With his rare combination of breathtaking virtuosity, quiet lyricism and unwavering musicality, Canadian violinist James Ehnes has established himself as one of the most sought-after musicians on international stages and in the world’s most prestigious concert halls. Recent and upcoming highlights of his orchestral career include performances with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, and many others.

As a dedicated chamber musician, Ehnes is also Artistic Director of the Seattle Chamber Music Society and director of Ehnes. He regularly performs as a soloist at London’s Wigmore Hall, New York’s Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the Verbier Festival and other major festivals. In the 2025/26 season, this violinist will embark on a recital tour of his native Canada and the US to mark his 50th birthday. James Ehnes also has an extensive discography and has received numerous awards for his recordings, including two Grammys, three Gramophone Awards and twelve Juno Awards. In 2021, Ehnes was named ›Artist of the Year‹ at the Gramophone Awards. James Ehnes plays the 1715 ›Marsick‹ Stradivarius.

Italian conductor and violinist Riccardo Minasi is celebrated as one of the most exhilarating talents in the European classical music scene. Since 2022, he has been the Principal Guest Conductor of Ensemble Resonanz at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and Artistic Director of Orchestra La Scintilla at the Zurich Opera House. From 2012 to 2015, he co-founded and conducted the ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro, from 2017 to 2022, he was Chief Conductor of the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra, and from 2022 to 2024, he was Music Director of the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa.

In recent seasons, Minasi has also conducted many renowned orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Staatskapelle Dresden to name but a few. His upcoming engagements include guest conducting engagements with Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Luxembourg Philharmonic and the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra. Riccardo Minasi also has an extensive discography and has received numerous awards, including the Diapason d’Or, the Echo Klassik and the BBC Music Magazine Award. He was also nominated for a Grammy Award. He will be making his debut with the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen this year.