PERFORMER BIOGRAPHIES

Music Director — George Corwin

Renowned as a conductor of aesthetic and rare musical sensibility, George Corwin is equally at home with orchestra, chorus, opera and small ensemble. He is in demand as a guest conductor throughout North America and more recently in Asia. He is also Music Director of Concentus Corvinus, a group of soloists performing as a small ensemble. Corwin's multi-faceted musical sensibility was nurtured at Ithaca College. He performed in orchestras and bands as a percussionist and trombonist, and also performed extensively as a singer. In 1960, he was invited by Howard Hanson to join the ensemble and conducting staff at the famed Eastman School of Music, where he embraced the high standard of musical excellence to which he judiciously ascribes. As Professor of Music at the University of Victoria from 1969 to 1995, where he conducted the university orchestra, the 'Little Orchestra' (a faculty/student chamber orchestra), the University Chorus, the Opera Workshop and the 'Sonic Lab' (a contemporary music ensemble), George Corwin continued to foster his passion for musical and performance excellence. Corwin's vast repertoire spans the musical spectrum from the earliest music of the pre-renaissance to the most modern of today, a truly eclectic musical palette.

First Violin (Principal) — Raya Fridman

Raya holds a College Diploma in Orchestra/Music Education from Russia and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University, as well as a Master in Music from the University of Victoria. Her performing experiences include the Chamber Orchestra of Leningrad, Montreal Chamber Orchestra, Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, Victoria Symphony Orchestra and Victoria Chamber Orchestra. She has also enjoyed Master classes with Pinkas Zukerman, Eleonora and Yuli Turovski, Richard Roberts, Thomas Williams and workshops with “I Musici” and “Quador Bozzini”. Raya teaches violin at the Victoria Conservatory of Music.

2nd Violin — Jim Ham

James Ham has been engaged in the repair and restoration of stringed musical instruments in Victoria since 1972. During the past decade the focus has shifted to primarily making new double basses. The experience gained from repairing thousands of instruments led Mr. Ham to believe that he could design an instrument that could solve many of the problems he repeatedly observed with traditional instruments and offer significant ergonomic and acoustic advantages. A commission to make a double bass for Mr. Gary Karr, a long time client and world famous soloist, provided an opportunity to put these ideas into practice and the resulting instrument was so successful that additional commissions followed, leading to the decision by Mr. Ham to move from a downtown shop to a separate business in his home. He now works in his home shop where he makes new instruments and continues to do repair, restoration and appraisals by appointment. Double basses made by Mr. Ham have been sold to clients (mostly professional players) in The U. S., Japan, Taiwan, Germany and Canada. He is a member of the American Federation of Violin and Bowmakers and the Violin Society of America. Mr. Ham has appeared as a musical instrument expert on the Canadian Antiques Roadshow and is a winner of a Manning Innovation Award (2001) for “His great talent in developing several innovative features for the double bass”.

Viola (Principal) — Volker Metz

Volker has played the viola since his early school days with a number of orchestras and smaller groups in Europe and Canada. He joined the Civic Orchestra of Victoria when he returned to Victoria in 1998. He is also active in the Victoria Chamber Orchestra and the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra.

Cello (Principal) — Sally Clarkson

Sally first started to play the cello when she was 12 and was eventually considered good enough to play in her Father's string quartet in London, England. She joined the Civic Orchestra of Victoria in 1988 and has sat in every seat in the cello section since then! Sally enjoys playing in symphony orchestras as well as in smaller chamber groups

Flute (Principal) — Mary Jill Cochrane

Mary Jill earned her B.A and Teaching Credential in music from California State University, Chico, and her Masters in Performance Practice from Stanford University.  She received Music Guild Scholarships and was twice winner of concerto competitions, playing with the Chico Symphony and Nielsen Concerto with Stanford Symphony. She was flutist with the Stanford Bach Cantata Series, Albany Consort and The San Jose Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

Since coming to Victoria in 1989, Mary Jill has appeared as flute soloist with St. Cecelia Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Victoria, Victoria Chamber Orchestra, Sidney Community Music School Orchestra, and she has performed frequently in the Christ Church Cathedral Summer Recital Series.

Mary Jill also sings with Capriccio Vocal Ensemble and Voces Intimae. She is Section Head of Woodwinds for the Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival. She is currently reviving her (second instrument) violin skills with the Sooke Philharmonic. She is a flute instructor at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and teaches flute and beginning violin at the Sidney Community Music School.

Bassoon (Principal) — John Larson

John has studied with Gerald Corey, Nicholas Kilburn, Roland Small and Frank Ruggieri, among others. Internationally he has performed recitals in Japan, South Africa, Kenya, Europe and North America and as an orchestral musician he has performed with the Calgary, Edmonton and Victoria Symphonies. While living in Kobe, Japan, he formed the well-known Melange Ensemble and he returns to Japan every few years to perform chamber music. Apart from performing with the Civic Orchestra of Victoria, John also performs with Trio Pacific and West Side Winds.

Horn (Principal) — Amy Sandford

Amy grew up as part of a musical family in Toronto. After studying French Horn in Toronto, in 1986 she commenced studies at UVic where she completed her B.Mus degree. After graduating, Amy has performed with a wide variety of orchestras, military and concert bands and ensembles and has been with the Civic Orchestra of Victoria for several years before being appointed Principal Horn in 2001.

Trumpet (Principal) — Alan Jacob

Alan Jacob was born in the Rhondda Valley, Wales and began his musical career with the Cory Band at the early age of 10 as a cornet player. Alan won many prizes at various competitions throughout Wales and was a member of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain on four occasions.

At the age of 16, Alan joined the Morris Motors Band in Cowley, Oxford under the direction of Harry Mortimer. In 1959, he became the principal cornet player of the Band of the Irish Guards in London.

Alan immigrated to Canada in 1962, joining the Central Band of the Royal Canadian Air Force based in the Nation's Capital, Ottawa. During this period, he studied through the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, gaining an Associate Diploma A.R.C.T and a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Ottawa in 1981.

In 1980, Alan became a staff member of the Canadian Forces School of Music in Victoria, British Columbia. Here, his studies gained him a Licentiate Diploma L.T.C.L from the Trinity College of Music in London, England. In 1986 he completed a course in Music Arranging, earning a Diploma from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA. Alan retired from the military in 1989 to teach music at many schools in the Victoria area.

He has now retired and spends his time composing and arranging music. He is the present Director of the Sidney Concert Band in Victoria. Alan and his wife Florence, have two daughters and two grandchildren.

Trombone (Principal) — Tom Eadie

Tom received his early musical education in Detroit, Michigan and at the age of 17 was touring with the show "Up With People". He graduated from the Eastman School of music in 1974 with a Master of Music degree, and soon after moved to Victoria to play with the Victoria Symphony and to teach at the University of Victoria until 1992. Currently he is a free-lance musician with many credits to his name in both the classical and popular genre and also he maintains a class of private students.

Percussion (Principal) — David Masini

David began his musical training as a jazz drummer in Victoria. By the time he was in Grade 12 he was playing professionally. David completed his B.Mus degree at UVIC and then taught school band in Northern BC and in Victoria. He has also performed with a variety of ensembles for concerts, dances, studio recordings and musical productions.