Sessional Instructors

Darrell first played with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra as a section percussionist in the spring of 1980 while he was still in high school. That fall he joined the orchestra as Timpanist, and played for four seasons before moving to Winnipeg for his studies. He returned to the Timpanist position in Saskatoon in 1989, and has been anchoring that spot ever since. Following his studies in Winnipeg, Darrell returned to Saskatoon for two more years of university (1986-1988), during which time he served as Principal Percussionist for the SSO. As an orchestral percussionist, Darrell has played for numerous internationally known conductors and performers, Broadway musicals and touring ballets, as well as local choirs and theatre groups. Darrell also performs with other ensembles using a variety of instruments he has collected over the years. On any given weekend he might be found around the city busking, performing as a soloist on marimba, playing drum set for a local band, or performing the music of Central and South America on hand percussion. When Darrell is not performing, he is busy teaching percussion, both at home in his private teaching studio, and as Applied Percussion Instructor and Sessional Lecturer in Music Education at the University of Saskatchewan. His home studio is also where he runs a small recording business (Seashell Sound Productions). Over the years Darrell has helped many local artists record and produce their work. Darrell has also released two of his own CDs: Out of the Blue (2002), a collection of his own hymn arrangements, and Seashells & Turtles (1999), a collection of Mexican and Guatemalan folk songs for marimba which he recorded with this friend Scott Tunison under the name Rosewood Marimba Duo. Both recordings were nominated for outstanding instrumental recording at the Western Canadian Music Awards. Darrell’s performances, compositions and arrangements have also been recorded by CBC radio and featured on CBC radio Saskatchewan. Darrell is a graduate of the University of Manitoba (B.A.) and the University of Saskatchewan (B. Mus. Mus. Ed. and M. Ed. in instrumental music).

Erin Brophey is currently the Principal Oboe of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. Previously, Erin held the position of section oboe and English horn with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra for eight seasons. Erin is also an active freelance musician and has performed with many Canadian orchestras, including the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Regina Symphony Orchestra, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, the Charlottetown Festival Orchestra and the Elora Festival Orchestra.

In 2000, Erin received her Honours Bachelor of Music from Wilfrid Laurier University where she studied with James Mason. She completed her Master of Music degree at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania under the tutelage of Cynthia Koledo de Almeida in 2002.

As a chamber musician, Erin has performed in many summer festivals nation-wide including Festival of the Sound, West Ben Festival, Elora Festival, Stratford Music Festival, Tafelmusik Summer Baroque Institute, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, L’Orchestre de la Francophonie and the National Academy Orchestra. Recently, Erin performed at the Ritornello Festival with the Gryphon Trio.

Erin is a sessional lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan and is the Woodwind Coach for the Saskatoon Youth Orchestra. In Saskatoon, Erin co-directs a community double-reed band called Squawk, is active in new music programming and also teaches a private oboe studio. In addition, Erin is on faculty at the Inter-Provincial Music Camp in Parry Sound, Ontario.

Erin is the Director of a unique online oboe education program called the Oboe Path.

James Legge, originally from Waterloo, Ontario, moved to Saskatoon to take the position of principal violist with the Saskatoon Symphony after completing his studies at McGill University. While living in Montreal, James won chamber music prizes in the Jeunesses Musicales and CIBC competitions. Jim performs regularly as the violist in the Saskatoon Symphony Chamber Players, and has been a featured soloist with the Saskatoon Symphony, the Saskatchewan Chamber Orchestra, and Prairie Virtuosi. He has been a regular performer at the Calgary’s Mountain View Festival of Song and Chamber Music, Mountain View Connection, and Ontario’s Viola Camp, and co-directs Saskatoon’s Summer String Experience, a summer camp for young string players. Jim has a private studio of approximately 30 violin and viola students and, as a registered teacher with the Suzuki Association of the Americas, teaches in the Saskatoon Suzuki String Program. When not performing or teaching, Jim enjoys spending time playing with clay and a potter’s wheel.

Joey Zhuang is the Principal Flute in the Saskatoon Symphony and has been invited to teach at the University of Saskatchewan. She has performed in Canada, China, Scotland, and the United States, and taught as a guest artist in various institutions in Canada.

Recent highlights include fellowship with the Orchestra of the America, invited solo performance in Chicago, and guest speaking at University of Toronto. She was invited to be a part of Grant Park Festival, BirchCreek Festival, and presented in the National Flute Association Young Artist Mentorship Program.

Joey holds a Masters’ degree with full scholarship in Chicago while being a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association. She has played for renowned artists such as Leone Buyse, Marin Alsop, Stefan Höskuldsson, Cynthia Meyers, Lorna McGhee, Jim Walker, and more.

Joey loves working with people from different culture backgrounds and her philosophy on teaching is “celebrating the progress before the result.”

Joan earned her B.M. in violin performance at Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, and her M.M. in violin performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of music. She is a member of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra where she plays in the 1st violin section and has substituted in the Assistant Concertmaster, Principal Second Violin, and Assistant Principal positions. She is Co-Director of the chamber orchestra Prairie Virtuosi, one of the founders of the innovative genre-crossing group BeMUSed, a member of the chamber group Starry Night Musicians, teaches a large studio of violin students, is a sectional coach for the Saskatoon Youth Orchestra, and adjudicates for the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association. She is an active chamber musician and some of her performances have been recorded and broadcast by the CBC. She also writes. Her short stories have been published in magazines in Canada, the USA, and Israel.

