James Ehnes

James Ehnes has established himself as one of the most sought-after violinists on the international stage. Gifted with a rare combination of stunning virtuosity, serene lyricism and an unfaltering musicality, Ehnes is a favorite guest of the world’s most celebrated orchestras and concert halls. Recent performance highlights include the MET Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, San Francisco Symphony, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, London Symphony, and Munich Philharmonic in addition to recital and chamber music appearances around the globe. Ehnes has an extensive discography and has won many awards for his recordings, including two Grammys and eleven Juno Awards. Recent releases include sonatas by Beethoven, Debussy, Elgar and Respighi, and concertos by Beethoven, Walton, Britten, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Kernis, Howard and Strauss. Ehnes began violin studies at the age of five, became a protégé of the noted Canadian violinist Francis Chaplin aged nine, and made his orchestra debut with L’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal aged 13. He continued his studies with Sally Thomas at the Meadowmount School of Music and The Juilliard School. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and in 2010 was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. Ehnes was awarded the 2017 Royal Philharmonic Society Award in the Instrumentalist category, and was named Gramophone's 2021 Artist of the Year. Ehnes plays the “Marsick” Stradivarius of 1715.