garrick Theatre, Cupid’s Theatre and Eastport, to name a few, and they are regulars at the Cape St Mary’s series.

Members of the quartet teach at Memorial University of Newfoundland as well as run their own teaching studios. They coach and conduct young ensembles, and are invited to adjudicate at festivals.