Originally from Sorel-Tracy, Québec, Sophie Dansereau is currently assistant-principal bassoon and contrabassoon with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. She has played principal bassoon and contrabassoon in orchestras around the world, including the National Arts Centre Orchestra, CBC Radio Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia and the Québec Symphony.

Sophie obtained the highest honour given by the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec, the Prix avec Grande Distinction à l’unanimité in bassoon and chamber music and followed that with a Masters of Music from Yale University, where she studied with Frank Morelli. She is a winner of top prizes in the Canadian Music Competition, CBC Debut Series, Ville d’Averay competition (France) and Haverhill competition (UK).

Sophie is an active soloist and chamber music player. She has been featured with many orchestras, including the Vancouver Symphony and has appeared as a chamber player across Canada, and on CBC radio and Radio-Canada. Composers have written especially for her and for the group she co-founded, the Ad Mare Quintet, based in Vancouver. As an advocate for new music, she premiered Jeffrey Ryan’s piece Miss Havisham am Spinnrade for solo bassoon and Plumb for solo contrabassoon and chamber orchestra with the Vancouver Symphony.

Parallel to her performing career, Sophie is an adjunct professor of bassoon at the University of British Columbia, and is also a faculty member of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music and the Vancouver Academy of Music.

Sophie’s connection to BVBD….
Back in early 2020, Sophie had been engaged by the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival to adjudicate the bassoon classes. As we all know, the coronavirus had other ideas. In response to the pandemic, the bassoonists submitted videos and Sophie gave her initial adjudications in writing. She also very generously agreed to meet with the young bassoonists (all students of Jo Ann Simpson) online. Sophie gave a wonderful virtual masterclass. BVBD has been trying to get Sophie to join us ever since, and we are delighted that the stars have finally aligned.