Fiona McCairley was born in Scotland and began her musical journey playing violin at age 8. She came to Canada at age 12, and studied violin with Daphne Hughes for two years, soon after she began playing clarinet. Favouring the clarinet over violin, it became her main instrument and she went on to obtain a degree in music (performance) at Wilfrid Laurier University, studying under Victor Sawa, Pauline Minevich, and Ross Edwards, as well as taking chamber music courses with members of the Penderecki Quartet. She was also chosen to perform a masterclass with James Campbell, Canada's leading clarinetist. She has played with the Guelph Youth Orchestra, the Wilfrid Laurier University Orchestra, was Concertmistress of the WLU Wind Ensemble, and while living in France from 1998 to 2000 played with the Bourge en Bresse Symphony Orchestra. She joined the Guelph Symphony Orchestra in February 2005, after being pleasantly surprised to see that Guelph had such an option! Fiona lives in Guelph with her husband and two daughters, and still dabbles in a little fiddle and mandolin playing.
Fiona McCairley was born in Scotland and began her musical journey playing violin at age 8. She came to Canada at age 12, and studied violin with Daphne Hughes for two years, soon after she began playing clarinet. Favouring the clarinet over violin, it became her main instrument and she went on to obtain a degree in music (performance) at Wilfrid Laurier University, studying under Victor Sawa, Pauline Minevich, and Ross Edwards, as well as taking chamber music courses with members of the Penderecki Quartet. She was also chosen to perform a masterclass with James Campbell, Canada's leading clarinetist. She has played with the Guelph Youth Orchestra, the Wilfrid Laurier University Orchestra, was Concertmistress of the WLU Wind Ensemble, and while living in France from 1998 to 2000 played with the Bourge en Bresse Symphony Orchestra. She joined the Guelph Symphony Orchestra in February 2005, after being pleasantly surprised to see that Guelph had such an option! Fiona lives in Guelph with her husband and two daughters, and still dabbles in a little fiddle and mandolin playing.
