A passionate performer, known for her “deftly realized” and “lyrical” playing (Globe and Mail), Sophie Dansereau is assistant-principal bassoon and contrabassoon for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Born in Sorel-Tracy Quebec, Sophie’s talent and virtuosity stood out from the very start of her career. In addition to winning top prizes in a number of Canadian and International competitions, she obtained the highest honour of the Conservatoire de Musique du Quebec, the “Prix avec Grande Distinction a l’unanimité” in bassoon and chamber music and was bestowed with the Governor General’s Medal for Academic Merit in 1992. She received her Master of Music degree from Yale University with Dr. Frank Morelli.

Sophie has been heard as the principal bassoon and contrabassoon in several orchestras around the world, including the National Art Center Orchestra, the CBC Radio Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonia, the New World Symphony, l’Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, as well as numerous major music festivals. She has worked with the finest conductors, including Bramwell Tovey, Seiji Ozawa, Robert Spano, Michael Tilson Thomas, Pinchas Zukerman, Alain Trudel, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and Charles Dutoit.

Sophie is a very active chamber music bassoonist and soloist. She is privileged to have had several works written especially for her and the group she founded, the Ad Mare Wind quintet. She has given many performances of Canadian chamber music, including Jocelyn Morlock’s Nightsong (bassoon and harp), Christopher Kovarik’s Quintets no.1,2,3 (wind quintet), Colin MacDonald’s Virus=Very Yes (wind quintet), Bill Douglas Trio no.2 (bassoon, oboe and piano), Rodney Sharman’s At Dusk (solo bassoon and chamber orchestra), and Cameron Wilson’s Huapango (wind quintet.) Her work as a soloist and chamber player has been broadcast nationally on both CBC radio and Radio-Canada.

Parallel to her thriving performing career, Sophie is adjunct professor of bassoon at the University of British Columbia and is a faculty member of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music as well as the Vancouver Academy of Music. A highly sought-after clinician and educator, she also serves on the faculty of Douglas College, the West Coast Amateur Music Society, and maintains her own private teaching studio.