Robert Creech

Creech, Robert
Robert (Edward) Creech. French hornist, teacher, administrator, b Victoria, BC, 26 Sep 1928; BA history, music (British Columbia) 1954, MA history (British Columbia) 1974. He studied at the University of Manitoba, with Mason Jones at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and at the University of British Columbia. He was first horn with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra 1944-6, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra 1949-52, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra 1946-8 and 1958-74; second horn with the TSO 1952-5 and CBC Symphony Orchestra 1955-8; principal horn with the CBC Vancouver Chamber Orchestra 1958-76; and a member of the Vancouver Woodwind Quintet 1968-76. He has performed widely as a soloist in Canada and the USA. Creech was a member 1959-76 of the music staff at the University of British Columbia, was music director 1970-85 of the Courtenay Youth Music Centre, and was founder and first chairman 1973-6 of the music department of Vancouver Community College. He was chairman 1967-9 of the music committee of the Community Arts Council of Vancouver, during which period the committee planned and implemented the establishing of the Community Music School. of Greater vancouver (Vancouver Academy of Music). He was a director 1975-9 of the Canadian Music Council and chairman 1976-8 of the Arts Advisory Council of the Canada Council. Creech taught 1976-89 at the University of Western Ontario and was chairman of the performance dept 1976-82. He was asked by the RCMT in 1986 to prepare reports on academic programs and administrative possibilities, and then was its vice-principal 1987-91. He was appointed the chief executive of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society in 1991. He and G. Campbell Trowsdale wrote the report Orchestras Ontario (Toronto 1988) for the OAC and also the report Independent and Affiliated Non-profit Conservatory-type Music Schools in Canada (Ottawa 1988) commissioned by the CMCouncil. Creech has recorded with the Baroque Strings, the Vancouver Woodwind Quintet, and the Purcell String Quartet.

Author Max Wyman

Links to Other Sites
Comox Valley Youth Music Centre
The website for the Comox Valley Youth Music Centre, British Columbia’s longest running music camp. Home of the CYMC International Summer Youth Music School and Festival, a school for aspiring instrumentalists, singers and actors.