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James Ehnes' 50th Canada Birthday Tour

James Ehnes, photo by Ben Ealovega.

 James Ehnes, photo by Ben Ealovega. 

 

James Ehnes is back!

One of the planet’s most renowned violinists celebrates his 50th birthday with a not-to-be-missed tour across Canada.

The Banff Centre favourite will perform in recital with the celebrated pianist Andrew Armstrong; the pair have collaborated on several acclaimed recordings. Together, they’ll perform a repertoire including Brahms’s “Sonata No. 3,” Bartók’s “Rhapsody No 1,” and the world premiere of Carmen Braden’s “Imaginal,” co-commissioned by Banff Centre.

Ehnes’s extensive discography has won a bounty of awards, including two Grammys, three Gramophone Awards, and 12 JUNO Awards—the most of any classical musician in history.  

He’s also one of the most sought-after musicians on the international classical stage. Recent and upcoming orchestral highlights include the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, LA Phil, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Cleveland Orchestra.

A devoted chamber musician, Ehnes is the Artistic Director of the Seattle Chamber Music Society and the leader of the Ehnes Quartet.

He plays the “Marsick” Stradivarius of 1715, named after Belgian violinist and teacher Martin Pierre Marsick (1847–1924), who owned the instrument created by Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. Valued at approximately $10-million CAD, the instrument was purchased in 1999 by collector David L. Fulton, who immediately loaned it to violinist James Ehnes and then sold it to him a decade later. 

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About James Ehnes

James Ehnes has established himself as one of the most sought-after musicians on the international stage. Gifted with a combination of stunning virtuosity, serene lyricism, and unfaltering musicality, Ehnes is a favourite guest at the world’s most celebrated concert halls.  

Recent and upcoming orchestral highlights include the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, NHK Symphony, LA Phil, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Cleveland Orchestra.  

A devoted chamber musician, Ehnes is the Artistic Director of the Seattle Chamber Music Society and the leader of the Ehnes Quartet. As a recitalist, he performs regularly at Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Symphony Center Chicago, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Verbier Festival, Dresden Music Festival, and Festival de Pâques in Aix.  

During the 25/26 season, Ehnes will embark on his 50th birthday recital tour in his native Canada, with performances in every province and territory.

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, winning the Peter Mennin Prize for Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Music upon his graduation in 1997. He is a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Manitoba, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and an honorary fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, where he is a Visiting Professor. Since 2024, he has been Professor of Violin at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.