The North Shore Chamber Orchestra (NSCO) is a community string orchestra based in North Vancouver, BC. The NSCO is a part of the North Shore Chamber Music Society, a volunteer-run, non-profit organization formed in the early 1970s. It has since evolved to include a string orchestra, a choir, and a recorder group – at one time numbering nearly 90 members.
The orchestra currently has about 25 members, and is conducted by Charles Inkman (see below), a professional cellist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Joe Trio. We are expanding the range of chamber music that we play, as members form string quartets – and a new viola da gamba quintet. These groups plan to perform in concert with the orchestra, as well as in smaller venues.
Inspired by our conductor’s kind and supportive manner in rehearsal, we aspire to be a friendly orchestra, as we welcome all intermediate string players (no auditions) of all ages to join us and rise to the challenge of ensemble playing!
We believe that music is an enlivening activity, and encourage our audiences to sing along with us in our Christmas concerts, and visit with us during our intermissions. Our concerts are a low-cost (or free) opportunity to hear live chamber music in a casual setting, and we’re honoured to provide seniors in care facilities with enjoyable entertainment in their own homes.
We enjoy encouraging young musicians to showcase their talents, such as 14-year-old Oscar Zimmerman performing Mozart’s Piano Concert No. 12 with us at our December 2010 concert, and Aydan Con, our 2014 season piano soloist, who played the Bach Keyboard Concerto with us during our 2014 Spring season (Aydan is now in his second year of a double major at U.B.C. in Music and Science). In Spring 2015 we were joined by a gifted young vocalist Gabby for our Sound of Music medley at our West Van Seniors’ Centre concert. In 2016, we had the pleasure of accompanying the very talented 11 year old Kori McLachlan for her solo rendition of Bach Violin Concerto in E.
Our own members are often featured in concerts – violists Bruce Irschick and Jack Downs, performed Telemann’s Double Viola Concerto in G Major with the orchestra in our Spring Concert on April 12. In fall (2015), we featured two of our first violinists, Donald Jiang and Mike Chiang, as we played the Bach Double Violin Concerto for CircusWest acrobats during the annual North Shore Trolley Dances performance, organized by North Vancouver Community Arts Council. In Spring 2016, Mike Chiang again featured in solo performances of Beethoven’s Romance in F for violin and orchestra.
Our Conductor
Charles Inkman has been NSCO’s conductor since 2007. Born in Vancouver, Charles is a long-time member of the cello section of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and has played with Joe Trio since 2006. He is a graduate of UBC, where he received his Bachelor of Music in Performance under cellist Eric Wilson. Charles conducted the premiere performance of Cameron Wilson’s Salmon Symphony in Smithers, BC. He is on the teaching faculty at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music.
Our Sponsors
The NSCO is grateful for the ongoing support given by:
- The City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver, through the North Vancouver Recreation and Arts Office
- The District of West Vancouver through their Community Grant Programs
- The B.C. Provincial Government through their (Gaming) Community Grant Program
- The North Shore News