{"id":125290,"date":"2026-06-19T15:54:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T19:54:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=125290"},"modified":"2026-06-21T02:00:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T06:00:02","slug":"interview-andrew-loe-talks-canadian-doctors-orchestra-auditions-open-july-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/06\/19\/interview-andrew-loe-talks-canadian-doctors-orchestra-auditions-open-july-1\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW |  Andrew Loe Talks About The Canadian Doctor\u2019s Orchestra \u2014 Auditions Open To July 1"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_125292\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-125292\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-125292\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-06-19T155134.917.jpg\" alt=\"Med student \u2014 and violist \u2014 Andrew Loe (Photo courtesy of the artist)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-06-19T155134.917.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-06-19T155134.917-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-06-19T155134.917-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-06-19T155134.917-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-125292\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Med student \u2014 and violist \u2014 Andrew Loe (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>What may not be so obvious \u2014 doctor\u2019s orchestras exist on the international and national level all over the world.<\/p>\n<p>Andrew Loe, a student in UBC\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>Their inaugural performance is set to take place in Victoria at UVic\u2019s Farquhar Auditorium on December 20, 2026, conducted by UVic School of Music Associate Professor Ajtony Csaba.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Video auditions<\/strong> are being accepted until <strong>July 1<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>LV caught up with Loe to talk about the initiative.<\/p>\n<h2>Andrew Loe: The Interview<\/h2>\n<p>Andrew has also been studying music through the University of Victoria School of Music along with his studies in the medical field.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I did my undergrad, I did a minor in music,\u201d Loe explains. He took the courses that focused on performance, along with some Master\u2019s level courses in music. \u201cI&#8217;m still taking music courses at UVic,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p>There are those who say that becoming a professional musician actually requires a longer period of training than becoming a surgeon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have no surgical experience,\u201d he says, \u201cbut I definitely hear that, in terms of becoming a very high calibre musician.\u201d He points out that many upper echelon classical musicians actually begin their training as a child.<\/p>\n<p>How did he make the leap from studying music to coming up with the idea of founding the orchestra?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the biggest drive was actually my music teacher, my viola teacher,\u201d Andrew says. Joanna Hood is an Associate Professor, Viola at UVic. She was aware of his love for both music and science. \u201cShe&#8217;s super supportive,\u201d he adds. \u201cShe&#8217;s a great mentor and teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hood also had a number of useful connections.<\/p>\n<p>Violinist <strong>Terry Tam<\/strong>, a graduate of the Glenn Gould School, is currently concertmaster of the Victoria Symphony, and will serve the same role in the Canadian Doctor\u2019s Orchestra. An accomplished concert musician, Tam is also an ER physician at Saanich Peninsula Hospital in BC.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe&#8217;s proof of concept that you can pursue both,\u201d Loe says.<\/p>\n<p>Another example is Dr. <strong>Mark Lupin<\/strong>, a world renowned Victoria dermatologist who is also a concert violinist and chamber musician. He\u2019s performed around the world, and is currently concertmaster of the World Doctor\u2019s Orchestra.<\/p>\n<p>The World Doctor\u2019s Orchestra with conductor Stefan Willich perform Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem, with Fang Cai, soprano, Haewon Lee, baritone the Chor der Hochschule f\u00fcr Musik und Tanz K\u00f6ln (Christopher Brauckmann, chorus master), and Chor des Collegium Musicum der Universit\u00e4t Bonn (Barbara Buncic, chorus master) on July 6, 2025 at the K\u00f6lner Philharmonie, Cologne, Germany<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mW9YCtjhmrg?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>Hood introduced Andrew to the World Doctor\u2019s 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\u2019ve performed 48 concerts globally, and raised more than 2 million Euros.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey play at a high level,\u201d Loe says. \u201cThat appealed to me because I wanted to do both. Once I got into med school, I signed up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As he looked at the bios of the sections of the World Doctor\u2019s Orchestra, he was curious about how the members could combine both careers. \u201cWhat do these people do? In my digging, I noticed that a lot of them played in their own national medical orchestras.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Loe assumed that a Canadian Doctor\u2019s Orchestra would already exist. But, he was surprised. \u201cThere isn&#8217;t one that exists already,\u201d he said. That\u2019s where the idea began.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does it take to start something like that? I started reaching out to some of those people on the world medical orchestra list,\u201d he focused on the founding members like Dr. <strong>Mikl\u00f3s Pohl<\/strong> OAM, who founded Australian Doctor&#8217;s Orchestra. Pohl offered advice, including what to avoid. \u201cFrankly it was gold. It helped me to know exactly what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pohl\u2019s advice included how to start \u2014 gathering the right people around him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything led one thing to another,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<h3>Canadian Doctor\u2019s Orchestra: Auditions<\/h3>\n<p>Musical healthcare professionals can send auditions up to <strong>July 1<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is by video, but if people only have audio recordings, or group [performance] recordings [that\u2019s okay too]. It&#8217;s for us to get a sense of where the collective orchestra is at.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTruthfully, I think for this inaugural concert that is a question \u2014 what level do people have already?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Loe says he\u2019s been impressed by the level of talent he\u2019s encountered so far. \u201cOf course I think these people are awesome,\u201d he says. \u201cWhat we&#8217;re looking for is anybody who has a passion for music and works in health care.