Meet our Professionals

The Oakville Symphony employs a core of ten professional musicians. Throughout each season our professionals coach and prepare our members to deliver a high standard of performance. Click on the names to find out more about our professional musicians.

Joseph Peleg, Concertmaster
Wren Canzoneri, Co-Principal Second Violin
Norman Hathaway, Co-Principal Second Violin
William McMillan, Principal Viola
Jose Shapero, Principal Cello
Elizabeth Wallace, Principal Double Bass
Joan Browne, Principal Flute
Nancy Nelson, Principal Oboe
Heath Allen, Principal French Horn
Lorne Grossman, Principal Percussionist
Sharlene Wallace, Principal Harp

Joseph Peleg, Concertmaster

A native of Hungary, Joseph came to Canada in 1968 and earned his Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto, and later his Masters of Music from Indiana University, while working with Joseph Gingold. Mr. Peleg has also worked with the eminent virtuosi Joseph Szigeti and Nathan Milstein. He has performed solos and recorded, and played with chamber music groups throughout Canada, the USA, Israel and many European centres. As well as serving as concertmaster of the Oakville Symphony Orchestra, he is also concertmaster of the Oshawa-Durham Symphony Orchestra and the leader of the Contreras String Quartet.

Wren Canzoneri, Co-Principal Second Violin

Wren is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Philadelphia and was formerly Associate Concertmaster of the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony. A part time member of the TSO, Wren is free-lance violinist, recording for television and movies. He also coordinates the activities of Tor Music Entertainment, which provides chamber ensembles for corporate and private events. Most recently Wren has been instrumental in creating and acting as an agent for the Concert Party at the Old Mill series of 6 concerts, an eclectic mix of salon orchestra, jazz and classical artists performing this year at the Old Mill Inn & Resort in Toronto.

Norman Hathaway, Co-Principal Second Violin

Mr. Hathaway graduated with a performance degree from the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, where he studied violin with David Zafer and Chamber Music with the Orford String Quartet. Following his graduation he spent several summers at the Banff School of the Arts. He has been a member of the Stratford Festival Orchestra, the Hamilton Philharmonic, the Toronto Philharmonic, the popular ensembles Quintessence and Ensemble Vivant, as well as co-concertmaster of the Phantom of Opera Orchestra in Toronto. Norman enjoys his association with the Oakville Symphony and wishes to express his thanks to the people of Oakville for their unfailing support for this outstanding orchestra.

William McMillan, Principal Viola

Mr. McMillan has completed undergraduate degrees and postgraduate studies in music and education at the University of Toronto. A former director of the Inter-Provincial Music Camp, Principal of the North York Summer Music School as well as past conductor of the Halton and Sheridan Youth Orchestras, Pickering Philharmonic and Havergal and Crescent Chamber String Orchesrtas, Mr. McMillan is currently Curriculum Leader in Arts at York Mills Collegiate and active in writing and publishing music for strings.

Jose Shapero, Principal Cello

Mr. Shapero graduated from the University of Toronto with Bachelor and Masters degrees in cello and piano. He has been Principal Cellist and guest soloist with several professional and community orchestras. Jose has recorded for commercials and television shows including the CBC series, Street Legal. He is also very active performing in schools as part of the Meet a Musician program. Jose leads the music ministry at north Bramalea United Church in Brampton and Temple Sinai Synagogue in Toronto.

Elizabeth Wallace, Principal Double Bass

Ms Wallace studied at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto with the former TSO principal bass, Tom Monahan, and privately with virtuoso Gary Karr. She has performed as Assistant Principal Bass with the Atlantic Symphony and CBC orchestras in Halifax, Nova Scotia. As a member of the Atlantic Camera Trio, Elizabeth has performed at provincial and national functions including Royal Family visits. As well as freelancing with various orchestras, Ms. Wallace also teaches privately.

Joan Browne, Principal Flute

Joan Browne holds an Advanced Certificate (Masters) in Performance from the University of Toronto and is principal flute of the Oakville Symphony and the Celebrity Symphony of Toronto. She has studied with Jim Walker (Los Angeles Philharmonic), Doriot Anthony Dwyer (Boston Symphony, Tanglewood) and Jeanne Baxtresser (New York Philharmonic). She is also principal flute with the Celebrity Symphony of Toronto and guest principal with the Toronto Philharmonia and the Toronto Sinfonietta. This past season, she recorded with Janet Obermeyer on the release of a song cycle entitled “Songs from Greenhayes” by British-composer, John Laing and also on “Love came down at Christmas” with the St. James United Church of Toronto choir under the direction of Clive Dunstan.

