Our 95th Anniversary Concert welcomes guest soloist Joanna G’froerer, the Principal Flutist of the prestigious National Arts Centre Orchestra. Originally appointed to the position at age 20, she was one of the youngest musicians ever hired by the orchestra.
The concert marks a very special homecoming for such a monumental anniversary. Not only is Joanna a VYSO alum herself, but her father was also an orchestra member in the late 1950s to the early 1960s. Get to know Joanna before seeing her perform live May 18 at the Orpheum as part of our 95th Anniversary Concert. Learn more and buy tickets here.
Do you have a pre-concert routine that helps you get ready? What about a post-concert routine to unwind and relax?
I try to not do too much on concert days, which can be difficult when we have a dress rehearsal on the same day. I learned in my early years in this job that an afternoon nap usually results in a better performance than over-practicing on the day of a concert. I do make sure that I’ve had an extensive warm-up so that I’m feeling confident in my sound, and I go over any passages that need attention.
After concerts, I need a bit of time to wind down before being able to sleep. At my present age, that usually means heading home to read a book for an hour or so. How boring, I know! Occasionally, after a particularly great concert, I will still head out with my colleagues to celebrate.
What are some essentials that you always pack in your bag with you for concert day?
My flute, sheet music or tablet, swab, pencil with eraser, powder paper, earplugs (sometimes), water bottle, phone, and a toothbrush. I also make sure to bring my focus, my energy, and my enthusiasm!
What are your recent favourite album(s) to listen to?
I’ve been listening to James Ehnes’ new album of the Complete Bach Violin Concertos with the NAC Orchestra, just released on March 28. We recorded this with James over the past couple of seasons, and the whole album is stunningly beautiful. I am in the Concerto for Flute, Violin and Harpsichord with James, Luc Beauséjour and my NACO string colleagues. It was an absolute dream to play this music together. The joy and friendship in the music making is evident from beginning to end.
What is your fondest memory during your time at VYSO? What about your fondest memory growing up in Vancouver?
I was a member of the VYSO from the age of 13, first in the Intermediate orchestra under Garth Williams, and then ascending to the Senior orchestra under Arthur Polson, both great mentors and musicians. I have many wonderful memories of my years in the VYSO, including tours to the Okanagan and Vancouver Island, end-of-year concerts at the Orpheum, and joint concerts with the UBC Orchestra with guest conductors like Kazuyoshi Akiyama and Oscar Shumsky. The repertoire that we learned became a part of my musical DNA. Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony, Bizet Symphony in C, Frank Symphony in D minor, The Planets, Barber of Seville Overture – when I play these pieces today, I still remember playing them for the first time in the VYSO, and I don’t think that those feelings of excitement and discovery will ever fade. My favourite of all of these musical memories is of my first experience with Shostakovich. We performed Shostakovich 9 in a concert at Douglas College, probably in 1988, and I had been assigned the piccolo part, which is huge, difficult, emotionally demanding, and very exposed. I had never experienced anything like this piece, and it felt like a turning point in my musical development. I still think of that performance when playing the work today.
I have so many fond memories of growing up in Vancouver, many involving music, and most involving my family. If I had to pick one memory, it would be of the Carol Ships at Christmas time. I grew up in the Seymour area of North Van, not far from the water, and our house had a view of Burrard Inlet. During the Christmas season, occasionally some or all of us would be lucky enough to be at home when the parade of ships would appear with their sparkling lights and beautiful carols, and we would gather outside on our deck to watch and listen. It was an absolutely magical part of Christmas, and very specific to Vancouver.
How did it feel like growing up in a family of professional musicians? Did you know from an early age that you also wanted to become a professional musician?
My dad was the 3rd and Associate Principal Horn of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Principal Horn of the CBC Radio Orchestra, and my mom was a member of the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and before that, the Vancouver Opera Chorus. Growing up in a family of professional musicians was a bit different from my friends’ family lives. At a very early age, I thought “going to work” meant leaving the house with a French Horn case, not a briefcase! Music just seemed to be as much a part of our lives as breathing. My sister and I were enrolled in Suzuki piano and Kodaly at the Vancouver Academy of Music from about age 5, and things continued from there. My parents worked a lot of evenings, so we had a regular roster of babysitters, and having either Mom or Dad at home for the evening was a notable occasion. That said, they made a huge effort to carve out family time whenever possible. I’ve recently realized that our annual pre-Christmas trip to Harrison Hot Springs was probably during the Messiah, which has no horns. (It has no flutes either, and in my adult life, I’ve taken advantage of these few annual days off with my own family for pre-Christmas getaways.) My grandmother was a church organist, so we all were recruited to play in her services from time to time. These were great opportunities for gaining experience in performing. My dad would often arrange pieces for our unusual family ensemble of flute, voice, horn, oboe and either piano or organ. I’ve recently found some of these rehearsals and performances on video, and they are wonderful treasures to have.
