© Latinas in History 2008

  VERA VERZUN
 
Photograph by Eugen Treivus. Courtesy of Vera Verzun.
 
Born in Kiev, Ukraine, Vera Verzun began to study violin at age six. By the time she was thirteen, she was a member of the Kiev Youth Symphony Orchestra. Vera obtained a Bachelor Degree in Performance and Pedagogy from R. Glier State College of Music. In 1979, Vera moved to Havana, Cuba, where she worked as a violinist in the National Symphonic Orchestra under the direction of Manuel Dushesne and Leo Brower and in the National Ballet and Opera Orchestra. During this period, Vera continued study with professor Evelio Tieles. In 1991, Vera Verzun moved to Toronto, Canada and began to perform with a variety of orchestras and ensembles, including the Celebrity Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of maestro Andrew Rozbicki (concertmaster since 1995), the Brampton Symphony Orchestra (concertmaster), ArsMusica Chamber Orchestra (concertmaster), the Gilbert & Sullivan Company, the Chamber society and the Scarborough Symphony Orchestra. With over 30 years of teaching experience, Vera has prepared students who have been declared winners at the Kiwanis Festival, Peel Music Festival and the Toronto Music Competition. In both 1995 and 1999, Vera Verzun received recognition from the Canadian House of Commons and, in 2010, she received the highest designation of the Polish Government: Award for Polish Culture.