Pierre Yves Gagnon is native to Montreal, Quebec, and fluent in French and English. He has long experience as a viola and violin teacher in the Oakville area. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Viola Performance from the University of McGill, where he studied viola under the direction of Steve Kondaks. He further pursued his study of the viola with Ralph Aldrich at the University of Western Ontario where he received a Masters degree in Viola performance and Literature. Mr. Gagnon was a member of L’Orchestre des Jeunes du Quebec and the National Youth Orchestra. He was also principal violist of the Canadian Chamber Orchestra in Banff. He is currently a member of the Niagara Symphony and is a member of the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicators’ Association.
He was introduced to the Suzuki method while studying at McGill University and took his first unit at theGuelph Suzuki Institute in 1983. Since, he has completed all ten violin teaching units and has attended several institutes and conferences across Canada, United States and Japan, including two workshops with Dr. Shinishi Suzuki.
He is a regular teacher at the Oakville Performing Arts Day Camp where he teaches violin, viola, recorder and chamber music and is invited at different Suzuki Institutes and music festivals in Canada and the United States.
