Orchestra in Residence

Paul Beauchesne
Tuba

PAUL BEAUCHESNE is Principal Tuba of the Victoria Symphony and teaches tuba and euphonium at both the University of Victoria and the Victoria Conservatory of Music.

Prior to moving to Victoria in 2005 he was tubist in Calgary’s Foothills Brass Quintet, touring across North America and working on numerous recording projects. He has performed with many orchestras including the Boston, Santa Fe, and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras. Two years as Principal Tuba of the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra took him to Durban, South Africa.

Paul is a clinician for Yamaha Canada and an instructor at PRISMA, an orchestral training program located in Powell River.

He holds a Master’s Degree from the University of New Mexico and a Bachelor’s from the University of Victoria where he was honoured as a Distinguished Alumni in 2011.

Merrie Klazek
Flute

MERRIE KLAZEK is a versatile and respected trumpet artist in performance and education. Merrie joined the full-time faculty at the UVic in 2016, after 21 years as principal trumpet with the Thunder Bay Symphony (1999-2018), Victoria Symphony (05/06) and Orchestra London Canada (96-99).

Performance highlights include Spoleto Festival Italy, Musik Contemporaire Strasbourg France, Tokyo’s Bunka Kaikan hall, Stratford Festival, Hungary’s Niyrbator Festival, and more.

Her solo album Songs to the Moon has been featured on TVO and CBC Radio, and Dance Around the Sun (soon to be released) celebrates the trumpet in settings of world music.

Presenter, artist and adjudicator at top international brass and music conferences, Merrie holds a BMus from her native Calgary and an MMus from Northwestern University. She is an endorsing artist for Wedge Mouthpieces, Bach Trumpets/Conn-Selmer, and Robinson’s Remedies.

Scott McInnes
Trombone

SCOTT MACINNES completed his degrees from the University of Toronto and the University of Victoria in music performance.

Highly sought after as a bass trombonist and tenor trombonist with orchestras and chamber groups across Canada, he maintains an active career as a touring, performing and recording artist.

Scott has founded many successful groups such as itromboni, Pinnacle Brass, Victoria Brass Collective, and others. Equally at home in classical, contemporary, jazz, R&B, folk, rock, and big band, Scott has performed for British and Dutch royalty, the Pope, the Dalai Lama, and other heads of state.

He is the trombone instructor at the University of Victoria and Principal Bass Trombone with the Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra.

As a composer and arranger, Scott has been commissioned to write works for large and small ensemble, and recently had his work Listen to Learn premiered at an International Brass Conference. It offers a white settler’s perspective on reconciliation and the work to be done.

Sam McNally
Horn

SAM MCNALLY has a Bachelor's of Music with distinction from the University of Victoria and a Master's of Music - Orchestral Artistry from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, UK.

He began his studies in Calgary with Laurie Matiation at the Mount Royal Conservatory and continued with Kurt Kellan the University of Victoria. In London, Sam studied with David Pyatt, Alec Frank-Gemmill, Sue Dent, and Nico Fleury.

Grateful for the opportunity to return to Victoria, Sam is passionate about making and teaching music. Sam joined the Victoria Symphony as 3rd horn in 2022 and that fall started teaching at the University of Victoria. Prior to Victoria, Sam lived in the Okanagan Valley where he played principal horn with the Kamloops and Okanagan Symphony, positions he is grateful to be maintaining for the 2022-23 season, albeit with a bit more travelling.

Additionally, Sam teaches at the Victoria Conservatory of Music both privately and with the Camosun College's post-secondary program. Since 2019, Sam has taught at the Penticton Academy of Music and continues to do so online, from Victoria. Primarily an orchestral player, Sam also gives regular chamber and solo recitals.

Barrie McDonald
Trumpet

BARRIE MCDONALD is a local amateur trumpet player from Powell River, BC who has enjoyed playing with a variety of music groups in Powell River.

As a young player he received a scholarship to study under Jerold Gerbrecht, (Longtime Principal Vancouver Symphony Orchestra) and studied classical trumpet with him for 5 years through university. During this time he was thrilled to play with the Vancouver Academy Orchestra and associated brass choirs and quintets. These were the highlight of his musical education and experiences.

After interests have taken him in different directions he has resumed music studies with multi-talented Walter Martella in Powell River and has focused mainly on learning some Jazz language on the trumpet.

He is very honoured to be returning to the classical idiom and helping with the Kathaumixw Brass Group again this year.

Adam Robertson
Percussion

ADAM ROBERTSON, born and raised in Powell River, BC, is a versatile drummer, percussionist and composer with strong West Coast roots.

In 2020 he completed his Bachelors of Music in Jazz Studies at Vancouver Island University and remains an active member of the island music scene as both a performer and educator.

Adam is thrilled to return to the Kathaumixw stage as a performer and orchestrator after five long years.