Biography
Currently holding the position of Concertmaster of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (since 2012), Stephen Sitarski is also in demand as a chamber musician, soloist, conductor, and teacher. He received his musical training at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music, the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, the State University of New York (Stony Brook), and the Banff Centre for the Arts. His principal teachers were Lorand Fenyves and Joyce Robbins.
Stephen’s professional career began in the mid 1980s in Toronto as a freelance musician. He eventually was promoted to the role of Associate Concertmaster of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, and subsequently held that same position with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (later promoted to Co-Concertmaster). In 1997 he was appointed Concertmaster of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, continuing in that position until joining the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in 2012. Throughout his career he has performed as a guest or freelance concertmaster countless times across Canada, in the United States, Mexico, and Spain. One notable event occurred in January of 2003 when Stephen was invited to perform as guest concertmaster of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for a pair of concerts featuring the iconic cellist/conductor Mstislav Rostropovich.
As a soloist, Stephen has performed with many Canadian orchestras, including the Toronto Symphony, National Ballet Orchestra of Canada, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra collaborating with conductors such as Andrew Davis, Bramwell Tovey, and Stanislav Skrowaczewski.
A staunch supporter and promoter of contemporary music, Stephen has been a regular member of Groundswell, Arraymusic, Soundstreams, Toronto New Music Concerts, Art of Time, and NUMUS ensembles, and has participated in countless premiere performances. As Concertmaster of Toronto’s Esprit Orchestra, he was the featured soloist in concertos by Xiaogang Ye, Alexina Louie, Alfred Schnittke, and Andrew Staniland (written for Stephen expressly). With the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, he also commissioned and performed original concertos by Glenn Buhr and Kelly Marie Murphy.
In addition to his frequent conducting and chamber music engagements, he is a faculty member at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music, and was a longtime mentor at both Canada’s National Youth Orchestra (for which he was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal) and the National Academy Orchestra.
Stephen has been a guest host of the CBC Radio program ‘This Is My Music’, in which he chats about his musical life and presents some of his favourite recordings. He is also the violin soloist for Canada’s National Film Board’s documentary ‘Fat Chance’, and the Hollywood-produced film ‘Being Julia’ (starring Annette Bening and Jeremy Irons). He was the recipient of the 2002 Kitchener-Waterloo Arts Award for Music. And he is also featured as the cover photo on the 1997 Manitoba Telephone System phone directory for the city of Winnipeg!
Stephen is an outspoken advocate for musician’s mental health.
He is married to fellow professional violinist Sophie Drouin, who is also an accomplished chef, and an internationally acclaimed mosaic artist.