Our Mission
We believe that classical music is an essential element in the cultural life of the Oceanside area. Oceanside Classical Concerts Society is committed to changing lives in our community through music’s extraordinary power to communicate, inspire, uplift and entertain.
Our first goal is to celebrate artistic excellence in classical music through:
- The presentation of live performances of the world’s great masterpieces by nationally and internationally acclaimed musicians.
- The promotion of Canadian artists.
- A subscription series model without individual ticket sales.
Our second goal is to provide free community outreach programming:
The Scholarship Program is dedicated to fostering the future of all forms of music and supporting aspiring students in their post-secondary musical endeavours. The $3500 scholarship is awarded annually.
The Instrument Lending Program provides musical instruments to children and youth so they can participate in music programs. The instruments are free to borrow and can be kept for as long as they are needed.
The Music for Youth Program exposes elementary and high school students to professional musicians through educational concerts and workshops.
The Early Years Program brings the joy of classical music and hands-on experience to pre-school and elementary students.
CRA Registered Society #760370098RR0001
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Calvin Dyck
Calvin is the Artistic Director of Oceanside Classical Concerts,
Concert violinist Dr. Calvin Dyck wears many hats (literally and figuratively). In April 2025 he took his final bow as Concertmaster for the Vancouver Island Symphony (Nanaimo) after 25 years. He is in demand as an adjudicator for music festivals across the country. Calvin is the Artistic Director of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra, has a teaching studio with 25 students, and is a busy producer with his company Songs, Strings and Steps Events Ltd. In his spare time he runs a Christmas tree farm in Mission.
Calvin has his Doctor of Musical Arts (in violin performance) from the University of Southern California with minors in conducting, music education and music history. He has produced 4 CDs which help raise money for Communitas, a charity which supports people living with disabilities.
Highlights from the past few years include producing concerts with the Celtic Tenors, Barrage, and Cirque Musica. In 2012 Calvin was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for service to the community and in April 2013 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humanities by Trinity Western University. In 2024, Calvin was awarded the “Order of Abbotsford” to recognise his work with youth.
Who we are
Our board consists of residents of Oceanside who are passionate about classical music and are committed to facilitating concerts that offer our subscribers musical performances that prove the extraordinary wealth of talent in British Columbia, Canada and abroad.
OCCS board members contribute to community outreach music programming through various roles including, strategic planning, fundraising, advocacy and acting as ambassadors for the organization. They help develop and implement policies, foster partnerships, and engage with the community to enhance the organization’s impact and sustainability.
Oceanside Classical Concerts Society is registered with the Canadian Revenue Agency. We sincerely appreciate all donations to our Operating and Community Programs.
CRA Registered Society #760370098RR0001
Pam May-Straka, President
Joe Straka, Vice-President – Scholarship and Instrument Lending Programs
Catriona Hendrie, Treasurer & Early Years Program
Candy Ashbridge, Secretary
Mary Leigh-Warden, Director – Music for Youth Program
Linda Matteson, Director – Communications
Lynne Pearson, Director at Large
Don Dempson, Director at Large
Terry Kelly, Director at Large & Concert Operations Coordinator
Calvin Dyck, Artistic Director