Oxana Ossiptchouk was educated in Russia, where she received a Master’s degree from the Sergey Rachmaninov State Conservatory in Rostov-on-Don in Violin Solo Performance, Orchestral Performance, Chamber Music, and Pedagogy. Oxana was the winner of several competitions in Russia and performed the Mendelssohn concerto with the North Ossetia Republic Symphony Orchestra and the Brahms violin concerto with the Rostov-on-Don Philharmonic Orchestra. In Canada, she won the Saskatchewan Concerto Competition and performed the Szymanowsky concerto with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and the Regina Symphony Orchestra. Before joining the SSO, Oxana was a member of the Regina Symphony Orchestra and Principal Second Violin at the Timmins Symphony Orchestra. Oxana is Principal Second Violin for the Saskatoon Symphony and performs with the Saskatoon Symphony Chamber Players and the Elixir ensemble. Oxana taught violin at the University of Regina Conservatory Of Music and the Timmins Symphony music school, as well as the University of Saskatchewan Community Music Education Program. Currently, Oxana is the owner/operator of Saskatoon Conservatory of Music and teaches violin there and at the University of Saskatchewan.

Cellist Scott McKnight is an active performer and teacher in Saskatoon and throughout Saskatchewan. Though classically trained, he performs in a variety of styles, from baroque to jazz to flamenco. Scott is currently a member of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, but also performs with many other groups including Prairie Virtuosi, of which he is also co-director. Festival appearances include Prairie Cello Institute’s CelloDrama, Strata Festival, Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, and Ritornello. You can also find Scott under the stage, playing for productions of Saskatoon Opera, Persephone Theatre, and Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan. He frequently solos with choirs throughout the province including the Chamber Singers and the Greystone Singers. Originally from Ontario, Scott is a former member of the Ottawa and Guelph Symphony Orchestras. In addition to performing, he maintains a large private studio and teaches with the Saskatoon Suzuki String Program. He is a sessional lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan and adjudicates at local music festivals throughout the province. He is also co-director of the Summer String Experience, a yearly summer camp for young string players. Scott holds a Master of Music degree in cello performance (University of Ottawa), a Bachelor of Music in cello performance and a Chamber Diploma (Wilfrid Laurier University). When Scott isn’t practising, he enjoys spending time with his family, building Lego with his kids and snuggling with his cat, Merlin.

Spencer Krips is a Canadian musician living in the prairies in Saskatchewan. Active in the classical, jazz, and music theatre scenes, Spencer draws inspiration from all aspects of his musical background in his compositions.

Spencer is an alumnus of the Saskatoon Youth Orchestra, and also studied Music Education at the University of Saskatchewan, where he was actively involved with the U of S Jazz Ensemble, Wind Orchestra, and Greystones Singers. During his studies, Spencer performed with the Carn Davidson 9, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, and the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra. Currently, Spencer is an active member of the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra and the Saskatoon Brass Band, occasionally performs with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, and is the hospitality coordinator for the Strata Festival of New Music.

Spencer’s compositions have been performed across North America, including notable performances by the University of Toronto Hart House Jazz Ensemble and the Kansas State University Concert Band.

On November 12, 2021, Spencer released an album, titled “behold, the sonic universe”, featuring Fraser Krips on percussion. The album explores the relationship between nature, performer, and listener. It is available for purchase and on all streaming platforms.

Born and raised in Saskatoon, Stephanie Unverricht moved back in 2011 to join the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra as Principal Bassoonist. She began her studies on the bassoon with Peter Gravlin in Saskatoon and then continued at the University of Ottawa for her Bachelor of Music with Christopher Millard. She completed her Master of Music degree in Bassoon Performance at the New England Conservatory in Boston, studying with Richard Svoboda. Stephanie performs around the city in various chamber groups, including Prairie Virtuosi and her trio “Chicks with Sticks”, and is also a multi-instrumental member of a semi-experimental alternative folk music band, Minor Matter. Stephanie maintains a private studio in Saskatoon and a few surrounding rural communities, including Humboldt and Middle Lake.

Terry Heckman has been the Principal Trumpet of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra since the fall of 1991. He is also a member of the Saskatchewan Brass brass quintet, and frequently performs with many other ensembles. As a soloist, Terry has been featured a number of times with the SSO – in Purcell’s Sonata, the Trumpet Concertos of Haydn and Hetu, Copland’s Quiet City, Barber’s Capricorn Concerto, and Bach’s Second Brandenburg Concerto. Terry is a Conn-Selmer Artist, and plays Vincent Bach trumpets.

Terry has also established himself as a trumpet teacher, and a clinician and adjudicator of brass instruments and bands throughout the prairie provinces. Terry has been a member of the Regina and Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestras, and earlier played in the Youth Orchestras of Calgary and Victoria.

His introduction to music took place in the Regina Lions Band under the leadership of Bob Mossing, at Sheldon-Williams Collegiate, and at the Saskatchewan Summer School of the Arts at Fort San. Private lessons with Don Schultz and David Dando influenced Terry to pursue music at university.

Terry holds a Bachelor of Music (Education) from the University of Victoria and a Licentiate in Music (Performance) from McGill University. He has studied with Louis Ranger, Robert Earley and Howard Engstrom, as well as at workshops with Vincent Cichowicz and Armando Ghitalla.

Terry is married to Kim de Laforest, a very busy violin and fiddle player and teacher. Their son Hunter has taken to music as well, playing both fiddle and trumpet himself!