Dianne New

Principal

Violin II

Dianne New joined the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 1980 at the age of 18 and has been Principal Second Violin since 1988. Born and raised in Edmonton, Dianne started the violin at the age of three, in the first year of the Talent Education (Suzuki) Program with Yoko Wong, and then continued her studies with Thomas Rolston and Ranald Shean. She has had masterclasses with Rodney Friend, David Zafer, Franco Gulli, and Lorand Fenyves.

Dianne has been concertmaster of the Arden Ensemble of St. Albert, the Canadian Touring Company of Phantom of the Opera, the Congress of Strings under James DePriest, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada under Rudolf Schwarz. As an ESO soloist she has worked with conductors Franz-Paul Dekker, Ivars Taurins, and William Eddins.

Highly respected as a chamber musician, Dianne has performed and been broadcast all over North America. She was a featured musician for “Alberta at the Smithsonian” in Washington, D.C., where she performed at the Kennedy Center, Canadian Embassy, and the Opening Night Gala. As part of the “Alberta Scene,” at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, she played in the Schnittke Piano Quintet for the Brian Webb Dance Company. And, as a member of the Debut String Quartet, Dianne participated as a finalist in the 1986 Banff International String Quartet Competition.

Dianne has been featured in the CBC’s Wednesday@Winspear series, the University of Alberta Encounter series, the Edmonton New Music Festival, and with the Alberta Baroque Ensemble. One of her greatest joys has been performing string quartets in the many magnificent natural concert halls of the Grand Canyon, having been part of seven special 15-day rafting trips down the mighty Colorado river.

Dianne is married to ESO Principal Trombone, John McPherson, and has two daughters and a grandson.

Dianne’s career has afforded her an abundance of memorable experiences in many genres, but she adores collaborating with voices in opera, choral works, and musicals.