Biography
Neil has held the position of Second Horn with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra since 2002. He is also involved with the HPO in an administrative capacity as Operations and Personnel Manager.
A Toronto native, Neil grew up in a family that encouraged the arts. In spite of this, his primary childhood ambition was to play goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs. These hopes were quickly dashed however when it became apparent that he had absolutely no talent in that area. Searching for an alternative, he decided to study the French Horn, first with Scott Wilson and then with Wayne Jeffery and Eugene Rittich at the University of Toronto. Later he completed his studies with Ifor James in Freiburg, Germany.
Neil has been fortunate to perform with many orchestras across Canada including the Canadian Opera Company, the National Ballet, the Victoria Symphony, the Winnipeg Symphony, and Symphony Nova Scotia. He has appeared in a huge variety of musicial settings including the Music Toronto Chamber Series, Continuum, Array Music, the Esprit Orchestra, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, and the backing groups of popular artists including Brian Wilson, Ray Charles, Diana Krall, Dionne Warwick and the rock band “YES”. For many years he also appeared annually at The Festival of the Sound as a member of the Festival Winds.
Neil is thrilled to be a member of the HPO. He is particularly proud of the work that the orchestra does to contribute to the broader community.