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_125293\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-125293\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-125293\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Andrew-Loe.jpg\" alt=\"Med student \u2014 and violist \u2014 Andrew Loe (Photo courtesy of the artist)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Andrew-Loe.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Andrew-Loe-300x236.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Andrew-Loe-1024x806.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Andrew-Loe-768x605.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-125293\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Med student \u2014 and violist \u2014 Andrew Loe (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Larger Goals<\/h3>\n<p>The upcoming concert offers a point of motivation, but the reasons for joining the orchestra stretch beyond performance opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think for me, music is a form of recovery,\u201d Andrew says. \u201cI don&#8217;t think I&#8217;d be able to do medicine, or the gruelling hours that it requires, without having music on the side.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the healthcare profession, he says many people talk about having a \u201cday of recovery\u201d specifically to unwind from the pressures of the job. \u201cThe concept of active recovery \u2014 to bring that level of energy back to themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Orchestral music also brings people together.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo give people a space where they have very likeminded people,\u201d he says. As he points out, healthcare pros who are also advanced musicians represents a niche, but it\u2019s a larger niche than you might think. When he started out with the intention of pursuing both, he felt very much alone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI felt like I was on a path not walked before,\u201d he says. At times, he had to fight with university administrators to get into the music courses he wanted. \u201cIt would be special to find other people who&#8217;ve walked that path.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Music is also a universal experience that has an effect on everyone. \u201cI think it humanizes us. It connects us with everyone around us.\u201d Music is about taking the focus off yourself and playing for an audience, he points out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that&#8217;s the overlap between music and medicine. You&#8217;re always giving of yourself. They have joy from giving of themselves to other people.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Concert Preparations<\/h3>\n<p>Once the members are assembled, preparations for the concert will begin in earnest.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe&#8217;re just waiting on the audition that ends July 1,\u201d Loe says. \u201cWe have a few pieces in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s already assembled the core team. \u201cOur Artistic Director is <strong>Ajtony Csab<\/strong>,\u201d Andrew says. Csab is the conductor of the University of Victoria (UVic) Symphony Orchestra, as well as a professor of conducting at the institution. \u201cOur concert master is Terry Tam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brendan Schmidt<\/strong>, with a degree in Health Information Science, is adding outreach activities. <strong>Andrea Kenney<\/strong>, who is studying Psychology at the University of Victoria, is co-founder and treasurer of the organization. <strong>Irena Datcu-Romano<\/strong>, a religious studies student at McMaster University, and a published poet, is the Event Coordinator. Violist and educator <strong>Sophie Hillman<\/strong> looks after social media.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe also have Suri, who is Events Coordinator.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sirui Li is a first year medical student, and, with an ARCT in piano performance, she is currently studying violin.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe team has expanded quite a bit,\u201d Loe says. \u201cEverybody \u2014and that\u2019s the amazing thing about this \u2014 is that everybody is so keen,\u201d he adds. \u201cPeople are waiting for something like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Sign Up<\/h2>\n<p>That enthusiasm extends to potential orchestra members.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe actually already have 170 sign ups to be on our player list as well,\u201d Loe says.<\/p>\n<p>Interested doctor musicians can find out more about the orchestra, along with the audition link, [<em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canadiandoctorsorchestra.ca\/about-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/em>].<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? Have a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/masthead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>news tip<\/u><\/a>? Need to know the best\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/events\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>events<\/u><\/a>\u00a0happening this weekend? Send us a\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"mailto:anya@ludwig-van.com?subject=Let's%20chat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em><u>note<\/u>.<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em><b>#LUDWIGVAN<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n<p class=\"western\"><em>Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em>Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! \u2014 local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid=S3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid%3DS3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1695737525351000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0QTqKRwRJQFGK3KoJYigxX\">HERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Andrew Loe, a student in UBC\u2019s Island Medical Program based in Victoria, is putting together the Canadian Doctors Orchestra in what seems to be a first for this country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":125292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[42533,29,41221,63,42625],"tags":[43021,43018,43020,43019],"yst_prominent_words":[14729,6616,6613,14728,29757],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2026-06-19T155134.917.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-wAO","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125290"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125290"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":125312,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125290\/revisions\/125312"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125290"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=125290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}