Our Professional Musicians
Andrei Popkov
Conductor
A graduate of the Togliatti Conservatory, Andrei began his conducting career in the city of Togliatti, where for five years he served as Principal Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra at the Togliatti Music College named after R.K. Shchedrin, as well as conductor of the Children’s Orchestra of the Lyceum of Arts. In addition, he was the Music Director and Conductor of the Joint Orchestra of Baptist Churches of the Volga Region for eight years.
After moving to Canada, Andrei earned his Master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting at Memorial University of Newfoundland. In 2023, he was selected for the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra’s RBC Conducting Fellowship — a highly competitive program that annually selects one conductor from across the province. In 2024, Andrei became the Music Director and Conductor of the Tenacious String Orchestra in St. John’s.
Alongside orchestral conducting, Andrei has extensive experience working with choirs. During his years in St. John’s, he served as Choral Director and Organist at the Anglican Church of the Good Samaritan, as well as at St. Augustine’s Anglican Church. Andrei plays piano, organ, and accordion, and has broad experience as a solo and chamber performer.
Since 2025, Andrei Popkov has been the Music Director and Conductor of the Timmins Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, as well as a faculty member at the Geoffrey James Lee School of Music.
Angela Garwood-Touw
Concertmaster
Angela launched her professional career in 2008 when she accepted the position of concertmaster for the Timmins Symphony Orchestra. Alongside her duties with the TSO, she tours the North as a regular first violinist with the North Bay and Sudbury Symphonies and more recently, l’Ensemble Aiguebelle and l’Orchestre Symphonique Régional D’Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Angela has been the featured soloist with the TSO twice, most recently receiving accolades for her performance of DeBeriot’s Scene de Ballet in May, 2015. She is also deeply involved in the chamber music scene, performing alongside very skilled colleagues. Angela has been known to step outside her comfort zone from time to time to fiddle, play pop music and jazz with pianist Steve Kessler. Angela’s passion for the violin began modestly, learning in a school group string program in her hometown of Saint John, NB. After only a few years of playing, she became concertmaster of the District Orchestra, first violin with the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, Symphony New Brunswick and began teaching students of her own. With the encouragement of her teacher, Robert McCausland, she went on to obtain her BMus from Memorial University’s School of Music. Newfoundland afforded Angela many opportunities to perform, observe and learn from some exceptional musicians. Among a list of outstanding teachers, she studied violin with Dr. Nancy Dahn, of the world renowned Duo Concertante and also had the chance to attend masterclasses with Shauna Rolston and Pinchas Zuckerman. Angela played first violin with the MUN Chamber Orchestra, led the NSYO as concertmaster for a time and regularly performed with the NSO and NSO Sinfonia which gave her the chance to perform with Bobby McFerrin, Mark O’Connor, the Ennis Sisters and pianist Andre LaPlante just to name to a few. A passion for playing and a desire to share her knowledge inspired Angela to form the TSO Youth Orchestra (formerly the Junior Orchestra). Since 2008, the group has performed regularly at the music school’s bi-annual concerts and later, the Porcupine Music Festival and continues to grow. It is a wonderful way for violin students to be introduced to ensemble playing, make friends and learn from each other. Angela is excited to be performing on a commissioned 2013 Daryl Griffith violin.
Joanna Millson
Principal Second Violin
Growing up in Nova Scotia, Joanna fell in love with playing music while attending fiddling camps in Cape Breton. Her musical interests grew to include classical music, which led her to become part of the NS youth orchestra and the Caledonia fiddle orchestra. These experiences inspired her to pursue her undergraduate degree in music at Memorial University of Newfoundland. While in St. John’s, she studied under Dr. Nancy Dahn, violinist in the well known chamber group Duo Concertante. Through her, Joanna developed a love of chamber music and collaboration and became a member of the Newfoundland Symphony
Orchestra and Sinfonia, numerous chamber ensembles, and a participant in the Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival. She graduated with honours in 2008 with a Bachelor of MusicPerformance in Violin and Viola. Upon graduation, Joanna moved to Halifax, NS where she began a career focused on strengthening the musical community to ensure all musicians could experience the joy of playing music together. While in Halifax, she worked with amateur musicians and lent her hand in local community orchestras such as the Chebucto Symphony Orchestra and Nova Sinfonia. In 2012 she moved to the Timmins area and found an incredibly strong and welcoming music family. She currently leads the Second Violins in the Orchestra. She also plays with various chamber music ensembles and regularly takes part in the TSO chamber series. She is a TSO faculty teaching violin and viola.
