Stefan Jungkind

• Instrument: Viola
• Role: Principal

Stefan Jungkind was born in London, England and started violin and piano lessons there before moving to Edmonton at the age of 12. He took violin lessons from the late Mr. Ranald Shean for many years while finishing school and completing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics at the University of Alberta. He started playing viola in small ensembles when needed. Stefan's musical education continued in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia and the Vancouver Academy of Music while he completed a Masters Degree in Mathematics. He further developed his viola playing in quartets and as principal violist in the UBC orchestra, the Vancouver Academy Strings and the National Youth Orchestra.

Returning his focus to the violin, he continued his musical education at the University of Cincinnati before winning the position of concertmaster for the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. Prior to joining the first violin section of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 1986, Stefan spent two years at the Banff Centre participating in the Advanced Music Studies program.

Personal highlights of Stefan's musical career have included violin solo performances with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic and the ESO, as well as numerous chamber music performances both as violinist and violist with outstanding fellow musicians in Banff, Edmonton, Cincinnati and Vancouver. Since taking on the position of Principal Viola with the ESO in 1997, Stefan has been a soloist on the viola with the orchestra and has focused his chamber music energies to viola playing. As a teacher, Stefan continues to encourage a strong class of both violin and viola players.

Outside of music, Stefan maintains a keen and enthusiastic appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors. He is an avid bird watcher and actively participates in bird conservation. Stefan is married to ESO violinist Debra Belmonte and they have two musical children - Alban (b. 1989) who plays violin and Kendra (b. 1991) who plays cello. Stefan and Debra are founding members of Quartetto Capilano - an ensemble that has given numerous private and public performances in the Edmonton area since 1987. In 2004, Stefan and Debra along with colleagues in Calgary initiated a chamber music series Sempre la Musica which presents concert programs in Edmonton and Calgary featuring musicians from both cities.