What instrument do you play?

Flute/Piccolo

What role did you fill off-stage with The Civic?

Graphic Designer

How long were you a part of The Civic?

27 years

Where did you study or train as a musician?

University of Toronto, Music Performance major

Why did you choose to join Civic and support this community?

I've always loved orchestral music and Civic gave me an amazing opportunity to play some of the best music ever written.

Do you have a favourite memory of your time with Civic?

My solo performance of the Telemann Suite in A minor for Flute and Strings in December 2004 was a highlight. 

What was your favourite concert?

There are many, but for sure playing Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe Suite and Mahler's Resurrection Symphony.  So many great works!

Tell us about your career or life outside of The Civic.

I am a Graphic Designer, now semi-retired. While I have left my flute playing years behind, I have embraced singing and playing ukuleles at Open Mic nights.  A whole new musical chapter! I also make and design bags out of vintage and recycled/upcycled fabrics.  Another new creative endeavour.

What instrument do you play?

Double Bass

What role did you fill off-stage with The Civic?

Part-time Executive Director

How long have you been a part of The Civic?

Since 2020

Where did you study or train as a musician?

I have had no formal musical training.  I am self-taught but with occasional lessons from professional bassists in Calgary and Victoria.

Why did you choose to join Civic and support this community?

My wife and I moved from Victoria back to Calgary in January, 2020; I was looking for an orchestra to join and discovered the Civic. As for the Executive Director role, David Wartman told me he was stepping down as ED; I thought I had a lot to offer the orchestra, off stage, so I applied and won the position.

Do you have a favourite memory of your time with Civic?

Without a doubt it was the first time I played with the orchestra on the stage of the Jack Singer Concert Hall - February 23, 2020 "Sunday Afternoon at the Opera."  It was a breathtaking experience.

What was your favourite concert?

I particularly enjoy the Christmastime concerts. There is a great connection with the audience.

Tell us about your career or life outside of The Civic.

I am a retired heath research and policy consultant.  My wife Kathy and I reside in Lake Bonavista along with our three border terrier dogs.  I enjoy playing bass in jazz big bands and I pick away at the bluegrass guitar.

What instrument do you play?

Tuba

What role did you fill off-stage with The Civic?

Production Manager

How long were you a part of The Civic?

5 years

Where did you study or train as a musician?

McGill University

I trained as an orchestral musician & wanted a place to use my skills.

Do you have a favourite memory of your time with Civic?

Mostly just the concerts that went well.

What was your favourite concert?

The Romeo and Juliet concert was a real challenge and incredibly satisfying to play.

Tell us about your career or life outside of The Civic.

I teach ESL at a private school downtown and work as a tuba clinician for Mount Royal University.

What instrument do you play?

Violin

What role did you fill off-stage with The Civic?

Past Board Member/Past Board President/Casino Coordinator

How long have you been a part of The Civic?

25 years

Where did you study or train as a musician?

Suzuki String School Guelph Ontario

Why did you choose to join Civic and support this community?

Before coming to Calgary, I was part of a small community orchestra in Bethesda, Maryland (USA). I wanted to be part of an orchestra when I moved to Calgary in 2001.

Do you have a favourite memory of your time with Civic?

Benefit concert in Canmore.

What was your favourite concert?

Playing Beethoven's 9th Symphony in the Jack Singer Concert Hall with the massed children's choirs (my son was part of the choir!).

Tell us about your career or life outside of The Civic.

Associate Professor at Mount Royal University, Department of Chemistry and Physics

What instrument do you play?

Viola

What role did you fill off-stage with The Civic?

RC3 Competition Director and Steering Committee Chair

How long have you been a part of The Civic?

This is my 4th season (my 3rd with viola).  I was also in Civic back in 2004!

Where did you study or train as a musician?

I began studying violin through the Edmonton Public School Board's Strings Program, a unique program that offered weekly group lessons, orchestral experience at every level, and opportunities to travel and perform.  As I advanced, I pursued private lessons with the incomparable Miyo Inouye and the late Ranald Shean, and went on to serve as the concertmaster of the Singing Strings Orchestra.

