A native of Pickering, Ontario, Danielle Johannes has delighted audiences across the Greater Toronto Area as an orchestral and chamber musician for over a decade. As a guest artist, Danielle has performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra, the Winnipeg Symphony, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Kingston Symphony, the Niagara Symphony, and the Toronto Concert Orchestra. She previously held the position of Principal Oboe with the Guelph Symphony Orchestra and the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Orchestra where she performed the Vaughan-Williams Oboe Concerto in 2012. She has premiered and recorded numerous commissions and Canadian works and is featured as an English hornist on The Scarborough Philharmonic’s Canadian Panorama CD and on Colin Eatock’s upcoming CD with Sinfonia Toronto.

In addition to performing, Danielle has worked as a clinician with the Durham Youth Orchestra, the Etobicoke Youth Band, and high schools throughout the Greater Toronto Area. She performed educational outreach concerts as a member of Quintroversy, a woodwind quintet dedicated to introducing classical music to young people. Between 2017 and 2020, Quintroversy performed in over 80 elementary schools throughout Ontario as artists with Prologue Performing Arts.

Danielle has a Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, an Honours Bachelor of Music with High Distinction from Wilfrid Laurier University, and an Artist Diploma from The Glenn Gould School. During this period, she studied under Dr. Mark Ostoich, Sarah Jeffrey, and James Mason and performed in the National Academy Orchestra of Canada, L’Orchestre de la Francophonie, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Orford Arts Centre Academy Orchestra, and the National Arts Centre’s Young Artists Program. She is an alumna of the Kitchener-Waterloo Youth Symphony and the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Q&A WITH DANIELLE

What do you love about symphonic music?
Symphonic music has the greatest variety of sound and I love blending and creating different colours of sound with colleagues in the orchestra. I feel that the greatest wind writing is found in symphonic music and there is nothing more exciting than sitting in the middle of the orchestra and hearing the expanse of sound and responding to the energy of the musicians on stage.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Most of my spare time is devoted to taking care of my dog, Teddy. He loves to play fetch, swim, and occasionally ride in his doggy backpack on cycling trips. I also enjoy checking out local coffee shops and exploring neighbourhoods. I am very excited to see and explore what Halifax has to offer!

What’s your favourite food?
While it may not be a food, a constant in my life has been to drink many cups of tea each day. My family always has a pot of tea available, and my day does not begin until I have had my first cup of tea in the morning.