Violist Rory McLeod is a bold musical entrepreneur who uses his work as a chamber musician, orchestral player, artistic director, arts advocate, and teacher to build connections in his community. Together with pianist Emily Rho, Rory co-directs Pocket Concerts, a thoughtfully curated chamber music series that provides intimate, extraordinary listening experiences in homes and other unconventional venues in the GTA. Known for being relentlessly innovative, Rory and Emily are expanding their impact on their community by organizing chamber music retreats for amateur musicians, a choir for instrumentalists (Acquired Taste), and musical salons hosted through Airbnb Experiences. 

 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rory and Emily launched Porch Pocket Concerts, a service that provides COVID-safe outdoor concerts for special occasions. They are currently developing a strategy to safely provide small-scale concerts during the colder months, while large-scale performances are still shut down.

 

Outside of his entrepreneurial pursuits, you can find Rory mentoring young musicians through his own teaching studio and Caledon Music Festival, playing in the pit at The Four Seasons Centre with The Canadian Opera Company and National Ballet Orchestras, performing new works and working with young composers at The Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance, recording in a studio session, swinging a kettlebell at the gym, or making a loaf of sourdough bread at home.

 

He holds a B.A. in English Literature from McGill University and a Performance Diploma from The Glenn Gould School, where he studied with Steven Dann. He is working toward a certificate in publishing at Ryerson University, and plans to incorporate editing work into his musical life.

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-September 2020-