Education
- MMus, Manhattan School of Music
- BMusPerf (Hons), University of Toronto
- Professional Studies Certificate, Manhattan School of Music
Biography
First-Prize Winner of the 32nd CBC/Radio-Canada National Competition for Young Performers, versatile Canadian flautist Stephen Tam is in demand as soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player, performing repertoire ranging from the baroque to the contemporary.
Tam has appeared as concerto soloist in recent seasons with the Canadian Sinfonietta, the Ontario Philharmonic and Northdale Concert Band. Past concerto engagements included collaborations with the Calgary Philharmonic, the Banff Festival Orchestra, the Toronto Senior Strings and Mooredale Festival Orchestra. His solo performances have been broadcast on multiple occasions nationwide on CBC Radio and on Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK).
As chamber musician, Tam has performed at The White House, the Hong Kong Government House, the Toronto Summer Music Festival, the Ottawa Chamberfest, Stratford Summer Music and Confluence Concerts. He also appears frequently in chamber concerts at the University of Toronto’s Thursday Noon Series, Western University’s Faculty Concert Series and the Canadian Sinfonietta’s Wine and Cheese Series.
Highly regarded as interpreter of contemporary music, Tam is a regular guest of the Array Ensemble, Soundstreams, New Music Concerts, Contact Contemporary Music, Toca Loca, the Toronto New Music Projects and 5-Penny New Music Concerts (Sudbury). Recently, he has recorded two digital EPs featuring the new flute music of Canadian composer Robert Lemay for the Centretracks label.
Tam regularly serves as principal flute with many orchestras around Ontario, including the Canadian Sinfonietta, the Ontario Pops Orchestra and the Toronto Mozart Players. He has also appeared as guest principal flute with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the London Symphonia, the Kingston Symphony, the Niagara Symphony, the Brantford Symphony, the Toronto Concert Orchestra, the Toronto Operetta Theatre and the Theatre of Early Music.
A dedicated and passionate educator, Tam is a flute faculty member at both the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music and at Western University’s Don Wright Faculty of Music. In the summer, he serves on the faculty at Interprovincial Music Camp (IMC). He maintains a year-round private studio in Thornhill, Ontario. Also active as adjudicator, he has been on the judging panel in competitions and festivals at the national, provincial and local levels.
Tam 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.
YouTube channel: youtube.com/@stephentamflute