09/17/2012
My brother Andy
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Boston Pops
Who has time?
2010
My Mother
It’s so hard to choose just one, but Beethoven Symphony No. 9 and Scherherazade are among my favourite orchestral works.
George Benson
I love the outdoors- running, hiking, golfing, gardening and basketball are among my favourite non musical activities.
09/01/1993
My school music teacher
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Sting
Sewing (embroidery and quilting)
09/05/2011
My parents started me and all my siblings in the Suzuki method when we were very, very young. My parents were always the ones keeping us going when we were young.
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
That’s a REALLY good question, there are so many incredible artists out there! Although, if given the chance to play with anyone, I’m the type of person who would rather disappear into the Appalachian mountains or the rural villages of Eastern Europe and find old fiddlers to learn from old fiddlers.
So many! Being outside, generally — hiking, swimming, sitting and reading in the park.
09/08/2006
My Dad
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Elgar Cello Concerto (But that’s a very difficult question!!)
Too hard to answer!
Hiking, Gardening, Cooking, Entertaining
1993
My mother
Beethoven string quartet, op. 132
Carlos Kleiber
Writing, filmmaking
09/01/2017
Family influence mostly, at first. Then friends, teachers, youth orchestra opportunities.
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Yo-Yo Ma
Keeping my 3 creative and bright daughters challenged and entertained!
09/01/2014
Nancy Case-Oates, my first teacher!
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Brett and Eddy from TwoSet Violin
I love hiking and sailing when the weather is good! And if not, I like to bake
09/01/2016
A violinist from a concert at a summer music camp I attended as a child.
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Chris Thile
Bread and dessert baking, beginner sock knitter.
01/01/1972
My parents. Very supportive. My teacher at age 12
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
James Ehnes or Michael Legrand
Musical composition, gardening, construction, antiques
03/01/2005
Joy of music
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
James Ehnes
Woodworking, sailing, skiing
09/17/2015
Going to a NSO concert when I was 6 and watching the violins shifting all over the place. I thought that was the coolest thing ever and I wanted to learn how to do that.
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Eminem. I’m sure that’s not an answer you were expecting, but it would be an incredibly unique collaboration and no matter what you think of his material, you have to admit he’s a one in a million talent.
I love writing, watching bad TV, talking to people, and I loved cuddling with my recently-deceased guinea pig Gilbert (passed at age 6).
09/01/2016
My family!
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Classical Music – Hilary Hahn, Popular Music – Lauryn Hill
Journaling, meditation, exercise
09/01/1989
Dr. Andrea Rose
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Roger Waters
Reading, Video Games
09/11/2019
My grandmother
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
The Gryphon Trio
I write short stories and am working on a novel. I also really enjoy reading just about any genre.
09/01/2010
I don’t really remember! My parents were both musicians so it was just always a part of my life.
I really love the Bach Chaconne. For orchestral music – it’s the pieces I have the greatest memories of playing- Mahler 1, Beethoven 5, and Scheherazade.
In a dream world? Joni Mitchell. Or maybe Feist. Or early 2000s Broken Social Scene.
These days, so many. I am a personal trainer and I find the process of figuring out how to help people feel better in their bodies to be kind of creative. I love learning new things – last year I took some swing dance classes and this year I’m hoping to take tap dance. I love running and hiking and crochet and reading novels and playing with my kid. 🙂
09/01/2006
My Grandfather
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
James Ehnes
Gardening
09/01/2013
Many people along the way!
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Kim Kashkashian
Hiking, cycling, swimming, gardening, cooking
09/01/2019
Emile Benoit, James Ehnes and Django Reinhardt stand out among many.
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Margaret Atwood
I’ve recently been exploring making my own clothes!
09/01/2016
My parents bought my first violin before I was born, so I never had much of a choice!
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Mandolin player Chris Thile, I’m obsessed with how his brain works, and every collaboration he’s involved with is brilliant.
