CMC associate composer, teacher, violinist, violist Thomas Beckman, serves as Festival Composer for the Artists for Conservation, in-house composer for MillsPictures Studio, and film composer for the Circle of Eagles organization. As an active musician, Thomas additionally serves as acting principal violist of the Prince George Symphony, lead for the Vancouver entertainment group Sons of Granville, and plays for the Arbutus Duo. His composing commissions vary from independent film scores, to multi-media shows, to concert classical works, and for such groups as the Borealis String Quartet, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, the Prince George Symphony, Symphony 21, the Postmodern Camerata, the Vancouver Symphony, Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra and Orchestra North Academy.

In recent years, commissions have varied from: Metatation and Entropy for the AFC, Exoplanetarium for Symphony 21, Caulfield in the Cape suite for the Prince George Symphony (May 8th, 2021), Oceanus for the Arbutus Duo (May, 2021), the St Roch Suite for the Prince George Symphony and Jude Neale (March 2019), Flux for the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra (April 2019), Tango, the Engine Room and Kwela! for the Borealis String Quartet (June 2017, 2018 and 2019), and Life in the Universe for the H.R MacMillan Space Centre and released on Redshift Records (October 2018).

As a violin and viola teacher, Mr. Beckman enjoys a busy teaching career with students ranging from beginner children of 4 and up to early teens. He appreciates guiding kids from the very beginning and establishing a thorough technical foundation as well as encouraging an expressive outlook. Mr. Beckman is very successful in preparing his students for RCM exams, including receiving the GOLD Medal for the highest exam mark in Gr.2 Violin. His students are also participating in Youth Orchestras in Vancouver (VAM Youth Orchestra) and the lower mainland.

Student Testimonials:
“Teacher Thomas, thank you so much for teaching to love the violin to [student]. In these few months, you have inspired her to practice every day, to seek for excellence, to work hard in her goals. I will never forget your words to her in her 1st class: “the sky is the limit” – and she’s going for that!”
-Mom of student of teacher Thomas at WMA