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 thirty+ years experience teaching individual violin and viola lessons and group string classes at all levels. She was one of the founders of the Strings Program in the Edmonton Public Schools where she taught for 29 years. She adjudicates music festivals in Alberta and BC and has been an Examiner for Conservatory Canada (formerly Western Board). For 17 years she conducted the Trembita Folk Orchestra in Edmonton and conducted the Victoria Balalaika Orchestra for 7 years.
Mary has been a member of the String Department at the Victoria Conservatory of Music since 2005. Credentials and Training: Bornoff String Education Method Certificate, F.A.S.E. (Foundation for the Advancement of String Education), Boston, MA; Master of Education, University of Alberta; ARCT and LRSM – Violin, Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto; Associate of Music – Violin, Western Board of Music (now called Conservatory Canada), Edmonton; and the Juilliard School of Music, New York. Violin and Viola instructor for 25+ years for all ages and levels. Violinist with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra for 17 years; Adjudicator at Kiwanis Music Festivals in Alberta; Examiner for Western Board of Music, Edmonton; Band and General Music Teacher – Edmonton Public Schools; and violinist and violist with Tommy Banks Orchestra; Conductor, Trembita Folk Orchestra, Edmonton; Violist, Civic Orchestra of Victoria; Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra; Victoria Chamber of Orchestra; Concertmaster, Juan de Fuca Community Strings, Victoria; and Violin teacher, Victoria Conservatory of Music.