Faculty

Robert Uchida is Concertmaster of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. His recording of Andrew Violette’s Sonata for Unaccompanied Violin won international acclaim, with Strings Magazine praising his “ravishing sound, eloquence and hypnotic intensity.” Before joining the ESO, he was Concertmaster of Symphony Nova Scotia in Halifax. He has been a guest leader  with the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Royal Flemish Philharmonic, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist and chamber musician, Robert has performed across North America and Europe. He plays on the “de Long Tearse” Guadagnini and teaches at the University of Alberta.

Douglas (Pace) Sturdevant graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy and the University of Michigan and began his professional orchestral career with the Toledo (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra, becoming Principal Trumpet at 22.

In 1975 he was appointed Principal Trumpet of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, a position he held for 23 years. He was often featured as soloist with the Orchestra, both in Ottawa and on its national tours, and with noted conductors such as Pinchas Zukerman, Trevor Pinnock, Mario Bernardi, Roger Norrington, Helmut Rilling, Alexander Schneider, Eduoardo Mata and Charles Dutoit.

Pace then became Manager of Arts Training and Outreach for NACO, he also serves as Director of Pedagogy with the Orchestre de la francophonie.

Jean-Philippe Tremblay is artistic director and principal conductor of the Orchestre de la francophonie, which he co-founded in 2001. Under his leadership, the OF has given more than 350 concerts across Canada, in China, Germany and in the USA. In recent seasons, he has conducted in Europe: l’Orchestre National de France, the Rotterdam Philarmonic, the Wiener Kammer Orchester, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Orchestre National d’Asturias. Following his debuts with the Netherlands Radio Philarmonic Orchestra in Utrecht, live on the national radio, critic Renée Reitsma wrote: « Conductor Jean-Philippe Tremblay was a last-minute replacement of Serge Baudo, but he more than held his own. Conducting the orchestra with an energy that reminded me of fellow French-Canadian Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Tremblay had contagious enthusiasm while still being in full control. The orchestra obviously responded well to him. »

In Asia, Tremblay has conducted the Macao Orchestra, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the China Philarmonic Orchestra.

At home, he has been guest conductor with the Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Halifax, Quebec, Kitchener, Hamilton orchestras as well as the NAC Orchestra in Ottawa, the Manhattan School of Music Orchestra ad the Philharmonie Orchestra of the Americas and the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra.

Jean-Philippe Tremblay studied viola, composition and conducting at the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec à Chicoutimi, at the Université de Montréal, the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Pierre Monteux School, and at the Tanglewood Music Center.

Charles “Chip” Hamann was appointed to the principal oboe chair of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra in 1993 at the age of 22. He has also been guest principal oboist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Québec’s renowned baroque orchestra, Les Violons du Roy. Mr. Hamann is a member of the National Arts Centre Wind Quintet, comprised of principal players of NACO.

Scottish-born Lorna McGhee was appointed principal flute of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 2012. Known for her “exceptionally rich and vibrant tone” (Washington Post) Lorna has performed as guest principal with Chicago Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Academy of St-Martin-in-the-Fields, Chamber Orchestra of Europe and has been fortunate to work with conductors such as Haitink, Gergiev, Rattle, Solti, Harnoncourt, Muti and Honeck.

For over thirty years, Joel Quarrington has served as the Principal Double Bassist of many ensembles including the Canadian Opera Company, The Toronto Symphony and Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and most recently, the famous London Symphony Orchestra.