Yosef Tamir-Smirnoff began studying the violin at Tchaikovsky Academic Music College at the Conservatory under the guidance of Irina Kouznetsova. After immigrating to Canada, Yosef studied viola in Montreal with Alexei Dyachkov, the former violist of the Shostakovich Quartet, and in Bloomington at Indiana University where he was the Teaching Assistant of Professor Alan DeVeritch, graduating with Artist Diploma. After settling in Toronto, his principal teachers were late David Zafer and Steven Dann.As a visiting artist, Yosef has given masterclasses at University of Toronto, Queens University, Silver Creek Music Foundation, Dalhousie University and Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute. He has been on a faculty of the Music in Port Milford International Chamber Music Festival and Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute.Yosef has led the viola sections of Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Yuri Bashmet, Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and Norwegian Radio Orchestra. He has performed and toured North and South Americas and Europe with Verbier Festival Orchestra, conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich. Other ensembles with which he has performed are I Musici de Montreal, National Ballet of Canada and Toronto Symphony Orchestras. He presently holds a position in the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra. As a soloist he has performed with Idyllwild Arts Chamber Orchestra, Toronto Philharmonia Orchestra, Huntsville Festival Orchestra and others.Yosef has been successful in numerous competitions: He won first prize in the Idyllwild arts Chamber Orchestra Concerto Competition, the Kuttner Quartet Competition, and second prize in both the American String Teacher’s Association and Montreal Symphony Orchestra Solo Competitions.