Long Bio • Short Bio
Canadian-born violinist Lara St. John has been described as "something of a phenomenon" by The Strad and a “high-powered soloist” by the New York Times .
She has performed as soloist with the orchestras of Cleveland, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Seattle, Brooklyn, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, the Boston Pops and many more in North America. In Europe, she has played with the NDR Symphony (Hanover), Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Bournemouth Symphony, and the Amsterdam Symphony, among others. In Asia, solo appearances have included the Hong Kong Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, China Philharmonic in Beijing, Guangzhou Symphony and the Shanghai Broadcasting Orchestra. Lara has also performed with the Queensland Orchestra in Australia.
The Los Angeles Times has written, “St. John brings to the stage personal charisma, an unflagging musical imagination and genuine passion.” Recitals in major concert halls have included New York, Boston, San Francisco, Ravinia, Washington DC, Prague, Berlin, Toronto, Montreal, and in the Forbidden City.
Lara St. John has been described as “something of a phenomenon” by The Strad and a “high powered soloist” by The New York Times. The Los Angeles Times has written, “St John brings to the stage personal charisma, an unflagging musical imagination and genuine passion.”
Lara St. John’s latest recording with the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and conductor Eduardo Marturet VIVALDI– The Four Seasons and Piazzolla – The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires reached No. 2 on the iTunes charts on its first day and Maestro José Antonio Abreu, the founder of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and El Sistema writes: "This stunning recording features the extraordinary violinist Lara St. John. She and the musicians of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra give an inspired performance under the baton of Eduardo Marturet." The Cleveland Plain Dealer said “Lara St. John is as captivating in the seductive scenes of the Piazzolla as she is crisp, caressing and colorful in Vivaldi's atmospheric paeans to nature” and Audiophile Audition stated “Do we need another Four Seasons? With playing and sound like this, yes we do!”
Lara’s sixth recording, Hindson – Corigliano – Liszt/Kennedy/St. John was released in 2008 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London, featuring two world premiere works; the Matthew Hindson Violin Concerto and the Martin Kennedy/ St. John arrangement of Totentanz by Franz Liszt, as well as The Red Violin Suite by John Corigliano. In writing of his impressions of the recording, John Corigliano commented: “I'm thrilled to be included in a new recording by the brilliant and always surprising Lara St. John. She is a real maverick, as a performer and in her choice of repertoire. An opulent and virtuosic new violin concerto and my Red Violin suite are coupled with a newly arranged version of a 19th century pianistic tour de force in her latest stunning release.”
Lara's fifth recording, Bach: The Six Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo, described as "awe-inducing" by The Toronto Star, and “wild, idiosyncratic, and gripping” by the Los Angeles Times, was released in the autumn of 2007 where it climbed to No. 2 and was the year’s best selling double album on iTunes.
Her third recording, Bach: the Concerto Album appeared in the “strongly recommended” section of Gramophone, which stated, "It is difficult to argue with such a technically dazzling and unfailingly musical interpretation." In June of 2005 the recording was released on iTunes where it immediately became No. 1 in the classical category. Lara has also recorded for Sony Classical.
Her debut CD, Bach: Works for Violin Solo, has sold over 50,000 copies and received resounding acclaim. The Chicago Tribune described Ms. St. John as having “superb technique and an irresistible vitality,” while US News and World Report called the recording “an exquisite performance.” Her second album, Gypsy, was described as “a sizzling display” by Gramophone, and The Strad called her "an electrifying player, as deeply satisfying in Bach as she is bewitchingly seductive in Waxman's Carmen Fantasy.”
She has been featured in People, US News and World Report, on CNN's Showbiz Today, NPR's All Things Considered, Fox News, CBC and a Bravo! Special: Live At the Rehearsal Hall.
Highlights of the 2008-2009 concert season include Lara’s London debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, her Wolf Trap recital debut with pianist Martin Kennedy, recitals in Montreal and New York, a performance with The Philadelphia Orchestra as well as concerts in Graz, the Czech Republic and a concert in Central Park with The Knights.
