Soloists
In recent years, the Parkdale Orchestra has been delighted to welcome the following soloists:
Canadian double bassist Malcolm Armstrong, principal bass of the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, began his musical career in his native town of Ottawa...
Double Bass (Nov 2012, Apr 2018)
Malcolm Armstrong
Daniel Armstrong grew up in a musical household in Kitimat, B.C. An early photograph shows him and his brother Angus strumming ukuleles together....
Double Bass (Feb 2008, Feb 2011, Apr 2018)
Daniel Armstrong
Shauna McDonald began her clarinet study with Stephen Robb in Vancouver, B.C. Her first orchestral experience was with the Delta Youth Orchestra...
Clarinet (Nov 2017)
Shauna McDonald
Jean-Sébastien "J-S" Lacombe began his study of percussion as a steel pan player at age 12, under the masterful tutelage of Ashton Hughes and Carlyle John-Baptiste...
Steel Pan (Feb 2017)
Jean-Sébastien Lacombe
Following three successful seasons, as Acting Principal Trumpet of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Karen Donnelly was unanimously appointed Principal Trumpet in October 1999...
Trumpet (May 2007, Apr 2012, Nov 2016)
Karen Donnelly
Anna Petersen is a recent addition to the National Arts Centre Orchestra, joining as Second Oboe in 2013. She earned her Bachelor of Music Degree and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music...
Oboe / English Horn (Nov 2016)
Anna Petersen
Jethro Marks is a Canadian/American classical violist. He is the founding violist of the Zukerman Chamber Players and the Principal Violist of the National Arts Centre Orchestra...
Viola (Apr 2016)
Jethro Marks
Risa Tonita is currently finishing her Master of Music in Piano Performance at the University of Ottawa under the guidance of Frédéric Lacroix...
Piano (Feb 2016)
Risa Tonita
Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, Schryer has been playing the “fiddle” since the age of eight years, or perhaps we should say the violin since he did complete his “classical” training...
Fiddle (Nov 2015)
Louis Schryer
Fifteen-year-old Daniel Wade started cello lessons at the age of 6 with Anne Contant, and at eight years of age was accepted into the Gatineau Conservatory of Music...
Cello (Feb 2015)
Daniel Wade
Natasha MacDonald received her first violin as a Christmas present from her grandpa at the age of 5. She was then enrolled in the National Capital Suzuki School here in Ottawa...
Violin (Nov 2014)
Natasha MacDonald
Angus is a graduate of McGill University, graduating with High Distinction in trombone performance in 1979. He studied with Ted Griffith...
Trombone (May 2009, Apr 2010, Feb 2013, Apr 2013, Nov 2014)
Angus Armstrong
Nadia Lemaire first picked up the flute when she decided to join her elementary school's beginner band at the age of 10. A musician was born!...
Piccolo (May 2014)
Nadia Lemaire
Paul Caron is originally from the St-Maurice region in Quebec’s heartland where he received his early musical training in solfege, clarinet technique and in harmony...
Clarinet (May 2014)
Paul Caron
Freya Crawley has been playing the violin since she was 4 years old and has her grade 8 violin from The Royal Conservatory of Music. She started playing with La Jeunesse Youth Orchestra in 2002...
Violin (May 2014)
Freya Crawley
Jennifer Takuski started playing violin at the age of five and plans never to stop. She began competing in Kiwanis Music Festivals in 1998 and in 2001 and 2006 she was awarded...
Violin (May 2014)
Jennifer Takuski
Pierre-Richard Aubin won first prize in piano at the Conservatory of Music of Quebec in Chicoutimi, where he studied with Suzanne Goyette...
Piano (Feb 2014)
Pierre-Richard Aubin
Now in Grade 12, Frances began piano studies at age nine. A rising star, she has been a consistent scholarship winner from 2005 to 2011 ...
Piano (Feb 2012)
Frances Armstrong
Driven by a passion for music, Stuart Matthews, 10, has been immersed in violin study since the age of three. Until recently he studied under the tutelage of Catherine Gagné...
Violin (May 2011)
Stuart Matthews
Appointed to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2003, Hermine Gagné, made her solo debut with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at age 16...
