Martin MacDonald, Resident Conductor
Previous to this, Martin was the Associate Conductor of the National Academy Orchestra of Canada and the Brott Music Festival for three seasons. In addition to his artistic duties with the NAO, Martin managed the orchestra and played a key role in programming, artistic development, auditions, and coordination of the training program. Martin completed his master’s degree in orchestral conducting at McGill University in Montréal and his bachelor’s degree in cello at Memorial University in St. John’s. At McGill, he assisted the McGill Symphony Orchestra, Opera McGill, and conducted the Contemporary Music Ensemble. In St. John’s, he conducted several ensembles, was a member of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra from 1997-2004, and is an alumnus of the Newfoundland Symphony Youth Orchestra. Martin has studied conducting with Alexis Hauser at McGill; with Boris Brott at the National Academy; with Gustav Meier, Alexander Mickelthwate, and Michael Morgan at the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Conducting Symposium; with Donald Buell, Douglas Dunsmore, and Nancy Dahn at Memorial University; and with Michael Jinbo at the Pierre Monteux School. He is currently being mentored by Maestro Bernhard Gueller through his position with Symphony Nova Scotia. Born on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Martin is the youngest of 12 children. His training began at the age of six with cello, violin and piano. Martin has a strong Celtic music tradition and has toured with his family around Europe and North America performing at hundreds of concerts and festivals. At the same time, he had classical training on cello and was a member of the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra. Martin’s conducting activities have been generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. In June 2008 he was one of only two Canadians to be invited to the IX Cadaques Orchestra International Conducting Competition in Barcelona, Spain. He has also been a resident conductor finalist with both the Edmonton and Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestras. This past December, Martin was named to the Halifax Chronicle Herald’s 2008 Honour Roll for excellence in the arts. He appeared as a guest conductor with Nova Sinfonia in February and April 2009. In July 2009, Martin returned to the National Academy Orchestra of Canada to guest conduct two different programs. Most recently, Martin was in Milan, Italy to study with world-renowned conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula and the Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali at the Teatro dal Verme. Back to Our Orchestra |
Martin MacDonald is one of Canada’s most promising young conductors. In May 2008 he was named Resident Conductor of Symphony Nova Scotia, a position which is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. He has just completed his first season with Symphony Nova Scotia, where he conducted over 35 performances of classical, pops, and educational programming; toured the orchestra across the province; and covered all concerts and repertoire for Maestro Gueller and several guest conductors.