He is a a double bassist who studied at the University of Toronto, where he earned his Bachelor of Music degree as well taking further studies at the Banff Centre of Performing Arts.
First working as a freelance musician he performed with orchestras that include the Bolshoi Ballet Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, the Hamilton Philharmonic, the National Ballet Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
He became a member of L’Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec and Thunder Bay Symphony before becoming Principal Bassist of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 1980. He has since played with the orchestra at many events including performing at Carnegie Hall in 2012.
As a chamber musician he has been a soloist with Pro Coro Canada and the Edmonton Chamber Orchestra.
Recordings he has performed on include The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (A Concerto for Radio-Drum performed Piano and Ensemble) by David A. Jaffe and Andrew Schloss and Return of the Whirlwind by Ukrainian Shumka Dancers.
In the field of musical education he has been a contract instructor at the Alberta College Conservatory of Musica and a sessional instructor on the faculty of the University of Alberta since the mid-1980s. He has also been an instructor at Concordia, University of Edmonton.
Sources:
- https://www.ualberta.ca/music/people/sessional-faculty/jan-urke.html
- https://aehs.ca/heritage/cultural/musicians_urke_jan.html
- https://www.pressreader.com/canada/edmonton-journal/20120510/282312497095395
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/2725336-Jan-Urke
- https://concordia.ab.ca/faculty-arts/departments/fine-arts-degree/music/faculty-and-staff/