Biography
Acclaimed for his musical versatility and eclectic interests, violinist and conductor Stephen Sitarski was born in Oakville, Ontario. He received his training from Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music, the University of Toronto and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. His most influential teachers were Lorand Fenyves and Joyce Robbins. After holding the position of Associate Concertmaster of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, he took the same position with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and then went on to become Concertmaster of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. He is currently Concertmaster of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in addition to Toronto’s Esprit Orchestra.
He has performed as guest concertmaster for many Canadian orchestras and has often been featured as soloist. Composers Glenn Buhr and Kelly-Marie Murphy have both written concertos expressly for Stephen, and he has been involved in countless premieres of new works in solo, chamber, and orchestral forms. A former faculty member of Canada’s National Youth Orchestra, he is currently on the faculty of Toronto’s Royal Conservatory. As someone how experiences severe depression, Stephen has become an advocate and spokesperson for musicians’ mental health issues.