I also studied piano with Miyo Inouye and alto sax with Ray Baril and Dr. William Street. I performed with numerous ensembles, including the Alberta Honour Band and Littlebirds Big Band.

Why did you choose to join Civic and support this community?

I missed orchestra and the ensemble experience that had been such a central and formative part of my youth.  I was excited to find in Civic an orchestra performing interesting works at a high level, and, just as importantly, a community of people who share my passion for making music together.

In my first year with Civic, I volunteered for the Rotary Calgary Concerto Competition (RC3).  I was inspired by the intense dedication, skill, and composure of these talented young musicians, as well as the many moments of camaraderie and kindness happening behind the scenes.

Volunteering also gave me a new appreciation for the time, money, effort, and care that so many people had invested in creating the opportunities I enjoyed as a young musician. It inspired me to pay it forward by taking on a larger role in helping make RC3 possible for the next generation of musicians.

Do you have a favourite memory of your time with Civic?

Playing the nose flute while wearing a jingle elf hat and flashing light bulbs while sharing the stage with a grinch Santa and other Christmassy characters as part of the toy symphony last Christmas was an awfully silly moment that I won’t soon forget.  You’d be surprised how hard it is to count all those bars of rest with so many distractions!

What was your favourite concert?

Rising Stars of course! There is nothing more wonderful to me than accompanying these young artists at their debut performances.  Having a front-row seat to their nervous excitement as they prepare and ultimately step into their greatness on stage is a privilege that I value greatly.  

Tell us about your career or life outside of The Civic.

My decades of experience as an engineer and leader, combined with an M.Sc. in Psychology and a background in conflict resolution, inform my work as a leadership trainer and coach.  Outside of work, I enjoy pottery, backpacking, and electric unicycling with my awesome family.

What instrument do you play?

Violin

What role do you fill off-stage with The Civic?

I've been the Social Media Coordinator since 2022 and String Section Coordinator since 2025. I also designed posters and brochures for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons (almost forgot about those!), handled publicity from 2001 to 2015, and served on the board in a marketing role for a few years around 2002, I think.

How long have you been a part of The Civic?

I've been playing with The Civic since 2001 (I think!). I've performed in nearly every concert, apart from about 10 years when my children were young. Once they were old enough, I started bringing them to rehearsals, where they'd do their homework, read or play video games in the hallway just outside the rehearsal hall.

Where did you study or train as a musician?

I began taking piano lessons at an early age in Japan, then continued my piano studies and started studying violin while attending university in Mississippi, where I earned a minor in music.

Why did you choose to join Civic and support this community?

Civic is a wonderful orchestra where I get to make music alongside talented musicians, many of whom are also my friends. I also believe in the power of live music to enrich people's lives, and I love being part of an orchestra that brings orchestral music to our community.

Do you have a favourite memory of your time with Civic?

Getting to play a solo (a short one, but still!) alongside our concertmaster, Anastasiia, during our Carmina Burana concert in the 2025/26 season.

What was your favourite concert?

There are so many to choose from! But one of my favourites was our Romeo & Juliet concert in February 2023, when we performed Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and Bernstein’s West Side Story. It was such a fantastic programme and so much fun to play!

Tell us about your career or life outside of The Civic.

Outside of The Civic, I work as a Senior Communications Specialist at the University of Calgary. I also run Calgary Classical, a website dedicated to promoting classical music events and supporting Calgary’s classical music community, and do freelance marketing and communications work for other local music organizations. I also play with the Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra, St. Giles Orchestra and a string quartet. Music is a big part of my life, both personally and professionally! And when I’m not doing something music-related, you’ll probably find me reading a good book.

What instrument do you play?

Violin

What role did you fill off-stage with The Civic?

Everything except Librarian (although I did help sort it on 2 occasions) and Personnel and Treasurer.

How long were you a part of The Civic?

Since 1993. 

I just took violin lessons for about 3 years. However I played in my local community orchestra for 10 years. I did study clarinet at McMaster University and did my Grade 8 Toronto Conservatory exams on that instrument. I also played tenor saxophone (in a stage band) and recorders (in a renaissance 5 piece group).

