Saturday, October 15, 2022
at 7:00 PM
True North Brass
David Pell (trombone)
Julie Fauteux (horn)
Karen Donnelly (trumpet)
Stéphane Beaulac (trumpet)
Sasha Johnson (tuba)
Presented in collaboration with Debut Atlantic
In 2018, the True North Brass reemerged onto the Canadian and international concert stage with new membership, a new sound, and new repertoire, reestablishing itself as one of the world's finest brass ensembles.
For over twenty years the True North Brass has been a fixture on the landscape of brass chamber music. The new True North Brass, representing some of Canada's most prominent orchestral brass players, carries on this tradition, equally at home in recital, in music education, or collaborating with symphony orchestras.
Recent concerts have included the Prince Edward County and Waterside Music Festivals in Ontario in 2019, and a live-
Committed to their role in music education, since the global pandemic has forced music education online, the True North Brass has given digital masterclasses for brass students at the University of Toronto and the University of Manitoba, and is scheduled to give live residencies at the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia as part of their Western Canada tour in 2022. In 2018, the True North Brass was invited by the National Youth Orchestra of Canada to be their official Faculty Brass Quintet in residence. They have given masterclasses, seminars and performed recitals in this role, and will be joining their 2021 Metamorphosis online orchestra academy.
Karen Donnelly, Trumpet
Following three successful seasons (1996-
A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, Karen picked up a trumpet for the first time in her elementary school band program and she was hooked. Her formal training includes a Bachelor of Arts in Music program at the University of Regina and later a Master’s of Music from McGill University.
Karen held the position of Principal Trumpet with Orchestra London (Canada) from 1994-
Since she burst on the Ottawa scene in 1996, Ms. Donnelly has done concerts and interviews for CBC (French and English), performances with the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, Rideau Lakes Brass Quintet, and the large ensemble, Capital BrassWorks. In 2008, Capital BrassWorks released its third album, “Gabriel’s Sister” featuring Ms. Donnelly as soloist.
Karen has been featured with professional orchestras, community amateur orchestras, and many local school bands. These include the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra, Kingston Symphony, Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra London, Hannaford Silver Street Band, Maple Leaf Brass Band, Parkdale Orchestra and the Regina Catholic Schools Honour Band.
Music education has always been, and continues to be, very close to Karen’s heart. Her work with the Rideau Lakes Brass Quintet and Capital BrassWorks creates opportunities for educational concerts and workshops in schools. Through the NAC Music Education programs, Karen has given master classes in Switzerland, Mexico, China, United States, United Kingdom and Canada from coast to coast. Ms. Donnelly joined the teaching staff at the University of Ottawa in 2002, and since 2009, Karen has been assisting with the Leadingnote OrKidstra program.
Stéphane Beaulac, Trumpet
Stéphane Beaulac in one of the leading solo, chamber music, and orchestral trumpet players in North America. As an orchestral musician, he has held the position of principal trumpet with the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal directed by Yannick Nézet-
He has taken part in many recordings, including with the Orchestre Métropolitain under Yannick Nézet-
Julie Fauteux, Horn
Julie Fauteux, born in Sherbrooke, Quebec, joined the NAC Orchestra in 1999 as associate principal horn. She studied at the Montreal Conservatory with James Somerville, where she finished with a “Premier Prix”.
Immediately after the end of her studies, at age 21, she was appointed principal horn of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia in Spain, and later on in the Real Filharmonica de Galicia, also as principal horn, where she remained until coming to Ottawa in 1999.
Julie has played with numerous orchestras as soloist, including l’Orchestre Symphonique de Sherbrooke, and the Real Filharmonica de Galicia, and won the First Prize in the brass category at the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec music competition. She was also a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada for three years. Julie’s orchestral career also included being invited in 1998 to play some concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Mariss Jansons.
Aside from orchestral playing, Julie also enjoys chamber music and teaching. She teaches horn at the Conservatoire de Musique de Gatineau and in Spain taught at the Academy of the “Real Filharmonica de Galicia”. She was a member of the faculty at the Banff Centre in the summer of 2006. She also takes part regularly in the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival.
David Pell, Trombone
David Pell, B.Mus., M.Mus. DMA (ABD) has been Principal Trombonist of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra since 2002 and Bass Trombonist of the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra since 2006. He has also been a member of the Winnipeg Symphony, the Victoria Symphony and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Touring Orchestra. He is a member of Toronto’s Esprit Orchestra and performs regularly on trombone, bass trumpet and euphonium with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, and New Music Concerts. He has also performed with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Brass, and the Stockholm Chamber Brass.
David is Artistic Director of the renowned Hannaford Street Silver Band and is member of the True North Brass Quintet and the Canadian National Brass Project. He is also on faculty at the Glenn Gould Professional School of the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Sasha Johnson, Tuba
Sasha Johnson began his musical training at age 16, studying brass chamber music and tuba with Sam Pilafian at the Empire Brass Seminar of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Following his undergraduate studies in Toronto and New York, Sasha was the first Canadian tuba player to be accepted to the Von Karajan Academy, the orchestra academy of the Berlin Philharmonic.
Having begun his professional career in Berlin, Sasha went on to perform with many other European orchestras including the Berlin Symphony, Berlin State Opera, Radio Orchestra Berlin, Orchestre Symphonique de Radio France, Orchestre de Paris, Ensemble Modern, and Orchestre National Bordeaux. He has performed in such music festivals and concert venues as the Lucerne Festival, Festival d’Aix en Provence, Concertgebouw, Wiener Konzerthaus, Theatre Champs-
Sasha is tuba faculty at the Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School of Music, and instructor of tuba, low brass, and chamber music at McGill University and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. In January 2009, he was appointed principal tuba of the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, where he continues today. Sasha was acting principal tuba of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for their 2009/2010, has performed regularly with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, with whom he toured to Europe, Japan and Carnegie Hall, and recently completed the 2019/20 season as acting principal tuba of the Canadian Opera Company.
In 2015, with conductor and hornist James Sommerville, Sasha founded the Canadian National Brass Project. Their first self-
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