Faculty & Staff

The VYSO is proud to have many prestigious and talented staff and faculty members on its team. Many of our conductors and string assistants have studied and taught at world-renowned institutions around the world, and are often in high demand for workshops both locally and internationally.

Artistic Director – Jonathan Girard

Conductors

Jonathan Girard

Artistic Director & Senior Orchestra Conductor

BIO

Conductor Jonathan Girard always knew he’d become a musician.
He grew up just outside Boston. Both Mom and Dad were accomplished amateur musicians. He vividly remembers his first trip to hear the Boston Symphony and hearing a performance of Debussy’s L’après-midi d’un faune. He knew at that moment that he wanted to spend his life immersed in the orchestral world.He began his musical journey on the piano, was conducting by 6th grade, played saxophone and clarinet in his middle school band and viola in the orchestra. He received a Masters from Boston University and his Doctorate from the Eastman School of Music.
Today he works around the world. Whether he’s leading a symphony in Brazil, an opera in the Czech Republic or working with students as Director of Orchestras at the University of British Columbia School of Music, he sees the orchestra as a place where each musician can contribute their individual artistry to a unified whole. He’s also an enthusiastic promoter of new and little-known music, works on interdisciplinary projects involving media labs and the visual arts and collaborates with scholars exploring astronomy and earth, ocean, and atmospheric sciences.
When he’s off the podium, he’s often up in the air flying airplanes.
“I love the freedom of being in the skies and seeing the world from a unique perspective,” he says. “Flying combines both science and art. In everything I do, I relish an opportunity to seek out new realms.”

Jin Zhang

Intermediate Orchestra Conductor

BIO

Jin Zhang (Jack), is an internationally awarded artist. His acknowledgements include receiving AVIFF Award Cannes 2018 in France, Artistic Achievement Awards in Vancouver, as well as many nominations. Jin Zhang studied music at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo. In Japan, he studied conducting in master classes with maestro Kazuyoshi Akiyama and Seiji Ozawa.He is a multiple recipient of commissioning grants from the Canada Council for the Arts.

Currently, Jin Zhang holds the position of Music Director and Conductor in the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Westminster Symphony Orchestra. He is also an artistic director of Canada Chinese Performing Arts Society. Jin is also associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre.

Dr. Richard Dorfer

Junior Orchestra Conductor

BIO

Dr. Rick Dorfer enjoys the great variety he has developed in his career and maintains an active schedule as a violinist, conductor and educator. As a violinist, Rick is a member of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra.

For eight seasons, Rick was a conductor with the Surrey Youth Orchestra, working mainly with the Junior Strings and Chamber Music programs. He previously served as Assistant Conductor for the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra and guest conducted the Prince George Symphony Orchestra. Rick also appears on faculty at many summer festivals and is regularly invited to lead masterclasses and adjudicate festivals. Rick’s postgraduate training included an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School and culminated in a Doctor of Music Arts degree from the University of Washington.

Nadia Petriw

Debut Orchestra Conductor

BIO

Nadia Petriw is a violinist, educator, and music therapist. She learns, works, and on the traditional and unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples, and is thrilled to join the VYSO as conductor of the Debut Orchestra. Born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon, Nadia’s love of music led her to explore community and connection through ensemble and chamber music. After graduating with a Bachelor of Music in String Performance from Brandon University, Nadia moved to Vancouver to pursue music therapy studies at Capilano University.

Nadia has taught in her own private violin and piano studio since 2008 and enjoys working with all ages, abilities, and styles. Her music therapy training also influences her teaching style, as she works with students and their families to achieve their personal and musical goals. Nadia believes that all children are musical and is passionate about sharing music through exploration and creativity. Nadia currently works throughout Metro Vancouver as a music educator and music therapist and conducts the Preludio String Ensemble at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music.

In her free time, Nadia can be found baking cookies, reading, or tending to her garden.

String Assistants

Jake Klinkenborg

Cello, Intermediate Orchestra

Rebecca Ruthven

Violin, Intermediate Orchestra

BIO

Originally from Kelowna, Rebecca studied Violin at McGill University. She plays regularly with the Okanagan Symphony and Vancouver Film Orchestra and will be joining the Vancouver Opera Orchestra this Fall. An active chamber musician, she recently played with Vetta Chamber Music, the Borealis String Quartet, and toured BC as part of The Young Beethoven. On baroque violin she has performed with Gallo Chamber Players, Pacific Baroque Orchestra, and Victoria Baroque. She is a three-time alumnus of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and recipient of the Stephen Sitarski Leadership Award. She teaches violin at Arbutus Music Academy

Madeline Young

Violin, Debut & Junior Orchestra

BIO

Madeline Young began her studies on piano with Carl Montgomery and on violin with Heilwig von Konigslow at the Langley Community Music School. After receiving the Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music diploma in piano and completing the Royal Conservatory of Music grade 10 in violin, she went on to complete her diploma in music at Kwantlen Polytechnic University studying piano and chamber music.

She teaches piano and violin at the Western Conservatory of Music, Music Schools International Langley, Heritage Music School and NUVO Music School in the Fraser Valley area. Recently, Madeline returned from spending a year working at Epsom College in Malaysia where she taught music to students in the Prep school and Senior school.

Brontë Wagar

Cello, Debut & Junior Orchestra

BIO

Bronte began playing piano at age 4 and cello at age 6 with teacher Aleksandra Dziobek. After winning several gold medals from the RCM for exam achievements, Bronte completed her ARCT in cello performance in 2011. Bronte completed her Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and Bachelor of Music in cello performance at the University of British Columbia in 2018, and has since been working towards a Master of Music in cello performance at UBC under Eric Wilson.

Bronte teaches cello, piano, and theory privately across the Lower Mainland, as well as outreach master classes for beginner cellists in New Westminster. Bronte enjoys freelance work around Vancouver, as well as playing with her quartet and various chamber ensembles including the UBC Symphony Orchestra.

Administrative Team

Holly Littleford

Executive Director

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Emily Yu

Communications and Operations Manager

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Andrea Norman

Volunteer Coordinator and Rehearsal Assistant

Contact the vyso

Questions about the VYSO? Would you like to audition, volunteer, or donate? We’d love to hear from you. Give us a call, attend a concert or send us an email!

info@vyso.com
604 737 0714

Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra acknowledges that its work takes place on the unceded, traditional, and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples