Soloist and chamber musician
Former first violinist in the Riverdale Ensemble
Joyce Lai enjoys a career as a versatile violinist, both as a soloist and chamber musician. She has been featured as a soloist with orchestras around the world, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Szeged Symphony Orchestra of Hungary, the Canadian Chamber Academy, and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. Locally, Joyce has been been guest soloist with the Stratford Symphony Orchestra, Etobicoke Philharmonic, Scarborough Philharmonic, York Chamber Ensemble, as well as the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra. Joyce is also an experienced orchestral musician and has subbed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, as well as led sections under the baton of prestigious conductors including Kurt Masur, Sixten Erhling, Christopher Warren Green and Vladimir Ashkenazy.
As an avid chamber musician, Joyce can be heard throughout the year in various chamber concerts both live and virtually in the GTA. She has performed at chamber music festivals including the Clear Lake Festival in Manitoba, the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Festival and the Pender Harbour Festival in B.C. In 2017, Joyce, along with pianist Erika Crino, presented a series of duo recitals featuring all Canadian works in Croatia, Serbia and Italy. These concerts were hosted by the Canadian Embassy in celebration of Canada’s 150th.
Joyce was first violinist in the Riverdale Ensemble, a chamber group that specialized in performing rare and unique works, as well as premiering new Canadian works. The Riverdale Ensemble’s highly praised CD, Twelve by the Moon-dial, was released in 2008. In addition to her performing career, Joyce is also an enthusiastic educator and has a private studio. She has taught at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Baptist University, in addition to giving violin clinics and sitting on the juries of various local competitions and art councils n the Ontario area.
Joyce holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Masters of Music Degree and Performer Diploma from the Indiana University. She is currently artistic director and concertmaster of the Canadian Sinfonietta, as well as conductor of the Canadian Sinfonietta Youth Orchestra Junior Strings.