On her way

Terri Surette studies with Professor Philippe Djokic.

Dalhousie music student Terri Surette competed in the National Music Festival in Edmonton, Alberta and brought home a third-place prize in the strings category. To compete at the prestigious festival, Ms. Surette won her local festival and then the New Brunswick provincial festival in June—her fifth straight provincial title.

From Riverview, N.S., the 19-year-old student is in her second year and studies under Professor Philippe Djokic, himself an international award-winning violinist. She has been playing the violin for 12 years, starting out as an old-time fiddler and then after winning three consecutive Canadian Fiddle Championships, tried her bow on a classical violin.

In this genre, she has also excelled. She is a past recipient of the RCM Silver Medal for highest marks in violin studies in the Atlantic Provinces. She was also awarded the Debut Atlantic RBC Award for Musical Excellence. She played in the N.B. Youth Orchestra for nine years where she held the positions of Associate Concert mistress and Concert mistress. She has played in Carnegie Hall, New York and the Paginini Auditorium in Parma, Italy with this orchestra and has performed solo in six provinces in Canada.
 
"I want to perform internationally as a soloist,” says Ms. Surette. “And I would like to teach at the university level. I have to give a lot of credit to Prof. Djokic for believing in me and for being such a great teacher and mentor."
 
Ms. Surette’s music has soothed her life through its difficulties. “My music kept me going. I literally threw myself into it. My mom has been my rock and I couldn’t have done it without her."