Violinist James Egnes to Begin National Tour

On Wednesday, January 27 2016, James Ehnes turned 40! To celebrate, he’s throwing a super-sized birthday party in the form of a national recital tour featuring stops in all of Canada’s provinces and territories from April 28 to May 30 and September 14 to November 5. 

 
“As the milestone of my 40th birthday approached, it struck me that I could give myself and my family no better gift than the opportunity to explore this great nation from West to East, North to South. On the tour I will visit every Province and Territory, reconnecting with the many Canadians who have supported me throughout my career and meeting new friends along the way.”
 
James will be joined on the James Ehnes@40: Canada 2016 tour by acclaimed pianist Andrew Armstrong with whom he has performed in recital across the globe and recorded numerous award-winning CDs.
 
The tour kicks off in the nation’s capital, Ottawa and takes James and Andrew on a journey across the country to Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Regina, James’s hometown Brandon, Winnipeg, Yellowknife, Iqaluit, London, Halifax, Toronto, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Edmonton, Montreal, Kingston, Quebec City, Victoria, Whitehorse, Sackville, Halifax, Charlottetown, finishing up in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
 
A highlight of the tour is the premiere of a new work by award-winning composer and Vancouver Symphony Music Director Bramwell Tovey.
 
“When James approached me for a work for his 40th birthday tour,” Maestro Tovey comments, “I was delighted to celebrate our musical partnership in this way – we go back over a quarter of a century and first met in Winnipeg when James was only 13. I was delighted to conduct his first European performance with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and of course, to win the GRAMMY for Best Instrumentalist with Orchestra with James and the VSO in 2008. For the recital tour, without giving too much away, I have the chance to test that formidable technique and the way in which it is allied to an unerring musicality. It is my wish that Stream of Limelight will give James the opportunity to display those extraordinary gifts that bring so many people closer to the music when he performs.”
 
The program also features Handel’s Sonata in D major, HWV 371, Beethoven’s Sonata in F major, Op. 24 “Spring”, and a selection of virtuoso pieces to be announced from the stage, though repertoire may vary in some locations. As part of the 21C Music Festival, James and Andrew’s recital at Toronto’s Koerner Hall will have a contemporary focus and include the new Bramwell Tovey work as well as  Two Movements (with Bells) which was written by renowned composer Aaron Jay Kernisfor James and premiered at the 2007 BBC Proms.
 
TOUR CD
A CD featuring the tour program James Ehnes@40: The Canadian Tour will be available exclusively to recital audience members. Produced by the ONYX Classics label, the disc will be released internationally in early 2017.  James and Andrew have recorded numerous CDs together, including the 2015 JUNO-winning Bartok Chamber Works vol. 3 (Chandos), the 2014-JUNO winner Prokofiev Complete Violin Works (Chandos), and a newly released disc of works by Franck and Strauss (Onyx Classics) as well as an upcoming release featuring pieces by Debussy, Strauss and Respighi (Onyx Classics). 
 
CBCMUSIC
Follow the James Ehnes@40: Canada 2016 tour on CBC Music: “CBC Music is proud to cover James Ehnes’s 40th birthday concert tour. Ehnes will be the guest host of CBC Radio 2’s In Concert on Sunday, May 8, when listeners will be able to hear one of his Ehnes@40 recitals in full and enjoy stories about his favourite conductors and recordings. He will also have a turn as guest editor at CBCMusic.ca. For photo galleries, videos and more, go to cbcmusic.ca/ehnes40.”
 
 
DOCUMENTARY
Collective Mind Entertainment has announced that it will produce an in-depth documentary about James to be aired in the fall of 2016 on MTS TV Stories From Home. The documentary will follow James throughout the tour and give audiences a rare glimpse into the life of a violin virtuoso with personal interviews and recital footage. Nate Bower is an accomplished filmmaker with more than a dozen documentary productions to his credit. His most recent docudrama I Came Back – Glen Kirkland’s Story will air nationally on CBC later this year. 
 
 
TOUR DETAILS
 

 
BIOGRAPHIES
JAMES EHNES, VIOLIN
GRAMMY, GRAMOPHONE and ten-time JUNO award-winning violinist James Ehnes is widely considered one of the world’s finest violinists. Known for his virtuosity and probing musicianship, he has performed in 37 countries on five continents, appearing regularly in the world’s great concert halls and with the most celebrated orchestras and conductors. In addition to his solo work, he is also the first violinist of the Ehnes Quartet and the Artistic Director of the Seattle Chamber Music Society. His extensive discography of over 40 recordings features music ranging from J.S. Bach and Antonio Vivaldi to John Adams and Aaron Jay Kernis.  Born in 1976 in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, he began violin studies at the age of four, and at age nine became a protégé of the noted Canadian violinist Francis Chaplin. He studied with Sally Thomas at the Meadowmount School of Music and at The Juilliard School.  He is a Member of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and is an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music.  James Ehnes plays the “Marsick” Stradivarius of 1715 and lives in Florida with his family.  www.jamesehnes.com

ANDREW ARMSTRONG, PIANO
Praised by critics for his passionate expression and dazzling technique, pianist Andrew Armstrong has delighted audiences around the world. He has appeared in solo recitals and with orchestras in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States and in chamber music with violinist James Ehnes, cellist Robert deMaine, the Elias, Alexander, American and Manhattan String Quartets, as a member of the Caramoor Virtuosi, the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, and Amelia Piano Trio. His solo recordings feature works by Rachmaninov, Mussorgsky, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, and the world premiere recording of Bielawa’s Wait for piano & drone (Cordelia Records). He has also released several award-winning recordings with his frequent recital partner James Ehnes including works by Bartók, Prokofiev, Tartini, Leclair, Franck, and Strauss.  Andrew is devoted to outreach programs and playing for children. In addition to his many concerts, his performances are heard regularly on National Public Radio and WQXR, New York City’s premier classical music station. www.andrewarmstrong.com
 
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