Board of Directors AND Staff
Joanne Harada - Chair
Board Member since 2019
Born in Toronto, Joanne Harada was Vice President, Artistic Operations & Education at the Vancouver Symphony from 2002 until 2018. She worked closely with Bramwell Tovey, former Music Director of the VSO and current Artistic Director of the Calgary Opera. Among her responsibilities, Joanne’s position included programming concerts; overseeing education programmes, and commissions and residency programmes. She was responsible for planning and implementing VSO tours to Asia in 2007; United States West Coast in 2013; British Columbia in 2017; Canada in 2008 and 2018. Prior to her position at the VSO, she held senior positions with both the Winnipeg Symphony and the Toronto Symphony Orchestras. Joanne is currently working with Joe Trio, a Vancouver-based piano trio, to secure performance opportunities. She is a member of the BC Advisory Committee of the Canadian Music Centre. Joanne is also Artistic Planning Advisor with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.
Linda Siegel - Vice Chair
Board Member since 2021
Linda Siegel is Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology at UBC where she held the Dorothy C. Lam Chair in Special Education. She has also taught at the University of Missouri, McMaster Medical School, and the University of Toronto. In 2004 Siegel was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and held the university's Kerstin Hesselgren Visiting Professorship for the academic year 2004/2005. Siegel was awarded the Canadian Psychological Association Gold Medal for Distinguished Lifetime Contributions and the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties Eminent Researcher Award. She is on the Board of Directors of Teaching the Way They Learn, a non-profit organization that produces free materials to help children develop literacy skills. In 2021 Siegel was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Dyslexia Association.
A published author, Linda Siegel's most recent book, "Not Stupid, Not Lazy - Understanding dyslexia and other learning disabilities", was first published by Pacific Educational Press in 2013 and reprinted by the Intenational Dyslexia Association in 2016.
Linda Siegel is a lover of chamber music and opera, and an ardent supporter of Vetta.
Peter Kaiser - Treasurer
Board member since 2007
Growing up in Austria and living in Salzburg- the city of Mozart- must have been fertile ground for the development of a lifelong appreciation of classical music, especially chamber music and opera.
Since moving to Canada, Peter has lent his time and experience to many different causes, all of which had and have a close affinity to music. A Vetta performance to him is the closest to the perfect chamber music experience- immediate, up close and in perfect surroundings with matching acoustics- and he hopes to bring this experience to an ever increasing audience through his involvement on the board.
David Gurd - Secretary
Board Member since 2012
Dave Gurd returned to Vancouver, retiring home, after 18 years of working at national science laboratories in the southern United States – Texas, New Mexico and Tennessee. In both New Mexico and Tennessee he held volunteer executive board positions (president and vice-president respectively) with community music organizations that offered both symphonic and chamber music series. It was his interest and desire to continue this involvement that attracted him to Vetta.
Before moving to the US, Dave spent 20 years working at the TRIUMF laboratory at UBC. During that time he served on program advisory boards at both Langara and Capilano colleges, and for the Vancouver School Board.
Dave is passionate about many types of classical music, from opera to chamber, and he hopes by his role with Vetta to contribute modestly to an increase in both interest and availability of chamber music for both young and older in Vancouver.
Debbi Toole
Board member since 2023
Debbi Tool has lived on Salt Spring Island for 33 years. She and her husband own and run a small Mom and Pop resort on the island where they raised their two daughters. Over the years, Debbi has been a music teacher, (both school and private in her studio); a professional flute player; a singer; and an amateur performer on stage. Her interest in supporting the arts in and for her community is of paramount importance to her. She has chaired the Island Arts Society (ArtSpring) for 3 year, served on the Parks and Recreation Commission for a term, and presently serves on the Anglican Church Parish Council.
Debbi and her husband have been enthusiastic subscribers to Vetta performances on Salt Spring, and she looks forward to being able to support the successful continuation of Vetta performances on the island.
Les Tulloch
Board member since 1990
Les Tulloch has attended Vetta Chamber music concerts since their inception. He has also been a Vetta Board member for 25 years. Les is president of Sea Nymph Sea Farms limited. He is or has been a Trustee on numerous business and not-for-profit Boards such as the Underwater Harvesters Association, Vancouver Waldorf School, The Christian Community in Vancouver, Hands in Peace Canada, and the Foundation for Human Movement studies. His four children have all attended Vetta concerts while they were growing up. Les looks forward to his four grandchildren also attending Vetta concerts to enrich their lives.
STAFF
JOAN BLACKMAN
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
artisticdirector@vettamusic.com
Sarah ballantyne
general manager