Violin (Feb 2011)
Hermine Gagné
Marianne Boilard hails from Mont-Joli, a small town in Eastern Quebec. After six years of hard work, she bid adieu to the piano. Four exciting years of bassoon awaited her at the Conservatoire...
Bassoon (Nov 2010)
Marianne Boilard
Anne Shea began playing the cornet at the age of seven with the local Salvation Army church band. She became very active in stage band in middle school, going on to play principal trumpet...
Trumpet (Nov 2010)
Anne Shea
Born in Simcoe, Ontario, Tim began to study the violin at age 5. He is currently the concertmaster of the Parkdale Orchestra, a position he has previously held at the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra...
Violin (May 2007, Nov 2010)
Tim Yaychuk
Louise started her study of the cello at age 15, first with Dr. Christoph Both of Acadia University, and then with Joan Harrison in Ottawa...
Cello (May 2007, Nov 2010)
Louise St. Germain
Renée Allen graduated from McGill University and played in L’Orchestre des Jeunes du Québec, the Québec Symphony Orchestra before moving to Germany to study natural horn with Hermann Baumann in 1981...
Natural Horn (Apr 2010)
Renée Allen
Brad studied the horn at Medicine Hat College, the University of Alberta and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio...
Horn (Apr 2010)
Brad Booth
Michael has performed with the Parkdale Orchestra for the past three concert seasons (2010). He studied music at the University of Denver where he performed with various orchestras...
Horn (Apr 2010)
Michael Cooper
David has been actively involved in music throughout his life. He started horn with the Waterloo Musical Society Junior Band in 1959, and later joined the University of Waterloo Orchestra...
Horn (Apr 2010)
David Hallman
Ruth took up the horn in grade 7 because she arrived late that year and flute & clarinet were already taken!! She performed as a soloist with the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in her teens...
Horn (Apr 2010)
Ruth Taylor
Along with his premedical and medical studies, Marc Ruel earned a Masters in Piano Performance from the Conservatoires de Musique du Quebec, under Monique Collet...
Piano (Dec 2004, Feb 2010)
Marc Ruel
Born in Manitoba, Yen-Yen began studying piano at the age of four. In June 2009, she completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance with Andrew Tunis...
Piano (Nov 2007, Nov 2009)
Yen-Yen Gee
Alexander began studying the violin at age 9 in the fall of 2003, with Brigitte Amyot, in Gatineau. The following year, he entered the Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy (OYOA), in Junior Strings...
Violin (May 2009)
Alexandre Turmel
Tina Fedeski studied flute performance at the Guildhall School of Music in London, England. After playing principal flute in the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, Spain for four seasons she returned to Canada...
Flute (May 2009)
Tina Fedeski
Alan was born in Wales, and is a graduate of the Universities of Manchester and Reading. His career has included teaching posts as Director of Music in high schools in England and Canada...
Harpsichord (May 2007)
Alan Thomas
Vic began his musical studies at age 13. After completing the Grade 9 Toronto Conservatory piano exam with honours, he enrolled in music at McGill University...
Flute (May 2007)
Vic Norian
Soprano Rachel Eugster has appeared as a soloist, choral member, and actor in numerous venues in New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Vermont and Ottawa...
Soprano (May 2006)
Rachel Eugster
Kim Murray is a 24 year old clarinetist who graduated from the Conservatoire de musique de Gatineau with magna cum laude prizes in chamber music and solo interpretation...
Clarinet (Feb 2006)
Kim Muuray
Six-time finalist and twice winner at the Canadian Music Competition, 15 year old Yolanda Bruno has received many awards and scholarships...
Violin (May 2005)
Yolanda Bruno
Cellist Valérie Despax, 18, is undertaking advanced studies with Prof. Anne Contant at the Conservatoire de musicque du Québec in Gatineau, with an emphasis on solo and chamber music...
Cello (March 2005)
Valérie Despax
Mitchell is 13 years old. He started violin at the age of 3, studied with Leslie Wade until the age of 10, and currently studies with Paule Préfontaine. He was the winner of the Thirteen Strings Concerto Competition...
Violin (Feb 2007)