Marie Bérard

Concertmaster at the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra. A sought-after chamber musician, soloist, recording artist and teacher.

Marie Bérard, violinist and teacher, is the Concertmaster at the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra

Biography

Best known as the concertmaster of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, Marie Bérard is also a sought-after chamber musician, soloist, recording artist and teacher.

Ms. Bérard received her training at the Trois-Rivières Conservatory and further studies took her to the University of Toronto where she studied with David Zafer. Other teachers include Lorand Fenyves, Sydney Harth and Nathan Milstein.

Ms. Bérard is a founding member of Arkel Chamber Concerts, alongside colleague Winona Zelenka. They perform a series of concerts at the Holy Trinity United Church in Toronto, inviting guests such as Jonathan Crow, Stuart Goodyear, Russell Braun and Amanda Forsyth.

Highly regarded as an interpreter of contemporary music, Ms. Bérard’s recording of A Paganini by A. Schnittke was voted “best performance of the year” by the CBC Radio audience and in 2002, she released a recording of a concerto by Henry Kucharzyk for violin and brass ensemble on the Opening Day label. Ms. Bérard is a regular performer at numerous chamber music festivals, notably the Mainly Mozart festival orchestra in San Diego, California, Strings Festival in Steamboat, Colorado and is on faculty at the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.

Ms. Bérard is a frequent guest soloist with the Esprit Orchestra, having performed “Time Chant” by Wolfgang Rihm, “Dedication” by Valentin Silvestrov as well as “Offertorium” by Sofia Gubaidulina and Schnittke Concerto Grosso.

In the fall of 2000, Ms. Bérard joined the faculty of the Glenn Gould School and the Taylor Academy in Toronto and is an active member of their chamber ensemble “ARC” with whom she has toured Europe and China. The ensemble has also recorded nine discs of chamber works, two of which have been nominated for a Grammy Award. Ms. Bérard is also on the faculty of the University of Toronto.

Marie plays a 1767 Pietro Landolfi violin.

Know More About Marie

Marie Bérard, violinist and teacher, with the musicians of Trio Arkel.

Marie Bérard, violinist and teacher, with the ARC ensemble. Artistic Director, Simon Wynberg, Erika Raum (Violin), Steven Dann (Viola), Joaquin Valdepeñas (Clarinet),
Thomas Wiebe (Cello), and Kevin Ahfat (Piano)

Teaching

Marie is a member of the faculty of The Glenn Gould School , The Taylor Academy , the music faculty of the University of Toronto, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Orford Musique, and the Music at Port Milford.

Arkel Chamber Concerts

Marie and Winona Zelenka collaborate with guest artists of international renown to present great masterpieces of the classical chamber music repertoire

Visit Arkel Chamber Concerts

ARC Ensemble

Marie is a member of The multiple Grammy Award-nominee ARC Ensemble (Artists of The Royal Conservatory), performing a wide range of music, its focus remains the research and recovery of works that were suppressed and marginalized under the 20th century's repressive regimes

Visit ARC Ensemble