Victoria Sparks

Winnipeg based Victoria Sparks is an active solo, orchestral and chamber percussionist. She runs the percussion area at the Desautels Faculty of Music. Her work at the University of Manitoba includes percussion lessons, ensemble, masterclasses, and techniques classes. She is principal Timpani/Percussion with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and performs regularly with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Victoria works closely with clarinetist Cathy Wood in their collaborative project Viđarneistí. This duo has commissioned works for their unique instrumentation, and they perform regularly in Manitoba and as well as touring throughout Canada and internationally.

Victoria is the founder and director of the MBA Prairie Percussion Workshop (running annually since 2012), an education and performance-based event for percussion students in middle and high school. She also maintains an active schedule as an adjudicator and clinician through various Canadian organizations and festivals.

Victoria serves as the President of the Executive Board of Groundswell Inc., a concert series focused on presenting new music in Manitoba and she also serves on the Executive Board for the Music Professionals of Manitoba (Local 190). Victoria is honoured to be a part of the Yamaha Artist family and proudly endorses their world class instruments and artistic initiatives.