Beth Orson english horn / oboe

Beth Orson has played Assistant Principal Oboe and English Horn with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra since 1990. She has taught on the faculties of the UBC School of Music and the Vancouver Academy of Music for many years and joined the faculty of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada in 2008. As a chamber musician, Ms. Orson often performs with the Turning Point Ensemble and in recital at the University of British Columbia. Principal Oboe of the NY Symphonic Ensemble from 1988-2005, she completed 19 tours to Japan with this renowned chamber orchestra, performing in every major concert hall in Japan, often as soloist. As an English horn player Ms. Orson's solo performances include the North American premiere of James MacMillan's "The World's Ransoming" with the VSO, the solo English horn part for Dan Seguin's score to the CBC feature film "Murder Unveiled," which won a Leo Award, Brian Cherney's "In the Stillness of September 1942" with the VSO, the Kraus/Ferlandis Concerto for English horn and Orchestra with the Sinfonia-Orchestra of the North Shore and numerous performances of Sibelius's "The Swan of Tuonela" with the VSO.

Ms. Orson has recorded for CBC Records, Deutsche Grammophon, Essay, New World, Parnassus and Technics Records. A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory and winner of the Oberlin Concerto Competition, Ms. Orson's principal teachers were Laurence Thorstenberg, James Caldwell, and Elaine Douvas. Beth and her husband Bob, recently retired from Environment Canada, live in Vancouver. They have owned whippets since 1997 and bred their first litter in December 2008. Sidney, the puppy they kept, was Best Puppy at the North American Whippet Racing Association National Race Meet in 2009.

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