Our Current Members

Harwood (Woody) Reimer grew up surrounded by the sounds of piano and violin in his parents' home music studio. Classically trained in piano at an early age he departed from music studies in high school in favour of athletic endeavors. More than two decades later he started taking violin lessons along with his daughter. For him the pursuit of sports, vocation in medicine and Christian family life are all enriched by music, which is a source of both listening and recreational pleasure. He has enjoyed playing in the Cowichan Camerata string orchestra since its formation.

Ian Evans was introduced to the violin by his dad who convinced him to begin playing at age 43. He has more recently been studying with Garth Williams for several years and enjoys playing in his orchestra. After many years as a carpenter and boat builder he now enjoys building and restoring violins.

Carolina Vazquez started her musical studies on the piano and began taking lessons with Christine Dandy when she was 6. At age 8, she expressed an interest in learning violin as well and has been studying at home ever since. Carolina also enjoys attending classical music concerts, participating in local music festivals and singing in her church’s children’s choir.

Eleanor Montour is a retired teacher-librarian who enjoyed playing the piano and singing in choirs in her youth. For her 60th birthday project she started learning to play her grandfather's 100-year-old violin, and for her 65th birthday she switched to the viola. She loves playing in the Camerata orchestra, making new friends and learning different types of music.

Valorie Masuda

Valorie has been playing piano since early years. She focused on voice training for 15 years and continued piano lessons. After learning to play viola with her family, she enjoyed playing trios with her two sons (one on violin and one cello). The three played in the Camerata 10 years ago but the boys are now off to university. The family tradition continues with her husband taking up the double bass and her youngest daughter joining in with cello. There's nothing better than getting together every week and playing with others!

Madelaine McLeod

Kenna Botterell grew up in Vancouver where she was classically trained in piano and voice. She has sung in church and community choirs and continues to teach voice and piano privately. In 2012 Kenna began taking cello lessons at Nanaimo Conservatory of Music. 2018-19 is her first year with the Cowichan Camerata Orchestra and she remarks, "I am enjoying it."

Nancy Fagan started playing stringed instruments as a child and has continued within the string family except for a couple of years at age 14-15 when she tried out the tenor sax, played in a marching band, and took skydiving lessons. She started with the violin and moved on to the viola and graduated from the music program at Vancouver Community College as a violist in the 1980s. Having wanted to try the cello for some time the opportunity finally arose in 2016 when in Saskatoon while caring for her father, whose life revolved around music. She has been playing cello ever since. Nancy joined the Cowichan Camerata String Orchestra in 2018 and has remarked, "I’ve played in orchestras since childhood, and I must say that my time in the CCSO has been one of the most satisfying to date." She credits director Chris Redsell for giving the orchestra so much of his time in fun and educational ways.

Alan J. Moore

Alan joined the orchestra in 2015, having taken up the upright bass a year before. A life-long lover of music of many kinds, he was always drawn to the underpinnings of music, including percussion and bass and was a longtime fan of Geddy Lee, the bassist of the rock band Rush. Prodded on by his very musical wife, and with distinct wifely direction of 'nothing electric' Alan started lessons in the upright bass and now works hard at keeping up with the very talented musicians of the orchestra.