Yu Pei
Principal Cello
Yu Pei is a dynamic young cellist. She followed the instructions of associate professor Long Man when she was nine years old and specialized in cello. In 2015, she was admitted to Shanghai Conservatory of Music, studying under the instruction of Professor Li Ji-Wu, a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, and the director of the Orchestral Instrument Department. In June 2022, she completed a Master’s in String Performance at Brandon University under Dr. Leanne Zacharias.
Yu has more than 10 years of performing experience. In 2010, she held her first solo concert at the Wuhan Conservatory of Music. In 2014, she won the second prize in the Hong Kong International String Competition’s young cellist group. In 2015, she was selected for the final of the National Youth Cello Competition (China). She also performed in many masterclasses such as with Jian Wang, Wen-Sinn Yang, David Tinsley Strange, Hai-Ye Ni, David Geber, and Astrid Schween.
Yu loves playing in chamber ensembles and orchestra. In 2009, she was admitted to Beijing Great Wall International Music Academy, co-organized by the Starling Project Foundation and the Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. In 2013, she was invited to attend Cello An American Experience Art festival in Minnesota.
In 2017, she was offered a full scholarship and became a regular member of the NYO-China and toured with Dovic Morlet, Yu-Jia Wang, and Olga Kern, performing at Carnegie Hall, Beijing Concert Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, and Suzhou Art Center. In 2018, she ranked top among hundreds of young musicians worldwide and was elected as a member of the Symphony Orchestra of Youth Music Culture Guangdong (YMCG), of which Yo-Yo Ma was the music director performing in Guangzhou, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Yu is very passionate about teaching. She believes that music should be available to everyone. She currently serves as Principal Cello of the Timmins Symphony Orchestra and the TSO cello faculty.
Mits Takayesu-Douglas
Principal Bassoon
Mits graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a degree in Music Education, studying under David Haward and Thomas Elliot. He performed with Orchestras in Guelph, London and Hamilton while acquiring a Master’s Degree in Library Science. He has attended International Double Reed Society conferences in Wisconsin and Banff, the Amherst Early Music Festival in Massachusetts, the Long Island Recorder Festival in New York and the Vancouver Early Music Festival. He continues to play in the Timmins All-Star Big Band. He was also part of the Timmins Wind Ensemble and was director of the choir Aurora Chorealis for four years. He has also been a staff member for the Kincardine Summer Music Festival from 2003 to 2013. Mits has been a faculty member with the Timmins Symphony Orchestra since 1992. He teaches bassoon, clarinet, oboe, saxophone and recorder with the Geoffrey James Lee School of Music. Mits has also been active as a chamber player in the TSO Chamber Ensemble. Mits’ vocal and choral experience includes singing with the Timmins All-Star Big Band’s TAB-B- Kats; Timmins Choral Society; Timmins Symphony Chorus; Timmins Concert Singers; Yuletide Singers; Take Two Theatre’s productions of Oliver!,The Sound of Music, A Christmas Carol, Linda Jenkin/Classical Dance Arts production of The Wizard of Oz and the TSO’s productions ofT hePirates of Penzance and Heart of Gold.
Our Orchestra
Timmins Symphony Orchestra Members 2024 – 2025
Forty community players and a core group of professional musicians meet every Monday evening at St Anthony’s Cathedral for rehearsal. Our Main Series concerts include repertoire from every genre, from Baroque music to Contemporary repertoire, music for film, opera, pop music and even the odd concerto for steel pan!
First Violin
Angela Garwood-Touw
(staff) Concertmaster
Audrey Grant
Jenna Wilson
Fern Lavoie
Emily Lian
Lou-Ann Visconti
Ann Mallows
Second Violin
Joanna Millson
(staff) Principal 2nd
Mary Ellen Pauli
Cameron Grant
Paul Armstrong
Jennifer Bentley
Diane Corbett
Gail Miller
Hazel Maki
Tina Stojkiewicz
Viola
Heather Miree *
Kathy Allan
Rick Reilly
Cello
Yu Pei
(staff) Principal Cello
Iain Martin
Josée MacDonald-Roberts
Vanessa Lamarch
Sylvia Martin
Jeremi Martin
Bass
Anda Alexander *
Mary Stalker
Flute
Nicky Alexander *
Oboe
Sara Wigglesworth
Clarinet
Peter Colbert *
Randy Pickering
Bassoon
Mits Takayesu-Douglas
(staff) Principal Bassoon
Horn
Roy Takayesu *
Trumpet
Dennis Sebalj
Christa Bates