James Ehnes
James Ehnes has established himself as one of the foremost violinists of his generation.
Hailed as “an important new force in the chamber music arena” with a “dream-team line-up”(Strings), the Ehnes Quartet is comprised of four internationally renowned string musicians: violinists James Ehnes and Amy Schwartz Moretti, violist Richard O’Neill, and cellist Edward Arron. Formally established in 2010 at the Seattle Chamber Music Society, where they maintain a yearly residence, the members of the Ehnes Quartet have played chamber music together in various formations for more than 20 years.
The quartet’s highly refined, sensitive and expressive performances have delighted audiences and critics across North America and Europe, and have made them one of the most sought after chamber groups performing today.
Gifted with a rare combination of stunning virtuosity, serene lyricism and an unfaltering musicality, Ehnes has appeared with, amongst others, the orchestras of Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, New York, London Symphony, Philharmonia, BBC Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the NHK Symphony.
Alongside his concerto work, James Ehnes maintains a busy recital schedule. He performs regularly at the Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Symphony Center Chicago, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Ravinia, Montreux, Chaise-Dieu, the White Nights Festival in St Petersburg, Edinburgh Festival, Festival de Pâques in Aix, and in 2009 he made his debutat the Salzburg Festival performing the Paganini Caprices. The Artistic Director of the Seattle Chamber Music Society, Ehnes has an extensive discography and has wonmany awards for his recordings including a Gramophone Award for his live recording of the Elgar Concerto with Sir Andrew Davis and the Philharmonia Orchestra.
His recording of the Korngold, Barber and Walton violin concertos won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance and a JUNO award for Best Classical Album of the Year. Ehnes began violin studies at the age of four, became a protégé of the noted Canadian violinist Francis Chaplin aged nine, made his orchestral debut with Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal at age 13 and graduated from The Juilliard School in 1997, winning the Peter Mennin Prize for Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Music. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and in 2010 was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. James Ehnes plays the “Marsick”Stradivarius of 1715.