Anna Karenina

The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra

Katja Wünsche and William Moore of Ballett Zürich in Anna Karenina.

The National Ballet of Canada is privileged to be one of the only ballet companies in the world to have its own full Orchestra. With over 60 members, The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra is led by Music Director and Principal Conductor David Briskin and has performed in each of the National Ballet's seasons since the company's inception in 1951. The Orchestra has toured extensively with the company through Canada, US and Europe. Over the years, the Orchestra has received much acclaim from audiences and critics alike and is an indispensable part of The National Ballet of Canada.

Music Director and Principal Conductor
David Briskin

Conductor
Julian Pellicano

Violin 1
Aaron Schwebel, Concertmaster
Lynn Kuo, Assistant, Concertmaster
James Aylesworth
Jennie Baccante*
Terri Croft+
Sheldon Grabke
Patrick Goodwin+
Nancy Kershaw
Sonia Klimasko-Leheniuk  
Csaba Koczó
Yakov Lerner
Joanna Zabrowarna

Violin 2
Jamie Kruspe, Acting Principal Second Violin
Aya Miyagawa, Acting Assistant Principal 2nd Violin
Bethany Bergman+
Xiao Grabke
Hiroko Kagawa+
Dominique Laplante
Jayne Maddison*
Wendy Rogers
Jung Tsai+
Paul Zevenhuizen

Violas
Shelia Jaffe, Principal
Joshua Greenlaw, Assistant Principal
Emily Eng
Valerie Kuinka
Johann Lotter
Angela Rudden

Cellos
Maurizio Baccante, Principal*
Olga Laktionova, Acting Assistant Principal
Marianne Pack, Assistant Principal
Mary-Katherine Finch+
Andrew McIntosh
Elaine Thompson
Paul Widner

Basses
Tony Flynt, Principal
Jonathan Yeoh, Assistant Principal
Samuel-San Vachon

Flutes
Leslie J. Allt, Principal
Shelley Brown, Piccolo
Maria Pelletier

Oboes
Mark Rogers, Principal
Karen Rotenberg*
Jasper Hitchcock
Lesley Youn, English Horn

Clarinets
Max Christie, Principal
Colleen Cook, Bass Clarinet+
Gary Kidd*
Emily Marlow, Eb Clarinet

Bassoons
Chia-Yu Hsu, Principal
William Cannaway, Contra Bassoon+
Thomas Roy-Rochette

Horns
Jessie Brooks, Principal*
Carlie Bigelow
Gary Pattison
Scott Wevers

Trumpets
Richard Sandals, Principal
Brendan Cassin+
Mark Dharmaratnam

Trombones
David Pell, Principal
David Archer
Luke Roussy, Bass Trombone+

Tuba
Sasha Johnson, Principal

Harp
Clara Wang, Principal 
Lori Gemmell

Tympani
Andrew Rasmus, Principal

Percussion
Kristofer Maddigan, Principal
Mark Mazur

Celeste
Edward Connell+

Piano
Zhenya Votort+

Orchestra Personnel Manager and Music Administrator
Raymond Tizzard

*On Leave of Absence
+ Additional Musician
‡ The Principal Flute position is endowed by The Herridge Family Fund.
△ The Principal Bassoon Position is endowed by The Herridge Family Fund.