The Musicians

Bassoon:  Anne Olscher studied with James McKay graduating with a Fine Arts degree from York University in 1978 and furthered her studies with William Waterhouse in London, England.  Anne has performed with numerous orchestras in the Toronto area including the North York Symphony, Oshawa Symphony, York Symphony, Nepean Symphony, Peterborough Symphony and was co-founder of the Apollo Chamber Orchestra. Anne’s background includes work as a senior director in the public sector and consultant to clients in the agriculture, financial, healthcare, manufacturing and real estate sectors. Anne currently has her own consulting company and resides with her husband on a small farm north of Havelock.

Clarinet: Helen Torney holds ARCT Diplomas in Piano Performance and in Piano Pedagogy from the Royal Conservatory of Music, Fellowship and Licentiate Diplomas from Trinity College of Music, London, England, an Honours Bachelor of Music from UWO, a Bachelor of Education from UBC and an Associate Diploma in Clarinet Performance from the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music. Helen maintains a private studio where she teaches piano, clarinet and theory. She is active as an adjudicator/workshop clinician and is a member of Canadian Music Festivals Adjudicators’ Association. She has been a member of the RCM College of Examiners since 1993 and is an Examiner of Senior Piano and of various theoretical subjects. Helen is a member of the Concert Band of Cobourg and has also performed for NOC , many theatre productions and in chamber music groups.

Oboe:  Gregory Ward is longtime principal oboe with the Northumberland Orchestra, and is a regular guest principal in Oshawa and Lindsay. A Royal Conservatory Gold Medal winner, Gregory is an active chamber musician on both oboe and recorders, and has been first call oboe for dozens of theatrical shows in the Northumberland and Durham region. In a quite different vein, drawing on his early years touring behind the drum set, Gregory continues to perform locally as a professional jazz drummer.  Gregory lives in Port Hope where he is a woodwind coach with La Jeunesse Youth Orchestra.