Veronica Thomas
Veronica Thomas studied violin with Hratchia Sevadjian and Stephen Kondaks and was a finalist at the Quebec and Canadian Music Competitions many times over. She also took first place at the Prix d’Expression Musicale in 1984 and 1986. At 19, straight out of school, she won an audition for Solo Second violin with the Orchestre des Jeunes du Québec where she worked with such conductors as Simon Streatfield, Uri Mayer and Franz-Paul Decker. She also had the opportunity to be a member of the Jeunes Virtuoses de Montréal under the direction of Alexander Brott. Veronica has played with the Orchestre Symphonique de Trois-Rivières, was Solo Second Violin with the Laval Symphony Orchestra for over 20 years, and is Assistant Concertmaster with the Orchestre des Grands Ballets Canadiens. She has been a regular alternate at l’Orchestre Symphonique de Québec as well as with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa.
Veronica is a respected chamber musician; she was a founding member of the Ottawa String Quartet and was Assistant Concertmaster in La Pietà with Angèle Dubeau, with whom she can be heard on several recordings. She was Solo Second Violin in the Ensemble Appassionata and played regularly with members of the New York Chamber Soloists at the Vermont Mozart Festival. Veronica has been a regular member of the renowned McGill Chamber Orchestra (Orchestre classique de Montréal) where she has held the position of Assistant Concertmaster and Solo Second Violin. She was also a founding member and first violin with the Montreal Quartet who were quartet-in-residence at the Kincardine Music Festival for several years.
Veronica has recorded and shared the stage with numerous Jazz and Pop artists such as Céline Dion, Michel Legrand, Dave Brubeck, George Benson and Barbra Streisand, to name a few. She has also been a respected studio musician for the past 30 years, recording albums with numerous artists as well as music for television and film. Veronica also recorded and performed as a Tango violinist with l’Ensemble Tango de Montréal and l’Ensemble Tango Romulo Larrea.
Throughout her career Veronica has maintained a deep love for teaching and sharing her knowledge with both children and adults. She taught for over 15 years at the Préville Fine Arts Centre and spent several summers at the Kincardine Music Festival as an invited artist, violin teacher and chamber music coach. She has been invited to give masterclasses at several music festivals as well as at the McGill Conservatory string department. In 2014 she was a national adjudicator for the Canadian Music Competition, travelling throughout Canada to listen to and encourage some of this country’s most talented young musicians.
In her newest role as Director General of the Préville Fine Arts Centre, which was founded by her mother 45 years ago, Veronica has discovered a new passion. Using the knowledge, insight and contacts made during her years as a performer and teacher, she plans to guide this institution in a new direction, while staying true to the values that have been at the heart of the Centre for so many years. With her personal and professional connections in the arts sphere, she has been able to assemble a team of the best creators and educators. By encouraging their creativity and innovation she believes that Préville will grow to be among the foremost Fine Arts schools in Canada, while also ensuring that it will not only survive, but thrive, for many generations to come.