Making music as a professional musician and practising medicine as a healthcare professional may not seem to have many points of intersection, at first glance. But, the connection between music and wellness, both for healthcare professionals and the public in general, is well known.
What may not be so obvious — doctor’s orchestras exist on the international and national level all over the world.
Andrew Loe, a student in UBC’s Island Medical Program based in Victoria, is putting together the Canadian Doctors Orchestra in what seems to be a first for this country. The non-profit orchestra will bring healthcare students and professionals from across Canada together to make music.
Their inaugural performance is set to take place in Victoria at UVic’s Farquhar Auditorium on December 20, 2026, conducted by UVic School of Music Associate Professor Ajtony Csaba.
Video auditions are being accepted until July 1.
LV caught up with Loe to talk about the initiative.
Andrew Loe: The Interview
Andrew has also been studying music through the University of Victoria School of Music along with his studies in the medical field.
“When I did my undergrad, I did a minor in music,” Loe explains. He took the courses that focused on performance, along with some Master’s level courses in music. “I’m still taking music courses at UVic,” he adds.
There are those who say that becoming a professional musician actually requires a longer period of training than becoming a surgeon.
“I have no surgical experience,” he says, “but I definitely hear that, in terms of becoming a very high calibre musician.” He points out that many upper echelon classical musicians actually begin their training as a child.
How did he make the leap from studying music to coming up with the idea of founding the orchestra?
“I think the biggest drive was actually my music teacher, my viola teacher,” Andrew says. Joanna Hood is an Associate Professor, Viola at UVic. She was aware of his love for both music and science. “She’s super supportive,” he adds. “She’s a great mentor and teacher.”
Hood also had a number of useful connections.
Violinist Terry Tam, a graduate of the Glenn Gould School, is currently concertmaster of the Victoria Symphony, and will serve the same role in the Canadian Doctor’s Orchestra. An accomplished concert musician, Tam is also an ER physician at Saanich Peninsula Hospital in BC.
“He’s proof of concept that you can pursue both,” Loe says.
Another example is Dr. Mark Lupin, a world renowned Victoria dermatologist who is also a concert violinist and chamber musician. He’s performed around the world, and is currently concertmaster of the World Doctor’s Orchestra.
The World Doctor’s Orchestra with conductor Stefan Willich perform Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem, with Fang Cai, soprano, Haewon Lee, baritone the Chor der Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln (Christopher Brauckmann, chorus master), and Chor des Collegium Musicum der Universität Bonn (Barbara Buncic, chorus master) on July 6, 2025 at the Kölner Philharmonie, Cologne, Germany
Hood introduced Andrew to the World Doctor’s Orchestra. The World Doctors Orchestra consists of about 100 physicians from several countries who meet up for several days of intensive rehearsals, followed by a series of charity concerts. The proceeds go towards medical aid organizations. It was founded in 2008, and began with 60 participants from 12 countries. Today, more than 2,000 doctors from 60 countries are members. They’ve performed 48 concerts globally, and raised more than 2 million Euros.
“They play at a high level,” Loe says. “That appealed to me because I wanted to do both. Once I got into med school, I signed up.”
As he looked at the bios of the sections of the World Doctor’s Orchestra, he was curious about how the members could combine both careers. “What do these people do? In my digging, I noticed that a lot of them played in their own national medical orchestras.”
Loe assumed that a Canadian Doctor’s Orchestra would already exist. But, he was surprised. “There isn’t one that exists already,” he said. That’s where the idea began.
“What does it take to start something like that? I started reaching out to some of those people on the world medical orchestra list,” he focused on the founding members like Dr. Miklós Pohl OAM, who founded Australian Doctor’s Orchestra. Pohl offered advice, including what to avoid. “Frankly it was gold. It helped me to know exactly what to do.”
Pohl’s advice included how to start — gathering the right people around him.
“Everything led one thing to another,” he says.
Canadian Doctor’s Orchestra: Auditions
Musical healthcare professionals can send auditions up to July 1.
“It is by video, but if people only have audio recordings, or group [performance] recordings [that’s okay too]. It’s for us to get a sense of where the collective orchestra is at.”
He’s not looking for a very specific level of playing, such as degrees or RCM levels, although obviously being able to read through and play an orchestral work is required.
“Truthfully, I think for this inaugural concert that is a question — what level do people have already?”
Loe says he’s been impressed by the level of talent he’s encountered so far. “Of course I think these people are awesome,” he says. “What we’re looking for is anybody who has a passion for music and works in health care.”
Larger Goals
The upcoming concert offers a point of motivation, but the reasons for joining the orchestra stretch beyond performance opportunities.
“I think for me, music is a form of recovery,” Andrew says. “I don’t think I’d be able to do medicine, or the gruelling hours that it requires, without having music on the side.”
In the healthcare profession, he says many people talk about having a “day of recovery” specifically to unwind from the pressures of the job. “The concept of active recovery — to bring that level of energy back to themselves.”
Orchestral music also brings people together.
“To give people a space where they have very likeminded people,” he says. As he points out, healthcare pros who are also advanced musicians represents a niche, but it’s a larger niche than you might think. When he started out with the intention of pursuing both, he felt very much alone.
“I felt like I was on a path not walked before,” he says. At times, he had to fight with university administrators to get into the music courses he wanted. “It would be special to find other people who’ve walked that path.”
Music is also a universal experience that has an effect on everyone. “I think it humanizes us. It connects us with everyone around us.” Music is about taking the focus off yourself and playing for an audience, he points out.
“I think that’s the overlap between music and medicine. You’re always giving of yourself. They have joy from giving of themselves to other people.”
Concert Preparations
Once the members are assembled, preparations for the concert will begin in earnest.
“We’re just waiting on the audition that ends July 1,” Loe says. “We have a few pieces in mind.”
He’s already assembled the core team. “Our Artistic Director is Ajtony Csab,” Andrew says. Csab is the conductor of the University of Victoria (UVic) Symphony Orchestra, as well as a professor of conducting at the institution. “Our concert master is Terry Tam.”
Brendan Schmidt, with a degree in Health Information Science, is adding outreach activities. Andrea Kenney, who is studying Psychology at the University of Victoria, is co-founder and treasurer of the organization. Irena Datcu-Romano, a religious studies student at McMaster University, and a published poet, is the Event Coordinator. Violist and educator Sophie Hillman looks after social media.
“We also have Suri, who is Events Coordinator.”
Sirui Li is a first year medical student, and, with an ARCT in piano performance, she is currently studying violin.
“The team has expanded quite a bit,” Loe says. “Everybody —and that’s the amazing thing about this — is that everybody is so keen,” he adds. “People are waiting for something like this.”
Sign Up
That enthusiasm extends to potential orchestra members.
“We actually already have 170 sign ups to be on our player list as well,” Loe says.
Interested doctor musicians can find out more about the orchestra, along with the audition link, [HERE].
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