Vancouver, Canada (March 11, 2021) — This week the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra launches a series of free masterclasses being held with university music schools across Canada. The innovative program takes advantage of new virtual teaching technologies to connect students in professional study programs with master musicians from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
The program launched on March 9 with VSO Principal Oboist Roger Cole leading a masterclass for oboe students at the University of Western Ontario. Over the coming months, music students at institutions including McGill University, the University of Toronto and the University of Lethbridge will participate in masterclasses with expert teachers from the VSO.
High-quality virtual learning experiences such as these masterclasses allow the next generation of professional musicians from across the country to gain new perspectives and diverse knowledge from veteran orchestral musicians. In the past, instrumental teaching was limited to in-person learning, requiring a guest artist to travel in order to present a class or performance. Now, these opportunities are right at our fingertips, and this initiative has been enthusiastically welcomed by the talented educators at each participating institution.
Roger Cole, principal oboe of the VSO commented, “I recently gave a masterclass to the oboe students at Western University in Ontario. It was very enjoyable and I believe we all learned a great deal. This is an excellent opportunity for students anywhere to learn from the fabulous musicians of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.”
Angela Elster, President & CEO of the VSO and VSO School of Music said, “Masterclasses play a critical role in the development and training of professional musicians. The opportunity to perform and learn from experts, with an audience of your peers in attendance, is deeply educational and inspirational. We are so thrilled to be able to offer this exciting program to music students across Canada.”
For more information, visit www.vancouversymphony.ca
