About
Learn more about Wolf:
Born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1964, Wolf Tormann completed studies at the Musikhochschule in Frankfurt with Professor Gerhard Mantel. He continued advanced studies with two of the worlds most famous cellists and cello teachers, Arto Noras, Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, and Janos Starker, Indiana University, Bloomington.
Wolf has been a member of various orchestras, including the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Opera Orchestra Halle, Stuttgart Philharmonic and from 1992-1994, the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra, where he was assistant principal cellist.
While in Lisbon, he performed more than 100 solo, chamber music and orchestral concerts a season, appeared as guest soloist with the Metropolitan Orchestra and was Professor of Cello at the National Academy for Orchestral Education. He was also a founding member of the Tagide String Quartet.
Wolf Tormann moved to Canada in 1994. He has been the principal cellist of the Kingston Symphony Orchestra since 1996 and has been on the substitution list in the cello section of the National Arts Centre Orchestra since 2001, performing more than 1000 concerts with them. He has also toured with the National Arts Centre Orchestra on several occasions, including tours all over Canada, as well as Great Britain and China.
For nine years , Wolf was Music Director of a series of Chamber Music Soirees in Kingston, performing more than 25 concerts in and around the area, with both local and outside musicians. His duties included organizing, programming and hiring musicians for the concerts.
Wolf has been a member of Queen’s University faculty in the Dan School of Drama and Music for the past 24 years. His responsibilities include teaching, chamber music coaching and conducting the Queen’s Orchestra, which he has led for the past six years. Recent performances include:
- 2018 Bach Orchestral Suite in B-minor, Bizet Carmen Suite No.1, Schubert Unfinished Symphony
- 2019 Faure Requiem, Sejourne concerto for marimba, Burge Canadian Shield
- 2021 Finzi Romance for String Orchestra, Mozart Symphony No.31 (Paris),
Beethoven Leonore Overture No.3 - 2022 World Premiere of “Tangorium” arranged by Charles Cozens, featuring Bridge&Wolak
- 2022 Grieg Holberg Suite, Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations, Bruckner Symphony No.1
- 2023 Lauridsen Lux Aeterna, Suite from Video Games Live, John Williams Star Wars Suite
- 2023 Tangorium in the Brockville Arts Centre for the 75th anniversary of Brockville’s Music Society
- 2024 Mendelssohn violin concerto, Dvorak Symphony No.9, Mozart Requiem
Wolf has also taught through QCM (Queen’s Community Music, Queen’s Conservatory of Music) and has a large private studio of more than 20 students of all ages. For the past 10 years he has conducted a cello orchestra with up to 24 participants. He is also the founder and cellist of the Isabel Quartet, the Quartet in Residence at Queen’s University. He has an active concert career, performing frequently as soloist and in chamber music concerts with his colleagues from the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Queen’s University. He was the cellist of the National Piano Trio, which is the Ensemble in Residence for the National Music Camp of Canada, where Wolf has taught for the past 20 years.
Wolf is in high demand as an adjudicator for music festivals across the country. Most recent adjudications include the Alberta Provincial Finals, Edmonton Kiwanis, St. John’s Kiwanis, Pickering Kiwanis, London Kiwanis and Toronto Kiwanis Music Festivals.
Wolf has recorded for the Kingston Symphony Association as well as Radio Difusao Portugal and CBC Radio Canada. He plays on a Guy Harrison cello that was built for him in 2108 and is made from 100-year old German maple and Canadian spruce.
Cellist
Wolf has played in the cello section of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa and is the principal cellist of the Kingston Symphony Orchestra. He is also the cellist for the Isabel Quartet, the resident quartet of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. The Isabel Quartet performs 3 concerts per year, often with visiting artists, and also presents workshops and master classes for string students and ensembles.
“A musician of high artistry”
– Hamilton Spectator
Listen to Wolf and the Kingston Symphony play Kol Nidrei by Max Bruch:
Kol Nidrei by Max Bruch
Teacher
Wolf teaches cello and chamber music at the Dan School of Drama and Music, and also has a private teaching studio, with students ranging in age from 4 to 75. Several of his students have gone on to win prizes and enjoy a career in music. He is also in demand as an adjudicator for national camps and festivals.
“As a teacher, Wolf combines the highest levels of cello practice/knowledge and exacting standards with considerable patience, accompanied by the understanding, warmth, humour and support that every student needs.”
– Susan Lederman, student
Conductor
Along with being a professional cellist and teacher, Wolf is the conductor of the Queen’s cello orchestra, the Queen’s University Orchestra and several chamber ensembles.
“Cello orchestra is enriching, challenging and fun. Wolf is committed to bringing out the best in all of us, and as a mature player, it’s amazing to learn beside talented student musicians.”
– Nanci Corrigan, student
Teaching Philosophy
Wolf’s teaching philosophy consists of three main components:
- Meeting the needs of the individual
- Mastering the instrument
- Apply musicianship/creativity through historical and theoretical application