Orford Winds Workshop

ORFORD WINDS WORKSHOP: OCTETS!​

We’re going back to our roots for this summer’s Orford Winds Workshop, with a session focused on the wind octet repertoire. This workshop will allow musicians to explore chamber music for winds as well as different concepts of section playing through the repertoire of Harmoniemusik, as well as with more recent works written for this ensemble.

Two octets will be formed for this workshop, and the participants will be coached by our four instrumental faculty members. In addition to rehearsals, coaching, and octet concerts, workshop participants will receive private lessons, perform in master classes, take part in repertoire reading sessions, and attend panel discussions covering preparation strategies, musicians’ health, and other issues related to the profession.

Typical Day

• Morning: Private lessons or master classes
• Afternoon: Rehearsals and octet coaching
• Evening (varies): Panel discussion workshops, reading sessions, and rehearsals in preparation for the workshop concerts, reed work, or free time!

The Orford Winds Workshop offers an ideal environment promoting growth both as an instrumentalist and a section or chamber musician, by exploring repertoire rarely offered to young musicians during their studies, all of which under the guidance of an enthusiastic team of faculty members who are passionate about Harmoniemusik!

Stéphane Lévesque (Bassoon and coordinator, June 29 to July 22)
Born in Montreal, Stéphane Lévesque has held the position of principal bassoon with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) since September 1998. He has also held principal positions with the Saito Kinen Orchestra and the Mito Chamber Orchestra in Japan, as well as the Solti Orchestral Project at Carnegie Hall. Assistant Professor at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, Mr. Lévesque as been teaching at Orford Music Academy for over 20 years.

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James Campbell  (Clarinet, June 29 to July 5)
A Juno award winner and Order of Canada recipient, James Campbell has been called “Canada’s pre-eminent clarinetist and wind soloist, by the Toronto Star, “a national treasure” by the CBC and “one of the top half dozen clarinetists in the world today” by Fanfare Magazine. He has performed as soloist and chamber musician in over 35 countries with over 60 orchestras including the Boston Pops, the London Symphony and Philharmonic, and every major orchestra in Canada.

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Erin Hannigan  (Oboe, June 29 to July 5 )
Oboist Erin Hannigan is the newly appointed Professor of Oboe at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, a position she will begin in 2025/26. She has been the principal oboist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra since 2001, and before coming to Dallas, she was a member of the Rochester Philharmonic. Other orchestral engagements include those as guest principal oboist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Minnesota Orchestra.

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Julie Fauteux  (Horn, July 2 to 8)
Born in Sherbrooke, Julie Fauteux is an accomplished horn player with an extensive orchestral experience, serving as associate principal horn with the Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra since 1999. She has also held the position of principal horn with the Real Filharmonica de Galicia and the Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia in Spain. An experienced teacher, Julie teaches at the Conservatoire de musique in Gatineau and at the University of Ottawa, and she has also taught at other institutions including the Domaine Forget, the Banff Centre for the Arts, as well as at the Orford Music Academy. She also performs with the True North Brass quintet and with the Canadian National Brass Project.

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In addition to the what is mentioned above, the workshops also include:

• Chamber music coachings
• Opportunities to participate in one or more student concerts
• Networking activities with fellow musicians and faculty members
• Accommodation in double occupancy and three meals per day
• Practice studios equipped with pianos (available from 7AM to 12AM)
• Housekeeping, laundry (for a fee), parking, and free WiFi
• Free tickets for concerts at Salle Gilles-Lefebvre (subject to availability)
• Opportunity to discover the beautiful landscapes of Parc national du Mont-Orford, the majestic Lake Memphremagog, and the tourist activities of the city of Magog