Christian Vachon

Christian has performed as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and orchestra musician in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Austria, France, Taiwan and Singapore. He has been featured in recital in broadcasts by the CBC Radio and Radio-Canada. He has appeared as a soloist with orchestras and ensembles in a wide repertoire from Bach to the World Premiere of Norbert Palej’s Double Concerto for Violin and Viola, including the Hopkins Symphony, York Symphony Orchestra, the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra, the Fusions Ensemble, l’Orchestre Leonardo da Vinci, among others. An active recitalist, he performs not only standard programs, but has presented lecture recitals, programs entirely for unaccompanied violin, as well as programs for violin and piano presenting cycles of sonata repertoire using both modern and period instruments. A passionate chamber musician, he was violinist of the Delta Trio, first violinist of the Fusions Contemporary Music Ensemble and has been a guest violinist at the Orford Camerata, Ensemble Prisme, the National Arts Centre Orchestra String Quintet, the Société de Musique Contemporaine du Québec, and others. Highlights from recent seasons in Canada include among others concerts at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, the Orford International Music Festival,Under the Pines Festival, the Opening of Bourgie Hall in Montréal, the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society, the NUMUS Concerts, Gallery 345, the National Arts Centre, Doors Open for Music at Southminster, at the Caledon Chamber Concerts, Toronto’s Music Mondays and the Concerts Ponticello.

Christian also frequently gives masterclasses and guest chamber music coachings. He has taught violin and chamber music at the Conservatoire de musique de Gatineau and the University of Ottawa, and has given masterclasses and guest chamber music coachings in universities, conservatories, music festivals and music programs in Canada, the United States and Asia, including several conservatories of the Québec system, the University of Ottawa, Tainan University, the Camp Musical des Laurentides, the Medicine Hat Conservatory of Music, the Young String Performers Foundation, etc., in addition to private masterclasses and workshops. Christian is presently doing a part sabbatical replacement for Yehonatan Berick at the University of Ottawa.

Christian holds a Bachelor of Music degree (summa cum laude) from the University of Ottawa, and a Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees from the Peabody Conservatory of Music. During his doctoral studies, he was the Graduate Assistant of the Chamber Music Department. He studied violin with Nurhan Arman, Mauricio Fuks, Calvin Sieb and Martin Beaver, and chamber music with Martin Beaver, Manuel Barrueco, Robert MacDonald, Marian Hahn and the members of the Peabody Trio. While at the University of Ottawa, he won the Orchestra’s concerto competition as well as the Jeunes Artistes auditions of Radio-Canada, and Ottawa in Concert auditions of CBC Radio. He was awarded the University of Ottawa’s Silver Medal at his graduation, and was inducted member into the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honors Society in the United States upon receiving his doctorate degree. He was also awarded two fellowships by Johns Hopkins University to assist in the inaugural year of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore.

Christian performs on a violin modeled on a 1693 long-pattern Stradivarius by award-winning luthier Guy Harrison. Christian uses bows by award-winning makers Emmanuel Bégin and Michael Vann, and period bows by Chris Zhang.

Blog Posts

2015: Oct.

2014: Jan. Feb. Mar.

2013: Jun. Jul. Nov.

2012: Aug.