Additional recordings include “Adagio ma non troppo” with harpist Sharlene Wallace, “Merrily Sing We” with the John Laing Singers and Youth Choirs of America’s live Toronto concert under the direction of Randy Edwards of Texas. She has performed as a soloist at the Fete de la Musique in Paris, the Festival of the Sound, Harbourfront, Oakville Symphony, the Oakville Chamber Orchestra, and St. Jude’s Celebration of the Arts and has collaborated with Mark Dubois, Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, Joel Hastings, Gloria Saarinen and Charles Demuynck. www.joanbrownemusic.com

Nancy Nelson, Principal Oboe

Nancy graduated with Honours Bachelor of Music in Education from McMaster University. She holds the position of Second Oboe/ Solo English horn with the Hamilton Philharmonic and is the oboe instructor at several universities and colleges as well as teaching privately from her home. One of the highlights of her career was her performance of the world premiere of “Divertimento #10 for English horn and strings” by John Weinzweig, written especially for her and commissioned by the Canada Council. She has performed as Oboe/English Horn soloist with the Hamilton Philharmonic, McMaster Symphony, National Academy Orchestra, Hamilton Chamber Players as well as many television documentaries and commercials. Nancy has had the privilege of working with many famous personalities including Andrea Bocelli, the late Maureen Forrester and the late Luciano Pavarotti, David Foster and Anne Murray to name a few. The Oakville Symphony is proud to welcome Nancy as Principal oboe.

Heath Allen, Principal French Horn

Mr. Allen completed his Bachelor of Music at Queen’s University and his Master of Music in performance at the University of Toronto under the direction of Eugene Rittich. He has performed frequently with orchestras throughout southern and eastern Ontario including the Kingston, Niagara, Kitchener - Waterloo, Oshawa – Durham, Royal Opera Canada, Brampton Lyric Opera and Opera Kitchener. Mr. Allen also performs with the Ceremonial Brass Quintet and coaches the Mississauga and Halton Youth Orchestras. He lives in Mississauga where he continues to have an active private studio and teaches instrumental and vocal music for the Peel District School Board. Mr. Allen is also an advocate for music education and is an active performer and organizer for International Horn Day held each year in Toronto.

Lorne Grossman, Principal Percussionist

Lorne is delighted to be principal timpani/percussion with the Oakville Symphony for the 9th year in a row. He is also the drum set player for the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. Lorne is the timpanist with the Hannaford Street Silver Band, Toronto Sinfonietta, Peterborough Symphony, Counterpoint Orchestra and Opera York.
This past summer saw Lorne playing “Hey Marilyn” at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Performing Arts, a "Led Zepplin" tribute with the Peterborough Symphony, a concert in Parry Sound with the Hannaford Street Silver Band and a concert with Opera York at the Aurora Bandshell
Future bookings include 2 operas with Opera York at their new home in Richmond Hill, 3 concerts with Counterpoint Orchestra, 5 concerts with the Hannaford Street Silver Band, NACO, lots of Christmas concerts. In his spare time, Lorne is teaching percussion at Upper Canada College and privately. Favourite pastime: walking his dog, Martini into the waters of Georgian Bay and keeping in touch with his four children and 3 grandchildren.

Sharlene Wallace, Principal Harp

Oakville native Sharlene Wallace is both a Classsical harpist and one of Canada's most prolific and influential lever harp players. She has won two international competitions, the Lyon & Healy International Pop & Jazz Lever Harp Competition (Tucson, Arizona) and the Concours d'Improvisation de Rencontres Internationales de Harpe Celtique (Dinan, France).Harpist, recording artist, composer, Sharlene has created five independent CDs featuring many of her compositions which have been influenced by her explorations in Latin, Celtic, contemporary music... and winter: the rhyme & the river, Journey of Shadows, Beyond the Waves, Island Mountain, and Anticipation (collaborated CD with flute/piano player Susan Piltch).

Sharlene has also been involved in commissions for the lever harp by numerous Canadian composers including John Beckwith, Bruce Mather, Evelyne Datl, Kirk Elliott, William Beauvais and a piece for orchestra (Kingston Symphony!) and lever harp by Rodney Sharman. Most recently, Sharlene premiered a piece at the 11th World Harp Congress which was written for her by Paraguayan harpist Alfredo Rolando Ortiz.

Sharlene tours internationally giving concerts, workshops, masterclasses and adjudications. She has performed in numerous festivals and concert series across North America and in Europe including The World Harp Congress (Vancouver, BC), Celtica and the Workshop Internazionale di Arpa (Italy), Musicora (Paris, France), Festival of the Sound (Parry Sound, ON), Harpcon (St. Louis, MO), and Vancouver Island Musicfest (BC). Sharlene is involved in collaborations with bass player George Koller, piano/flute player Susan Piltch among others.

Sharlene is also on the faculty of York University teaching lever and pedal harps. Her own Classical performance degree is from the University of Toronto whereshe studied with the eminent harpist Judy Loman. Sharlene is Principal Harpist with the Oakville and Kingston Symphonies.

professional-musicians - Oakville Symphony Orchestra