Why did you choose to join Civic and support this community?

I was invited to dust off my violin and join by Trudy Fossey when I met her at the Calgary Wind Symphony. It was such a great opportunity to jump back into violin playing as I had not played for about 10 years. I was hooked right from the start as I found friends who also loved to play in orchestra. I moved into leadership roles as I had been in such roles when I lived in Hamilton; I had been on boards and had even conducted a few concert bands there. I had run a summer music school (band of course) for Sea Cadets and that opportunity allowed me to step into leadership roles in musical groups. I was curious about how we made decisions about what to play and I had ideas to contribute as well. I suggested that we should play a Christmas concert in December and that tradition has stayed til today! I was a board director and secretary and President for many years. In those days (before cell phones and emails etc... we used to do a lot of things manually. I remember using my sewing machine to punch holes in tickets we had to produce ourselves when we performed in churches. Music is an integral part of my life. I believe that if I want to have this type of organization where I can perform on the best stage in Calgary with the best community musicians under remarkable musical leadership, I need to be part of making it happen and the Civic Board was just a natural place for me to find where I could make all this happen not only for me but for my fellow orchestra members and ultimately the growing audiences who fall in love with us every time they hear us perform! I hope this orchestra will be around for another 50 years. It's a treasure.

Do you have a favourite memory of your time with Civic?

I will always remember when we moved from performing in Churches and at the University of Calgary Rosza Centre to the Jack Singer Concert Hall. I had tears in my eyes as I walked on the stage for the morning rehearsal before the concert. What an amazing opportunity it was for me, an amateur player, performing on a professional stage. Then there was the time when we had to move all our percussion instruments out of the basement at the Alexander Centre  in Inglewood at about 11:00 pm because the big flood had hit the city and we were concerned that our instruments and music would be damaged. I have lots more 'cause it's been a long journey!

What was your favourite concert?

I have 3 (sorry) the first is performing Mahler's second symphony. The second was when we performed Holst's The Planets with a watercolour artist on stage who was painting a work of art for each of the planets. And finally our James Bond Concert saw our largest audience at about 1,400 people and I'll always remember how they cheered after we played the main theme at the opening of the concert. We raised the roof!

Tell us about your career or life outside of The Civic.

I had a career in IT, starting with the years when word processing was a specific trade. I then started teaching people how to use computers and that was the gateway to being a Help Desk Analyst, and ultimately an IT Project manager. I was laid off in 2008 amidst a big reorganization at Husky Oil's IT department and returned to my original intent of working in more social services; I trained as a clinical hypnotherapist and that was really cool. I've always helped people from one state to another, either in their personal ilfe or dealing with upgrades in software and how to make their spreadsheets work! In 2011 I joined Rotary, a service organization, and now that I am retired, I spend most of my days doing Rotary volunteer work either in leading projects (I currently have 2 on the go, 1 in Cambodia and 1 in the Dominican Republic), or facilitating workshops for Rotarians and helping Rotary clubs achieve their goals. I just finished a year as District Governor which covers all of Southern Alberta and western Saskatchewan. I love making a difference and helping the world be a more peaceful and better place. That the Rotary advantage: being in service to others by taking action together to create lasting change in our communities and in ourselves.

How long have you been a part of The Civic?

1.5 years from 1998 to 2000, and 18 years (and counting) from 2008-2026.

Why did you choose to join Civic and support this community?

Working with high quality amateur musicians is a particularly rewarding experience.

Do you have a favourite memory of your time with Civic?

Being able to bring world-renowned soloists like Stewart Goodyear, Pinchas Zukerman, & Amanda Forsyth, as well as the best of Calgary area musicians to share the stage with the orchestra and our audiences. Numerous examples of throwing down the gauntlet and seeing the musicians not only accept, but embrace and meet the challenges.

What was your favourite concert?

Mahler 2 / The Final Frontier (Holst, Williams, etc)

Tell us about your career or life outside of The Civic.

Conductor, concert pianist, educator, administrator