Jack McGowan

Jack has been a member of the orchestra since 2000, playing both viola and violin. He studied viola too many moons ago with Jane Logan at the University of Ottawa and has played with numerous ensembles since then as a fervent amateur. Chartered Accountant by day, Jack looks forward to every minute with the Strings, perhaps to keep his sanity as co-parent to young triplets, who love to attend the concerts. Jack also enjoys conducting the orchestra whenever he is called upon.

Paul Whiteley

Paul Whiteley has played viola for more than 30 years, after a fairly short and undistinguished career on the violin.   In 1999 he became the first non-founding member of Strings of St John's, after having performed many of the major works of orchestral and string repertoire with the Guelph Youth Orchestra, the Concorde String Ensemble of the Suzuki School of Guelph, the Queen's University Orchestra, and the Kingston Symphony. He has also taken the lowest part available in a succession of choirs, currently singing contemporary music with the Capital Chamber Choir here in Ottawa.  Paul is the founder and artistic director of elbmesne ensemble; he works at Statistics Canada and is one of the two conductors of the Statistics Canada Choir.

Mary Young

Mary Young is a violist from Sarnia, Ontario.  She studied viola with Ralph Aldrich in London, Ontario before studying physics at the University of Waterloo.  She moved to Ottawa in 1992 to begin a career in the semiconductor industry.  Mary has played in a number of amateur orchestras over the past few decades, including Divertimento Orchestra, and she is a founding member of The Strings of St. John's.  In 2003, she moved to Stittsville, where she lives with her husband, Mark, his three sons, Devin, Spenser and Connor and their toddler, Owen.  Since 2007, she has taught physics, math and business at Mother Teresa Catholic High School in Nepean. Besides making music, she enjoys hiking, biking, running, gardening and watching her boys play hockey.

Margaret Anderson

Margaret Anderson has played with the Strings of St John's from the beginning, alternating between violin and viola. Born in Winnipeg, Margaret studied with Mary Graham Rourke and later with Joseph Berlyawski in Ottawa.  She played with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra for over 25 years.  Currently Margaret enjoys playing quartets and studying the harp as a hobby.