André J. Roy

Appointed Chair of the Department of Performance of the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in May 2007, Prof. André Roy has been teaching viola, chamber music and orchestral studies at McGill since 1988. Following studies at the Conservatory of Music of Québec with Jean Angers, André Roy pursued his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he studied viola with Michael Tree and Karen Tuttle. His chamber music teachers included Félix Galimir, Mischa Schneider, Alexander Schneider, Gary Graffman, Joseph Gingold, Janos Scholtz and Isodore Cohen.

Upon graduation, André Roy was named "Assistant viola solo" of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and soon after "1st Assistant viola solo" of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Three times recipient of the Canada Council of the Arts, he has played recital tours in Canada, the United States and Europe. Very active on the Montreal musical scene, Prof. Roy has been a member of "Musica Camerata of Montreal" with whom he recorded the Fauré and Chausson piano quartets and was also a founding member of the "Caméléon Quartet", an MIDI - electric string quartet for whom he wrote several compositions.

A devoted and sought after viola teacher, his students have won positions in orchestras in Canada (Quebec Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra London) in the U.S. (Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic) and in Europe (London Symphony, Finnish National Opera, Barcelona Orchestra) many of which are title chairs positions.

As a String Quartet pedagogue, Prof. Roy has trained and mentored many of the fine young Canadian string quartets including the Lloyd Carr-Harris String Quartet (Grand Prize winner of the 2005 Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition and of the 2004 Sir Ernest MacMillan Award, Laureate of the 10^th London International String Quartet Competition and of the 5th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition), the Schulich String Quartet (Bronze Medal of the 2007 Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition) the Roddick String Quartet (Laureate of the 11th London International String Quartet competition) and the Cecilia String Quartet (Second Prizewinners of the 2008 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition).

Prof. Roy has been invited as teacher and artist-in-residence at Domaine Forget (Quebec), CasalMaggiore International Festival (Italy), Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute (Canada), Toronto Summer Music Academy and Festival (Toronto) and at the Orford Festival (Quebec), where he is currently director of the String Quartet Workshop.

Dedicated to the advancement of music, Prof. Roy adjudicates many competitions and serves on the board of directors of many cultural institutions.

In 1991 and 1992, he conceived and produced the First and Second "Symphony for Humanity", benefit concerts for the International Red Cross Society featuring the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, conductor Charles Dutoit, jazzman Vic Vogel and pianist Marc-André Hamelin.