Intermezzo Session #2

with Dr. Rick Dorfer

Session Description:

How do we help Suzuki trained students feel ready for a meaningful and confident orchestral experience? In this interactive session, we will look at the strengths students often develop naturally through Suzuki training and consider how those strengths can support them in an orchestral setting. We will also identify the skills that may need to be introduced, nurtured, and developed more intentionally as students move into orchestral experiences. Through discussion and practical examples, teachers will explore ways to bridge these environments with care and purpose. Participants will leave with concrete ideas for helping students feel prepared, flexible, and joyful as they enter larger ensemble settings.

Presenter Bio:

Dr. Rick Dorfer is a versatile violinist, conductor, and educator based in Surrey, British Columbia. He is a member of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and teaches at Capilano University and at his studio in South Surrey. With extensive experience adjudicating music festivals and leading masterclasses across Western Canada, Rick is passionate about nurturing the next generation of musicians and is still a Suzuki kid at heart.
Rick conducts the Instrumental Ensemble at Capilano University. For two decades, he conducted with the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra and Surrey Youth Orchestra programs. He is also a Strings Examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music and Artistic Director of Music, Meadows & Mountains, a summer music camp on Pender Island. Rick earned an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Washington.