Peter Audet
Peter began his musical adventures on Jan. 6th, 1964 in his first rehearsal with the beginner’s band of the New Westminster and District Junior Concert Band. His first trumpet was that of his uncle, George Audet, one of the members of the family dance band. While still in high school, Peter joined the Musicians’ Mutual Protective Association, Local 145 (Vancouver), in order to perform with the Vancouver Symphony.
Following private studies with Ray Kirkham and at the Courtenay Summer Music Camp, Peter went on to UBC in trumpet performance, studying with both Ken Hopkins and Jerold Gerbrecht. Tuition costs, etc. were offset by regular work with the VSO and CBC Radio orchestra (an amazing experience working alongside one’s heroes!) and also a teaching position at the Community Music School (now Vancouver Academy of Music).
While at UBC, Peter also performed as principal trumpet with both the UBC orchestra and the Vancouver Youth Orchestra. During that time, Peter won the Vancouver Symphony Women’s Committee brass scholarship competition, a cash award which was applied to master classes and summer studies with Vincent Cichowicz. Following graduation from UBC, Peter went on to complete a Master of Music degree (perf.) at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. Highlights of that time were his studies with Vincent Cichowicz, attending many great performances by the Chicago Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic and Leningrad Symphony, and regular visits with Reynold Schilke at his trumpet factory in downtown Chicago.
Shortly after his return to Vancouver, Peter won the principal trumpet position with the Victoria Symphony. After the Victoria Symphony’s near demise in 1978-79, he left that orchestra for a trumpet teaching position at the University of Western Ontario. In 1980, Peter joined Jim Ford in the London Symphony (now Orchestra London) trumpet section. In addition to his work with OLC (including two seasons as acting principal) and at Western, Peter has performed with orchestras in Hamilton, Kitchener, Windsor, Brantford, Huron County Playhouse and the Stratford Festival. Peter has been an instructor/artist at summer festivals from Courtenay, B.C. to Wolfville, N.S. He has served as both Chair and Treasurer of the OLC Players Committee, OLC board rep, as well as OLC musician member of several search committees for Executive Director and Music Director. His many and diverse interests have over the years included tennis, golf, skiing, sailing, cycling, back-packing, audio recording, car restoration, photography, sci-fi/fantasy and the Oakridge Optimist soccer executive committee.
Peter’s wife (Regina) also performs with Orchestra London, daughter Gillian is a recent Western graduate in Kinesiology and son Jonathan currently attends Western’s Nursing program.
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