Marie-Claire Cardinal

Marie-Claire Cardinal is from the Québec City region and was raised in a musical environment. When she began to play the violin, she knew right away that music would be her career path. Since September 2023, Marie-Claire is Assistant Resident Conductor of the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, working in close collaboration with Clemens Schuldt. She also works as Assistant Conductor with the Orchestre Métropolitain (Montréal) in various collaborations. Furthermore, she founded Chrysalide, her own chamber orchestra.

Marie-Claire performs regularly as a violinist with different orchestras and chamber music ensembles, including the Orchestre symphonique de Qubec and the Ensemble baroque Zoroastre. As a young musician, she has also been teaching violin for more than ten years and is enthusiastic about sharing her passion for music with the upcoming younger musicians. Marie-Claire holds a bachelor’s degree in violin interpretation from the Conservatoire de musique de Québec, a Master of Music Performance from the University of Toronto, and a Graduate Diploma in Performance from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music.

Her mentors include Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Bernard Labadie, and Clemens Schuldt. Marie-Claire also participated several times as a violinist with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. In a conducting role, she participated in the Académie de direction d’orchestre with the Orchestre Métropolitain under the guidance of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Furthermore, she was part of the CBC’s 2023 top Canadian musicians selection “30 under 30”. Her multiple and varied experiences as a musician, her leadership skills, and her versatility all contribute to her being a sought-after and appreciated musician.