11.18.2010 – James Ehnes Releases New Recording of Mendelssohns Violin Concerto and Octet
January 2011 – Recognized around the globe for his prolific and multi-award winning recordings, violinist James Ehnes adds to his discography of over 25 CDs with a new release featuring Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and Octet, once again on the Onyx label.
James and the Philharmonia Orchestra are reunited after the success of their Gramophone Award-winning Elgar concerto recording, this time with renowned maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy conducting Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor which was recorded live in January 2010 in London, UK. James: “The concerto has been one of my very favorite pieces of music since I first performed it 25 years ago, and to record it with my dear friend and colleague Vladimir Ashkenazy and the wonderful Philharmonia Orchestra was a dream come true.”
Of their performance of the violin concerto in January 2010, Seen and Heard exclaimed: “The absolute highlight of the evening was James Ehnes’s performance of Mendelssohn’s violin concerto. In short, Ehnes gave us pretty well everything one could want in a performance of the work – subtlety, delicacy, emotional range, long lines, beautiful (but not self-indulgent or attention-seeking) phrasing, glittering passage work, immense fluency and extraordinary tonal range. Mendelssohn’s skilful transitions were adroitly managed and the sheer sparkle and fizz of the third movement were generated by soloist and conductor alike. Altogether this was an outstanding performance.”
For the sparkling and precocious Octet in E-flat, James is joined by musicians from the Seattle Chamber Music Society, recorded during their 2010 Summer Festival. Currently Associate Artistic Director of the Seattle Chamber Music Society, James gathered acclaimed artists from among his long-time chamber-music collaborators: Erin Keefe, Andrew Wan, Augustin Hadelich (violins); Cynthia Phelps, Richard O’Neill (violas); Robert deMaine, Edward Arron (cellos). “While the concerto is one of Mendelssohn’s final works, the Octet is one of his earliest masterpieces, written when he was just 16 years old. I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to record this with some of my closest friends from the Seattle Chamber Music Society, an organization that has had a very special place in my life for the last 15 years.”
James: “I hope this recording will bring as much pleasure to its listeners as this music has brought to me.”
BACKGROUND
Hailed as “the Jascha Heifetz of our day” (Globe and Mail) and for his “jaw-droppingly breath-taking violinistic fireworks” (Musicweb International), James has performed in over 30 countries on five continents, appearing with the best-known orchestras and conductors. Following a busy summer of concerts in San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Banff, Aspen, and at the BBC Proms, the 2010-2011 season takes James to Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Europe, the UK, South America, and across Canada and the United States. Highlights include his return “down under” where he appears as both conductor and soloist, performances with the BBC Philharmonic of Bartók’s violin and viola concertos (recorded for future CD release by Chandos), and a US tour with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
His recordings, which range from Bach violin sonatas to John Adams’s Road Movies, have been honored with many international prizes, including a GRAMMY, a GRAMOPHONE, and 6 JUNO awards. James Ehnes plays the “Marsick” Stradivarius of 1715 on extended loan from the Fulton Collection.
More on: www.jamesehnes.com
-30-
For more information, please contact:
Moira Johnson Consulting
Tel: (1) 613 565 0666 Email: moira@moirajohnson.com megan@moirajohnson.com