A musician’s schedule is not the norm, but our family adapted. My mother was usually away over Halloween on tour with the Vancouver Chamber Choir, so my dad became a costume and makeup expert. My dad would go on tours to Japan with the VSO and bring back kimonos, the latest electronic gadgets, and a taste for sushi, long before it was standard Vancouver fare. We were the only family I knew of in North Van who would venture to Pender St. downtown to sit in a tatami room and eat “raw fish”. My school friends must have thought our family was a bit strange, but I had a whole other crew of friends who were fellow VSO “symphony kids”, many of whom I’m still in touch with today.
Looking back, I realize that having decided as a teenager to go into this profession, I had a huge advantage. Not only were my parents extremely supportive, but they knew exactly how to guide me through my education and training. They were wonderful parents in every way.
Even with all this music around, it had not ever occurred to me that I would go into music as a profession until I was 15 years old. I was playing in a mixed faculty/student orchestra at the Courtenay Youth Music Centre on Vancouver Island, and as we rehearsed Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony, it was like a light bulb went off in my brain. I suddenly knew that I wanted to spend my life playing in an orchestra, and I never looked back.
When was the last time you performed in Vancouver? How does it feel like to be performing in your hometown again with VYSO for this special occasion?
The last time I performed in Vancouver was in the fall of 2022 at UBC, as part of a masterclass and recital tour I did with my great friend, Susan Hoeppner. Before that, I believe the last time would have been on tour with the NACO in 2017.
To be performing in Vancouver again, in the Orpheum, with this organization that means so much to me is very special. I feel honoured and welcomed home. The Orpheum itself holds so many memories for me, having performed on stage as a teenager with the VYSO and the Vancouver Academy Orchestra, as an extra musician with the VSO, and later on tour with the NACO. As a young person, I spent so many evenings in that hall, staring up at those beautiful murals and chandeliers, and taking in the glorious sounds of the VSO, the CBC Radio Orchestra, the Vancouver Chamber Choir and many other artists. I remember in the 1980’s seeing James Galway in recital, being starstruck as Michael J Fox hosted the VSO Gala , and lining up at Stage Door with one of my VYSO friends, hoping to be an extra in the filming of David Foster’s “The Symphony Sessions”. The Orpheum will always be a meaningful place for me.
Is there anything that you miss about Vancouver that you would like to see/experience again if you have the opportunity?
What do I miss about Vancouver? The sea air, the mountains, the unsurpassed natural beauty of the city. The special people I know who live there. The sushi! The relaxed vibe. Hearing the train horns and the fog horns from the North Shore. Honey’s Donuts in Deep Cove. I won’t have much time on this trip, but I am definitely looking forward to a sushi meal, and I will probably try to get to the North Shore to say hello to a couple of friends and to go to the memorial garden where my parents are interred.
What advice do you have for young VYSO musicians of this generation?
There is a saying that “luck” is when preparation meets opportunity, and this has been my personal experience.
If you would like a career performing in an orchestra, you need to be prepared and ready for when opportunity presents itself, usually in the form of an audition.
As a teenager, I had a very specific goal – to become the principal flutist of a major Canadian orchestra. In retrospect, perhaps this wasn’t very realistic, but it kept me focused and gave me incredible drive and motivation. As a result, I was ready when an audition came open for Principal Flute of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in 1992. I was only 19 when the first round was held, and turned 20 just a few days before officially being offered the job.
I have always felt so lucky to have ended up with this job of my dreams! But I could not have been lucky in this way if I was not ready when the audition was announced, no matter how much talent or potential I may have shown. These jobs don’t come up very often – I have been in my position now for 33 years, and that is pretty normal in the orchestra world – so being prepared for these very rare opportunities is essential.
If you want a career in music, but outside performance, there are so many options out there. Arts administration, music library, instrument repair, orchestra personnel management, artist management, composition, music academia, private teaching, music education…The list is long. Keep your mind open to exploring these alternate careers in music.
If you go into a career outside of music, make sure to always keep music in your life. Take this amazing experience of learning and performing music of the great composers, and bring it with you into your future. Continue playing your instrument, go to concerts, join an amateur group or choir, and support your local arts organizations. Your life will be richer and happier for having music in it.
Don’t miss Joanna’s special guest performance as part of the VYSO 95th Anniversary Concert. The milestone event features all 280 members of the VYSO’s four orchestra levels. Learn more and book your tickets here.
