Anita Walsh

Violin I

A concert violinist, community volunteer, and music educator, Anita Walsh joined the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra’s First Violins in 2022.

Anita’s passionate pursuit of great orchestral and chamber music collaborations has taken her across Canada, performing concerts with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, and as Principal Second Violinist with the Kitchener- Waterloo Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, and Orchestra London. In summer months, Anita has enjoyed engagements with Festival of the Sound, Stratford Summer Music, Festival Vancouver, Jeunesses Musicales Canada, Scotia Festival of Music, and Ottawa Chamberfest. She appears as both Concertmaster and Principal Second Violin of the Elora Festival Orchestra.

During the pandemic, a keen interest in community wellbeing led Anita to establish music programming partnerships with the Kitchener Public Library and KW Symphony. With the support of generous grants from the Metcalf Foundation in Toronto and the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund, she developed a framework for delivering music-led Social Prescribing Initiatives at the Symphony. She also produced a series of live recorded children’s concerts that reached a broad online audience, as far away as Zurich. Most recently, Anita has enjoyed volunteering with the Alzheimer’s Society and has previously worked with the Canadian Mental Health Association. She is eager to get to know her new community in Edmonton!