Biography

“Playing of phenomenal control allied to musicianship of the highest order,” declared The Times of London about violinist James Ehnes. He has performed in over thirty countries on five continents, appearing regularly in the world’s great concert halls with many of the most celebrated orchestras. His extensive discography includes over forty recordings of music from Bach to Adams. As an avid chamber musician, Ehnes tours with his string quartet, the Ehnes Quartet, and leads the winter and summer festivals of the Seattle Chamber Music Society, where he is Artistic Director. His many awards and prizes include the first-ever Ivan Galamian Memorial Award and the Virginia Parker Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts. In 2007 he became the youngest person ever elected as a Fellow to the Royal Society of Canada. In 2010 the Governor General of Canada appointed Ehnes a Member of the Order of Canada, in 2013 he was named an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, and in 2017, he was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society Award in the Instrumentalist category. In 2016, Ehnes undertook a cross-Canada recital tour, performing in each of the country’s provinces and territories to celebrate his 40th birthday. Born in Brandon, Manitoba, Ehnes began studying his instrument at the age of four, and at thirteen had already made his professional orchestral debut with the Montreal Symphony. He plays the 1715 “Marsick” Stradivarius. 7th LMMC appearance.

Robert Markow