Steven Dann

Dann, Steven

Dann, Steven (Arthur). Violist, b Burnaby, BC, 27 Dec 1953; B MUS (Toronto) 1977. He began violin studies with Harry Gomez, and continued with him after switching to viola in 1970. Dann was a member 1969-73 of NYO. He studied with Lorand Fenyves in Toronto in 1972, and then with Robert Pikler in Sydney, Australia for seven months in 1973. Returning to Canada, he studied 1973-7 with Fenyves at the University of Toronto, where he won the Eaton Graduating Scholarship in 1977. He also took lessons from Bruno Giuranna in Italy and England. He was principal viola of the NACO 1977-80, the Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich 1980-1, the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam 1981-4, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra 1984-8. He was a member in 1974 of the TS, and rejoined that orchestra in 1988 as principal viola. Dann has also been an active chamber musician, performing with the Allegri, Bartók, Hungarian, Orford, and Végh string quartets. As a soloist he has performed with many orchestras in Canada and Europe and has toured Japan and China. For the Vancouver New Music Society in 1989 he premiered Louie's Winter Music for viola and chamber ensemble and John Thrower's Through Time and Space for viola solo; he also premiered Schafer's Rounds with Robert Aitken and Victor Martin for NMC in 1986, and Buczynski's Lyric VII for viola and orchestra with the CJRT Orchestra in 1991.