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Strings Session

Gwen Thompson


	Canadian violinist and pedagogue Gwen Thompson began her professional career in 1971 with a dual appointment as Professor of Violin at the University of Western Ontario and Concertmaster of Orchestra London. Her formal training took place with S.C. Eckhadt-Gramatte in Winnipeg, Josef Gingold, Jascha Heifetz and Ivan Galamian in the United States and Henryk Szeryng in Switzerland. She has performed and coached solo, orchestral and chamber music at festivals troughout Canada, the Pacific Northwest and Europe. She was associated with the Vancouver Academy of Music as Head of the String department for twenty five years. She has performed as soloist and member of the Vancouver Symphny Orchestra, the CBC Chamber Orchestra and has led the Baroque Stings. For fourteen years she was an Artist-in-Residence at the Vancoucer Chamber Music Series – Masterpiece Music. Since stepping down from Vancouver Academy position, she has taught at the University of Manitoba and continued her association with the Univesity of Western Ontario as visiting Professor of Violin from 1998 to 2004. As a violin coach with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada for twenty five years, she mentored many students into the professional milieu. Ms. Thompson has been a member of the group VIVEZA for fifteen years, traveling to Korea, the United States and troughout Canada to perform. Their five CDs have received international success. She was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada in 2003. In the Fall of 2005, she commissioned a piece from Stephen Chatman, for violin and cello. She premiered this piece in the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall in December, 2005.

Canadian violinist and pedagogue Gwen Thompson began her professional career in 1971 with a dual appointment as Professor of Violin at the University of Western Ontario and Concertmaster of Orchestra London. Her formal training took place with S.C. Eckhadt-Gramatte in Winnipeg, Josef Gingold, Jascha Heifetz and Ivan Galamian in the United States and Henryk Szeryng in Switzerland.

She has performed and coached solo, orchestral and chamber music at festivals troughout Canada, the Pacific Northwest and Europe. She was associated with the Vancouver Academy of Music as Head of the String department for twenty five years. She has performed as soloist and member of the Vancouver Symphny Orchestra, the CBC Chamber Orchestra and has led the Baroque Stings. For fourteen years she was an Artist-in-Residence at the Vancoucer Chamber Music Series – Masterpiece Music.

Since stepping down from Vancouver Academy position, she has taught at the University of Manitoba and continued her association with the Univesity of Western Ontario as visiting Professor of Violin from 1998 to 2004.

As a violin coach with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada for twenty five years, she mentored many students into the professional milieu. Ms. Thompson has been a member of the group VIVEZA for fifteen years, traveling to Korea, the United States and troughout Canada to perform. Their five CDs have received international success.

She was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada in 2003.

In the Fall of 2005, she commissioned a piece from Stephen Chatman, for violin and cello. She premiered this piece in the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall in December, 2005.

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Strings Session

Gwen Thompson