Giuseppe Pietraroia, conductor
Canadian conductor Giuseppe Pietraroia has earned a national reputation for his versatility, musicality, and leadership across both orchestral and operatic stages. Based in British Columbia, he is the Principal Conductor of Pacific Opera Victoria, where he has held leadership roles since 2003. He previously served as Associate Conductor with both Pacific Opera and the Victoria Symphony, and was Music Director of the Victoria Choral Society from 2005 to 2012.
With a career spanning over two decades, Pietraroia has conducted a wide range of repertoire, from main series, pops, and contemporary programs to full opera productions and education concerts. He has appeared as a guest conductor with leading Canadian ensembles including the Toronto Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Orchestre Métropolitain, and most recently, the Regina Symphony Orchestra.
A champion of collaboration and artistic growth, Pietraroia has been deeply involved in programming, auditions, and community outreach initiatives. He has also contributed to music education through teaching roles at the University of Victoria, McGill University, and Plattsburgh State University of New York.
He holds a Master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting from McGill University and is the recipient of the Jean-Marie Beaudet Award in Conducting from the Canada Council for the Arts and a Félix Award for Classical Album of the Year with Marie-Josée Lord and l’Orchestre Métropolitain.
Bob McDonald, host
Bob McDonald is one of Canada’s best-known science journalists, making science accessible to the public for more than 50 years. He is the host of CBC Radio’s award-winning science program, Quirks & Quarks, which has a national audience of nearly 500,000 people. McDonald is also a science correspondent for CBC Television’s The National; the Gemini-winning host and writer of the children’s series Head’s Up; and the host of The Great Canadian Invention, Wonderstruck, and the seven-part series, Water Under Fire.
McDonald has hosted and written numerous television documentaries and more than 100 educational videos in Canada and the United States. He has also authored seven bestselling books, with his latest being The Future is Now: Solving the Climate Crisis with Today’s Technology and his memoir, Just Say Yes. McDonald has also contributed to numerous textbooks, magazines, and newspapers, including The Globe and Mail.
An Officer of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, McDonald has been honoured for his outstanding contribution to the promotion of science with the Michael Smith Award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Sir Sanford Fleming Medal from the Royal Canadian Institute, and the McNeil Medal from The Royal Society of Canada. In 2008, he won a Gemini Award for best host in a pre-school, children’s or youth program or series.
McDonald holds 13 honorary doctorates from Canadian universities and two honourary college degrees. He also currently sits on the board of Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory. In 2014, asteroid 2006 XN67 was officially named “bobmcdonald” in his honour.
