FLUTE SKETCHES (Mosaic of Flute Favourites)
Amy Laing, Cellist
Originally from Nanaimo, British Columbia, Amy earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton Florida, and her Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Cleveland Orchestra principal cellist Stephen Geber. While living in Ohio Amy was a member of several orchestras including the Cleveland Chamber symphony, the Akron and Canton Symphonies, and the Erie Philharmonic, and was active in the new music scene.
Ms. Laing has participated in various music festivals including The Spoleto Festival in Italy, Spoleto USA in Charleston SC, The National Orchestral Institute in Maryland, Northern Lights Music Festival in Mexico, The Banff Arts Festival, Musica Nel Chiostro in Tuscany Italy, and the Cork Opera Company in Ireland. Amy has made recordings for Chandos (Spoleto Festival Orchestra), Naxos (Toronto Chamber Orchestra, with Kevin Mallon) CBC records (Shauna Rolston’s “Dreamscape”) as well as recent independent projects with bassoonist Nadina Mackie Jackson and Guy Few, trumpet.
Now living in Toronto, Amy works regularly in orchestras in and around Ontario, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The Canadian Opera Company, Windsor Symphony, Niagara Symphony, Thunder Bay Symphony, Symphony Nova Scotia, and the Winnipeg Ballet. In 2006 Amy became the solo cellist in the World Premiere Musical production of “The Lord of the Rings” and has since performed in a number of Musicals. She is currently the solo cellist for the Toronto production of “The Sound of Music”. Between 2004-2007 Amy was a member of the Madawaska String Quartet, performing a broad spectrum of chamber music and specializing in the performance and cultivation of contemporary works.
Outside of the classical music genre Amy co-wrote a fringe theatre show with actress Jessica Lowry entitled Rhapsody, which they have performed in British Columbia. She has played and toured Europe with Toronto’s “The Hidden Cameras” and appears on recordings of several important Canadian singers including Jim Cuddy, Jim Guthrie, and Amy Sky. In the past year Amy joined in a Canadian tour with singer Colm Wilkinson and recorded a CD “Lush Life” with cello quartet “Lush”.
Amy is currently freelancing and teaching in the Toronto area.