James Ehnes wins 2008 GRAMOPHONE Award

James Ehnes wins 2008 GRAMOPHONE Award

’Äú...James Ehnes brings to this great concerto a rapt identification, tingling temperament and glowing ardour...Not only is Ehnes's technical address impeccable and intonation miraculously true, his contribution is remarkable for its intrepid emotional scope, athletic agility and (perhaps above all) jaw-dropping delicacy (nowhere more heart-tuggingly potent than in the finale's accompanied cadenza).’Äù (Gramophone)

’ÄúEhnes, in whom technical acumen and beauty of tone can be taken for granted, captures the passion and wistfulness of the concerto's temperament ideally, the ebb and flow of emotion and pacing finding poignant counterparts in the way Andrew Davis conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra’Äù (Daily Telegraph)

’ÄúHe plays Elgar’Äôs Violin Concerto with an alchemic mix of passionate intensity and clear-headed intelligence, lavishing upon this spacious, hyper-romantic work a sound of staggeringly rich, luscious beauty, from first note to last.’Äù (Sunday Times)

James Ehnes has won the 2008 Gramophone Award for Best Concerto Recording of the Year for Elgar’Äôs Violin Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra (London), conducted by Sir Andrew Davis released on the ONYX label. This recording has received unanimous praise from critics worldwide ’Äî ’Äú[it] will be heard many times over the years as a model of an exceptionally intelligent and sensitive approach to the work.’Äù (BBC 3 CD Review).

This is the third major award for James Ehnes this year ’Äì his recording of the Barber, Korngold and Walton Concertos with the Vancouver Symphony conducted by Bramwell Tovey (CBC Records/ONYX) won the 2008 GRAMMY and JUNO Awards for Best Classical Album of the year. It also won the Western Canadian Music Award for Outstanding Classical Recording.

James's extensive discography of over 20 titles includes award-winners for the CBC, Analekta, Black Box, Chandos, Telarc, and Sony Classical labels in repertoire ranging from Bach to John Adams. His 250^th Mozart anniversary double-disc of the composer’Äôs complete works for violin and orchestra won the 2007 JUNO for best orchestral recording and has been hailed as a benchmark recording: ’Äúa clear first choice in the field’Äù (Classic FM).

’ÄúHomage’Äù, to be released shortly on the ONYX label, pays tribute to the world’Äôs most celebrated violin-makers. This unique CD\DVD project features performances on 12 of the greatest instruments ever made by Antonio Stradivari, Pietro Guarneri (Peter of Mantua), Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesˆ¼, Andrea Guarneri, Giuseppe Guadagnini, and Gasparo Bertolotti (Gasparo da Salˆ¾), all belonging to the extraordinary and unique Fulton Collection.

James Ehnes is widely considered one of the most dynamic and exciting performers in classical music. He has performed in over
20 countries on five continents with many of the world’Äôs most renowned orchestras and conductors. The 2008-2009 season takes him to Malaysia, Western and Eastern Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, the UK, Detroit, Nashville, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa.

James Ehnes performs on the ’Äúex-Marsick’Äù Stradivarius of 1715 and gratefully acknowledges its extended loan from the Fulton Collection.