Jan Amsel

Born in the US, Jan has lived and worked in Calgary for most of her adult life. She has shared her passion for music education by travelling throughout Alberta and Canada delivering interactive musical presentations that have reached over 15,000 students, teachers, and parents.

Recently retired from the First Violin section of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra after 40 seasons, Jan continues to perform, to visit schools, and to adjudicate and examine musicians across Canada and the US.

Jan Amsel holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Music in Violin Performance and Pedagogy from the Hartt College of Music. In addition to her years with the Calgary Philharmonic, Jan has performed with the Kensington Sinfonia, Alberta Chamber Players, Edmonton Symphony, Austin Symphony, Corpus Christi Symphony, and the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra. In the summers, she has performed at the Aspen Music Festival, the Banff Festival, and the Oregon Coast Music Festival.

While a member of the Calgary Philharmonic, Jan created and hosted a successful series called Saturday Morning at the Symphony, which introduced families to the world of orchestral music. She was also active in planning and executing CPO education programs, both as a member of the Education Committee and as a performer, doing education and outreach presentations at schools and many other venues, including homeless shelters, libraries, and nursing homes.

Jan is a Senior Examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music, and has examined and adjudicated many thousands of violin, viola, cello, and double bass students across Canada and the US in places like Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton, Winnipeg, New York City, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. She has also led numerous teacher workshops for both studio and classroom teachers on how to incorporate music into all parts of the curriculum. As an off-campus instructor for Mount Royal University’s Conservatory, Jan is an avid private violin and viola teacher, and her students have received many awards, with some going on to become professional musicians.

Jan continues to be passionate about sharing music with students of all ages. She is proud to be a teaching artist with the National Arts Centre’s Music Alive Program, a position she’s held since the program was established in 2006. Jan has done Music Alive presentations in over 200 schools throughout Southern Alberta and loves sharing wonderful music and the lives of great composers with students through a combination of performance and creative interaction. To date, Jan has done presentations for over 15,000 Alberta students.

Music Alive Program Options:

• Classical Composers (Possible composers: Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, or R. Murray Schafer)
• Cross-Cultural Experience (Possible themes: Music & Nature, Friends & Families, or Listening & Creativity)