I spend a lot of my free time learning new instruments (recently the banjo, and a Ukrainian instrument called the bandura), but I also love painting, cooking Ukrainian food, and I’ve recently learned how to keep a couple house plants alive
09/01/2011
I have no clear memory of any one person who inspired me to learn the violin. I do remember the only violinist I saw growing up was a man who played violin at church. Later in life I can definitely say that I was inspired to continue to play by the other young musicians and faculty I met at the Kincardine Summer Music Festival.
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
My Dad, who claims he can only play the radio, but we all know he plays harmonica every chance he can get.
Oh my, I love so many things! Thankfully my husband never gets upset when I bring home more plants, canvases, or yarn.
09/01/2018
My parents forced me! … But I would say my initial teachers (Angela Schneider, Joan Blackman, and the instructors at the Vancouver Academy of Music), as well as James Ehnes were my greatest inspirations in my youth.
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Patrick Watson
I enjoy hiking, dragon boating, watching most sports, and quidditch. Yes – it’s a thing, no – we don’t fly (yet), and yes – World Cup exists.
09/01/2016
Mother; pianist and music teacher
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Yo Yo Ma
Academic writing, gardening, officiating competitive swimming, travelling
01/08/2018
My father (Carl Stevenson)
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
John Williams
Model Railroading, Model Building, FRPG (as DM)
Since 2008 I played occasionally in the cello section or as it’s leader, but I was appointed full-time principal cellist and joined the ASQ in 2022.
Gotta be my parents. Both are fantastic musicians, but not professionally. I think they instilled a love of music, probably because they didn’t do it for a living, but did it and enjoyed it anyway.
Sorry. It’s impossible to choose, because one of the beauties of classical music is its variety. Sometimes I’m in the mood for Brahms, sometimes its Bartok. Sometimes Dvorak or Copland is just the thing, but sometimes it’s a newer work I haven’t heard before by Morlock or Staniland. Honestly, as a player, usually my favourite piece is simply the one I’m currently working on.
Yo Yo Ma. What a fantastic human being, and musician too of course.
Believe it or not, I like to “create” a clean kitchen after dinner. It’s more than just “doing the dishes” and wiping the counters. Yeah… you might think that’s weird, but there’s a science (even a creativity?) to how you organize the process. Those who know what I mean, know what I mean! 🙂
09/14/1993
Bonnie Hampton
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Gerald Blackmore
Cooking, baking bread, and building things that go
02/13/2009
My first music teacher. Mrs. Murray
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Two Cellos
I enjoy gardening, drawing animals, collecting rocks, and painting rocks
2016
A childhood friend who started playing cello a year before me
Symphonie Fantastique – Berlioz
The Goat Rodeo
Renovating my house
10/10/2005
Theo Weber
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
David Pomeroy
Web design, gardening, baking cakes
09/01/2013
Jacqueline Du Pre
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Undecided
Artisanal bread baking, knitting, gourmet cooking, playing the viola de gamba
09/01/1984
Joan Woodrow. She was my piano teacher at the time but also taught cello. Her cello students would perform during our studio recitals and I loved it!
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Martha Argerich – she is a BRILLIANT pianist and accompanist
I love to cook and am making my way through a new cookbook, “Run Fast. Eat Slow”. My other passion is running, hence the cookbook. Running clears my mind. My most creative ideas come when I’m running
09/01/2009
I just always wanted to play…
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Owen Pallett
Hiking, skiing, anything outdoors.
09/01/1993
My high school music teacher, Mike Bergauer
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Natalie Noseworthy
Photography
09/07/1979
Ewald Hajek (former NSO violinist) was my first teacher – he was the string teacher at St.Patrick’s. Up until that point I didn’t know what a double bass was.
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Unsure
Knitting
09/01/1989
My Parents
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
Adam Ben Ezra or Esperanza Spalding
Yoga, Feldenkrais, Doggie Mom, Pet Sitting, Trail Walking, Baking, Reading, Golf, Jewelry Crafting, Karate, Painting Watercolour
11/01/2016
I can barely remember when I started playing! But it was my teacher, Carla Furlong, who fostered my love for the instrument
What’s your favourite piece of classical/orchestral music?
I would love to collab with harpist Emmanuel Ceysson, his performance energy is inspiring
I enjoy being outside and doing adventurous things like hiking and biking