First-Prize Winner of the 32nd CBC/Radio-Canada National Competition for Young Performers, flautist Stephen Tam has appeared as concerto soloist in recent seasons with the Canadian Sinfonietta, the Ontario Philharmonic and Counterpoint Community Orchestra. Past concerto engagements included collaborations with the Calgary Philharmonic, the Banff Festival Orchestra and the Toronto Senior Strings. His performances have been broadcast on multiple occasions nationwide on CBC Radio and on Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK).
As chamber musician, Stephen has performed at The White House, the Hong Kong Government House, the Toronto Summer Music Festival and the Ottawa Chamberfest. He also appears regularly in chamber concerts at the University of Toronto’s Thursday Noon Series and Western University’s Faculty Concert Series. Highly regarded as interpreter of contemporary music, Stephen has been a guest of the Array Ensemble, Contact Contemporary Music, Soundstreams, New Music Concerts, Toca Loca, the Toronto New Music Projects and 5-Penny New Music Concerts (Sudbury).
Stephen is currently the principal flute of the Canadian Sinfonietta, and regularly serves as principal flute with many orchestras and choral groups around Ontario, including the Toronto Mozart Players, the Toronto Concert Orchestra, Pax Christi Chorale and Cantores Celestes. He has also appeared as guest principal flute with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Niagara Symphony, the Toronto Operetta Theatre and the Theatre of Early Music.
A dedicated and highly-respected teacher, Stephen is a flute faculty member at both the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music and Western University’s Don Wright Faculty of Music. He also maintains a private studio in Thornhill, Ontario.
Stephen received his Master of Music in Orchestral Performance degree and the Professional Studies Certificate from the Manhattan School of Music, where he was a student of Jeanne Baxtresser and Michael Parloff. He also studied with Douglas Stewart at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, where he obtained his Bachelor of Music in Performance with Honours.