Celebrated Violinist James Ehnes in Concert

Community Arts Music Association (CAMA) of Santa Barbara will conclude its 2022 season in spectacular fashion on Tuesday, May 24, with an appearance by acclaimed Canadian violinist James Ehnes at the Lobero Theatre. Accompanied by gifted pianist – and local favorite – Orion Weiss, Mr. Ehnes will perform Mozart’s Violin Sonata No.17 in C Major, Schubert’s Fantasy in C Major, Korngold’s Much Ado About Nothing, Suite Op.11, and Saint-Saëns’ Violin Sonata No.1 in D Minor. The concert will begin at 7:30 pm.

“The community is in for a rare treat, thanks to an anonymous donor who has generously underwritten this performance. James Ehnes is an exceptional talent, and excitement is rapidly building. I encourage the community to experience this great artist’s electrifying virtuosity in the intimate confines of the Lobero Theatre. I promise you it will be an exhilarating and unforgettable experience,” said CAMA President Mark Trueblood.

Hailed by the Daily Telegraph as “a supreme virtuoso and artist of the first rank,” 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, he is a favorite guest of many of the world’s leading ensembles. Recent orchestral highlights include appearances with the San Francisco Symphony, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with leading artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Antoine Tamestit, Jan Vogler, and Yuja Wang. He has performed across Europe with his Ehnes Quartet, and serves as artistic director of the Seattle Chamber Music Society.

Mr. Ehnes has an extensive discography and has won numerous awards for his recordings, including a Grammy Award (2019) for his live recording of Aaron Jay Kernis’ Violin Concerto with the Seattle Symphony and Ludovic Morlot, and a Gramophone Award for his live recording of the Elgar Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Sir Andrew Davis. His recording of the Korngold, Barber, and Walton violin concertos won a Grammy Award for ‘Best Instrumental Soloist Performance’ and a JUNO award for ‘Best Classical Album of the Year.’ His recording of the Paganini Caprices earned him universal praise, with The Diapason writing of the disc, “Ehnes confirms the predictions of Erick Friedman, eminent student of Heifetz: ‘There is only one like him born every hundred years.’” Recent releases include sonatas by Beethoven, Debussy, Elgar, and Respighi, and concertos by Walton, Britten, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and Strauss, as well as the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Andrew Manze.

Following his Santa Barbara debut in July 2019 at the Granada Theatre with the London Symphony Orchestra, a reviewer with Seen and Heard International was prompted to write, “Ehnes was magnificent throughout, an impressive figure on stage whose playing blazed like a laser beam, though brimming with compassion and heart.” Mr. Ehnes plays the “Marsick” Stradivarius of 1715.

Orion Weiss’ deeply felt and exceptionally crafted performances go far beyond his technical mastery and have won him worldwide acclaim. Recent performance highlights include his third appearance with the Chicago Symphony, a performance of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the release of his recording of Christopher Rouse’s Seeing, and recordings of the complete Gershwin works for piano and orchestra with longtime collaborators the Buffalo Philharmonic and JoAnn Falletta. An alumnus of Santa Barbara’s Music Academy of the West, Mr. Weiss made his debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood as a last-minute replacement for Leon Fleisher. In recent seasons, he has also performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. Also known for his affinity and enthusiasm for chamber music, Weiss performs regularly with the violinists Augustin Hadelich, William Hagen, Benjamin Beilman, James Ehnes, and Arnaud Sussman; the pianist Shai Wosner; the cellist Julie Albers; and the Ariel, Parker, and Pacifica quartets. CAMA presented Messrs. Weiss and Hadelich in concert at the Lobero Theatre in April 2019.

Tickets to the May 24 performance cost $38 and $48, and can be purchased at the Lobero Theatre Box Office, (805) 963-0761 or https://checkout.lobero.com/15823.

For additional information, call (805) 966-4324 or email info@camasb.org.

CAMA is Santa Barbara’s oldest arts organization. Its mission is to enrich the city’s cultural life by bringing live performances by world-renowned classical artists and orchestras of the highest artistic excellence to our community, and by providing creative, focused music education programs for individuals of all ages.