First Violins
Yasuko Eastman
Yasuko Eastman is one of the founding members of VCO. She enjoys every moment of her day teaching children, practising, rehearsing, performing. She feels very privileged to be playing under such a great musician Maestro Yariv Aloni, surrounded by friends who are all in love with music. She loves her studio and garden. She enjoys going to movies, theatre productions, art exhibits with her husband, and taking nature walks.
Allyn Chard
Susan Colonval
Gwen Isaacs
Gwen Isaacs is a semi-retired GP who is forever grateful to her parents for providing her with music lessons when they could least afford it so that she can now fatten her brain stem and enrich her life by playing in VCO and other musical groups to her heart's content.
Hollas Longton
Leah Norgrove
Anja Rebstock
Second Violins
Sue Innes
Sue Innes is a translator and academic editor. She leads the second violin section in the Victoria Chamber Orchestra and the Sooke Philharmonic orchestras. She lives on an acreage in Shirley, where only the bears and cougars can hear her practice.
Don Kissinger
Semi- retired as a math/science school teacher, I waste more and more of my time fiddling around on the violin and viola. Playing, practising and performing on a string instrument is such a wonderful way to enjoy life. Working on organization and support of the Victoria Chamber Orchestra is something I am proud to be part of - we are a wonderful team.
Louise Reid
Louise Reid has a Bachelor of Music degree from University of Victoria and a Masters of Music degree from Brandon University. Louise has been playing in the VCO since 2013 and teaches violin privately from her studio Vivace Violins. Louise has been a member of the BCMEA Honour Orchestra, Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra, University of Victoria Orchestra and Brandon University Orchestra (concertmaster) and has performed under the baton of Yariv Aloni, Janos Sandor, Tania Miller and Bramwell Tovey among others. Louise also enjoys being a member of CapriCCio Vocal Ensemble and Christ Church Cathedral Choir.
Cathy Reader
Theressa Zapach
Violas
Alexis More
Lee Anderson
Lee initially studied violin until discovering the Joy of Viola as a teen and since then has never looked back! As a founding member and the first President of the VCO, Lee has enjoyed his association with the orchestra for many years and looks forward to many more.
Mary Clarke
Mary is an accomplished violinist, violist and conductor. She was violinist with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra for 17 years. She continues to play violin and viola with the Victoria Chamber Orchestra, the Sooke Philharmonic, and is Principal Viola with the Civic Orchestra of Victoria. She has more than thirty years' experience teaching individual violin and viola lessons and group string classes at all levels.
Catheryn Kennedy
Michael Klazek
Michele MacHattie
A pianist from childhood, Michele MacHattie loves playing in the viola sections of the Victoria Chamber Orchestra and Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra, making music with good friends. Michele is fortunate to have wonderful teachers: she studied for five years with VCO founding member Marian Moody and is continuing with Anne McDougall.
Jon O'Riordan
Cellos
Mary Smith
Janis Kerr
Janis is a founding member of VCO. She learned to play the cello in the Victoria Schools Strings Program at Quadra Elementary. She is a former member of the Victoria Symphony. VCO is a highlight in her life.
Trevor MacHattie
Trevor is a retired engineer. He studied with Zdenek Konicek of the Czech quartet and Robert Dodson of the Vaghy quartet. He has played with the North York Symphony, the Kingston Symphony and Ottawa Chamber Orchestra.
Paul Terry
Basses
Richard Backus
Richard is a sport medicine physician in Victoria. He is a student of Gary Karr and Mary Rannie, and plays on a Brock Radelet bass with a Reid Hudson bow. He was the founding president of the Early Music Society of the Islands, and organized the Music Injuries Awareness Program at UVic.
Richard Watters
Barb Cleary
