David Thies-Thompson, Music Director
 Photo by Fred Cattroll for National Arts Centre
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Born to Canadian parents serving as medical missionaries in Kenya, David Thies-Thompson moved to Victoria B.C. at age 5. He joined the National Arts Centre Orchestra as a violinist in 1990. In July 2008, he became a full-time member of the NAC Orchestra viola section after playing in that section for the previous year.
David has performed as concertmaster for Thirteen Strings, Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, and the Opera Lyra Ottawa Orchestra and has been heard in recital on CBC Radio. He has performed chamber music in the National Arts Centre Music for a Sunday Afternoon series and New Music concerts, as well as at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival.
An active teacher, coach and conductor he finds great fulfillment working with committed amateurs, students and semi-professionals as Music Director of the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra, one of Ottawa’s premier community orchestras.
David was previously a member of Symphony Nova Scotia and began playing professionally as an extra violinist with the Victoria Symphony at age 15. He is an Associate of the Royal Conservatory and the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and furthered his studies at the Eastman School of Music, McGill University and the Banff Centre. He is an alumnus of the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.
He has been married to Jenifir since 1990, and they can often be seen shuttling their four children to their many activities.
David Thies-Thompson plays a 1997 Inokuchi viola on loan to him from the Pinchas Zukerman Musical Instruments Foundation for the NAC Orchestra. He also plays a Didier Nicholas violin from 1877 donated to the Foundation by Pinchas Zukerman.
