Newfoundland-born Mark Fewer will step down as violin concertmaster at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra after being offered a teaching post at McGill University in Montreal.

Fewer has performed as violin soloist and director of the strings section since 2004, when the VSO lured him away from a freelance career in Toronto.

He is expected to remain in the post for the 2007-8 season, while the VSO conducts auditions for a replacement.

However, the popular concertmaster will be playing fewer concerts while he takes up teaching duties in Montreal.

Fewer has performed with major orchestras across Canada and the U.S. and is an accomplished chamber musician.

He was a founding member of the Duke Piano Trio and violinist with Canada's SuperNova String Quartet and served as artistic director of the Scotia Festival of Music in Halifax and SweetWater Music Weekend in Owen Sound, Ont.

He taught violin and chamber music at the Glenn Gould School from 1997 to 2004.