Our Musicians

YI ZHOU
VIOLIN
Yi Zhou, who began violin studies in Mainland China, earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Violin Performance at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and then went on to receive a full scholarship with Professor Alice Schoenfeld at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. After graduating USC, Yi worked with groups including Los Angeles Opera, San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera and Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and Long Beach Symphony. Yi has played at prestigious Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Germany, and across Germany, Holland, Finland, Denmark, Latvia, and Estonia. Upon moving to Vancouver in 2006, Yi has become active in the Vancouver musical community and has been playing with the Vancouver Symphony since 2006 as an extra musician and has been a member of the first violin section since 2009. Yi has also played with many other groups including Vancouver Opera Orchestra, CBC Vancouver Radio Orchestra, Turning Point Ensemble, Vancouver Intercultural Orchestral. Yi has played in jazz and pop music projects with artists including Michael Buble, Josh Groban and “The Tragically Hip”.

MARY SOKOL BROWN
VIOLINIST
Mary Brown is a prominent Vancouver violinist and holds a prominent position in the first violins in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Mary has been featured as soloist for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and on CBC radio. As a chamber musician, Mary has performed with ensembles including the Vetta Recital Series, Music in the Morning, the Turning Point Ensemble and Trio Accord. When Mary is not on stage at the Orpheum, she performs and teaches at music festivals including the Festival Vancouver, Courtenay International Youth Festival, West Coast Amateur Music Society, Bellingham International Festival, Marrowstone Music Festival, Kelowna’s Festival of the Arts and the Midsummer Music Retreat.

ANDREW JAMES BROWN
VIOLA
Andrew James Brown, viola, is the Associate-Principal violist of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and was a member of the CBC Radio Orchestra for over eighteen years. A prominent chamber musician, Andrew has performed with Vancouver’s leading musical organizations, including the Vetta Quartet, Curio, the Vancouver New Music Ensemble, Trio Accord and Masterpiece Players. Andrew’s musical endeavors have given him the opportunity to perform throughout North America, Korea, China and Japan, but he enjoys the eclectic musical environment in Vancouver where his engagements have ranged from intimate chamber music performances to rock and roll at the Coliseum with members of Led Zeppelin. A former member of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Andrew earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at The College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati – studying with Donald McInnes, Paul Coletti, Gerald Stanick and Masao Kawasaki.

REBECCA WENHAM
CELLO
Rebecca Wenham has been described as a musical force of nature on the Cello. She holds degrees from the HARID Conservatory of Music, the Shepherd School at Rice University, San Diego State University and McGill and is Principal Cellist of the Vancouver Opera. Rebecca has performed across Canada, the United States, Mexico, Europe, Japan and Australia, and has been recognized as the Osaka International Chamber Music Silver Medalist, Rutenberg Chamber Music First prize and Melpomene prize, Bordeaux International Quartet Winner, 10th Banff International String Quartet Winner and the Canadian Commissioned prize. Rebecca has worked and collaborated with artists including Anton Kuerti, James Tocco and Menahem Pressler, John Stetch, Hugh Fraser, Dave Douglas, Common Sense Composers Collective, Cecilia String Quartet, Ana Sokolovic, Gilbert Amy, Kelly-Marie Murphy and William Bolcom.