Steven van Gulik

Ottawa-born trumpet player Steven van Gulik joined the National Arts Centre Orchestra in 2009. He began playing the cornet at age eight, studying with his uncle Kenneth Moore and performing with the local Salvation Army church band.

Having won the National Arts Centre Orchestra Bursary in 1993 and competing successfully at many regional, provincial and national music festivals, Steven decided to pursue studies at the Interlochen Arts Academy and then at McGill University with former NAC Orchestra principal trumpet Douglas Sturdevant and Montreal Symphony Orchestra principal trumpet Paul Merkelo. An active chamber musician, he has performed in every season of Ottawa Chamberfest and can be heard regularly performing with Capital BrassWorks, an Ottawa-based brass ensemble. Steven can also be heard performing on CBC Radio as a recital soloist and chamber musician and on stage with various orchestras across Canada.

Steven was the principal trumpet of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and has performed as a soloist with the Thunder Bay Symphony, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

Steven was a member of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra from 2000 to 2007 and performed on international tours and recordings before moving west to become a member of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra from 2007 to 2009. He has returned to his hometown of Ottawa with his wife, Lianne, and their daughter, Maria.