Lara began playing the violin when she was 2 years old. She made her first appearance as soloist with orchestra at age 4, and her European debut with the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon when she was 10. She toured Spain, France, Portugal and Hungary at ages 12 and 13, entered the Curtis Institute at 13, and spent her first summer at Marlboro three years later. Her teachers have included Felix Galimir, David Takeno, and Joey Corpus.
She performs on the 1779 “Salabue” Guadagnini thanks to an anonymous donor and Heinl & Co. of Toronto
Lara St. John has been described as “something of a phenomenon” by The Strad and a “high powered soloist” by The New York Times. The Los Angeles Times has written, “St John brings to the stage personal charisma, an unflagging musical imagination and genuine passion.”
Lara St. John’s latest recording with the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and conductor Eduardo Marturet Vivaldi – The Four Seasons and Piazzolla – The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires reached No. 2 on the iTunes charts on it’s first day.
Maestro José Antonio Abreu, the founder of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and El Sistema writes:
"This stunning recording features the extraordinary violinist Lara St. John. She and the musicians of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra give an inspired performance under the baton of Eduardo Marturet."
“Lara St. John is as captivating in the seductive scenes of the Piazzolla as she is crisp, caressing and colorful in Vivaldi's atmospheric paeans to nature”
– The Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Do we need another Four Seasons? With playing and sound like this, yes we do!”
– Audiophile Audition
“Gratefully, St. John continues to eschew the "standard" repertoire for her more creative whims, this brilliant Four Seasons pairing being a fine example.”
– All About Jazz
Of her release, Hindson/Corigliano/Liszt (arr. Kennedy/St. John) with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, John Corigliano writes: “I'm thrilled to be included in a new recording by the brilliant and always surprising Lara St. John. She is a real maverick, as a performer and in her choice of repertoire. An opulent and virtuosic new violin concerto and my Red Violin suite are coupled with a newly arranged version of a 19th century pianistic tour de force in her latest stunning release”
"All Praise to this Excellent Violinist for Championing Such a Vivid New Concerto"…The latest effort from the Canadian violinist reveals a serious artist using her fame to bring a worthy new work to light rather than focusing on herself”
- Gramophone
"..she is an extremely fine player who mixes quicksilver technique with gripping spontaneity to captivating effect.
- The Strad
"In all the works the excitement of St. John’s style and the colour of the Royal Philharmonic under Sarah Ioannides are nicely captured by Martha de Francisco”
- Montreal Gazette
"Lara St. John plays as she usually does, no one finer in my experience, and has done a great service in bringing the Hindson concerto to light. Highest recommendation"
- Audiophile Audition
Lara St. John’s double album, Bach: The Six Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo, was released in September 2007. In less than ten weeks, it became the best selling double album of the year on iTunes.
“I simply don't know where else you can go to hear Bach played at this level of artistry. Once again she eclipses her competition.” - American Record Guide
“Her account, in excellent SACD sound, of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas is wild, idiosyncratic and gripping.” - Los Angeles Times
“...a stunning achievement. The Canadian violinist takes the music at its written word, while imbuing each piece with personal touches that cast new light on familiar ground.”
- The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Her recording, Bach: The Concerto Album, was released in June of 2005 on iTunes where it immediately rose to No. 1 in the classical category and was listed in the “strongly recommended” section of Gramophone.
It is difficult to argue with such a technically dazzling and unfailingly musical
interpretation.
- Gramophone
Her album, Gypsy, was described as:
“a sizzling display” - Gramophone
"an electrifying player, as deeply satisfying in Bach as she is bewitchingly seductive in Waxman's Carmen Fantasy" - The Strad
Lara St. John’s debut recording, Bach: Works for Violin Solo, has sold over 50,000 copies and received resounding acclaim.
“superb technique and an irresistible vitality” - The Chicago Tribune
“an exquisite performance" - US News and World Report