Victoria Symphony

Victoria Symphony and Maestro Timothy Vernon in POV's Macbeth, 2012
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About POV > Orchestra

The Opera Orchestra for Pacific Opera Victoria is the Victoria Symphony. The Symphony musicians are an essential – and acclaimed – part of every POV production.

The Conductors for 2012/13 are POV Artistic Director Timothy Vernon (Macbeth and Noye's Fludde); Guest conductor Leslie Dala (Albert Herring); and Giuseppe Pietraroia, Conductor in Residence for both POV and the Victoria Symphony (The Little Sweep and Tosca).

Victoria Symphony Musicians, 2012/13 Season

First Violins

  1. Terence Tam, Concertmaster
  2. Müge Büyükçelen-Badel, Acting Assistant Concertmaster
  3. Cory Balzer
  4. Michelle Kwon
  5. Christopher Taber

Second Violins

  1. *Victoria Lindsay, Principal
  2. Christi Meyers, Acting Principal
  3. Allison Cregg
  4. Courtney Cameron
  5. Julian Vitek

Violas

  1. Kenji Fuse, Principal
  2. Stacey Boal
  3. Kay Cochran
  4. Mieka Michaux

Celli

  1. Brian Yoon, Principal
  2. Martin Bonham
  3. Joyce Ellwood
  4. Perry Foster

Basses

  1. Mary Rannie, Principal
  2. Darren Buhr

Flutes

  1. Richard Volet, Principal
  2. Sally Harvey

Piccolo

  1. Sally Harvey

Oboes

  1. Michael Byrne, Principal
  2. Russell Bajer

English Horn

  1. Russell Bajer

Clarinets

  1. Keith MacLeod, Principal
  2. Jennifer Christensen

Bassoons

  1. Jennifer Gunter, Principal
  2. Anne Marie Power

Horns

  1. Alana Despins, Principal
  2. Michael Oswald
  3. Janet Parker
  4. Dan Moses

Trumpets

  1. Ryan Cole, Principal
  2. David Michaux

Trombones

  1. Brad Howland, Principal
  2. Marcus Hissen

Bass Trombone

  1. Bob Fraser

Tuba

  1. Paul Beauchesne, Principal

Timpani

  1. William Linwood, Principal

Percussion

  1. Corey Rae, Principal

Harp

  1. Annabelle Stanley, Principal

Orchestra Manager

  1. Peter Burris

Stage Manager

  1. Eric Gallipo

Librarians

  1. Ronald Comber
  2. Russell Bajer, Assistant

* on leave

Victoria Symphony

Selected Reviews

The Victoria Symphony is right at home with this kind of material ... The orchestra moved through this score like a well-maintained Bugatti.
Ian Cochran, Monday Magazine (2010, Rodelinda)

Musically ... resplendent, the performance was materially enhanced by Timothy Vernon's passionate conducting and the spirited and polished playing he drew from the Victoria Symphony. Donizetti's imaginative scoring provides strings, brass, percussion, and especially woodwinds with many opportunities to shine, and they seized all of them with aplomb.
Bernard Jacobson, Music Web International (2012, Maria Stuarda)

Clearly inspired by the subject matter, Verdi produced an orchestral part that, while economical and dark-hued, is extraordinarily vivid and frequently exciting, rife with striking details (and not only in the "fantastic" music for the witches). The Victoria Symphony, conducted by POV artistic director Timothy Vernon, attacks this score boldly and revels in its rich colours.
Kevin Bazzana, Times Colonist (2012, Macbeth)

Under the direction of Maestro Timothy Vernon the Victoria Symphony delivers a bravura performance, and one leaves the Royal Theatre in a state of near awe at the sheer artistic excellence on display.
J.H. Stape, Review Vancouver (2008, Regina)

Perhaps the single most impressive aspect was the orchestral contribution of the Victoria Symphony. Though they were presumably playing modern instruments, Timothy Vernon, the company's gifted and dedicated artistic director, contrived to elicit a sound that rivaled the incisiveness and clarity of period-instrument performance. Articulation was crisp and clean, and vibrato was kept at a minimum.
Bernard Jacobson, Music Web International (2010, Rodelinda)