James Ehnes, Master in Surgery FRSC is a Canadian concert violinist.
Background
Ehnes was born in Brandon, Manitoba, the son of Alan Ehnes, long time trumpet professor at Brandon University (Canada), and Barbara Withey Ehnes, former ballerina with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Ruth Page"s International Ballet, and Chicago Ballet, and former director of the Brandon School of Dance.
Education
In October 2005, he was awarded a Doctor of Music degree (honoris causa) from Brandon University and in July 2007 he became the youngest person ever elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Career
Ehnes began his violin studies at the age of four and at age nine became a protégé of the noted Canadian violinist Francis Chaplin. Ehnes performs on the 1715 "Marsick" Stradivarius. Ehnes tours with his string quartet, the Ehnes Quartet, and is Artistic Director of the Seattle Chamber Music Society.
In an interview with the music writer Thomas May, Ehnes explained why he feels such compatibility with his fellow string quartet members (violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti, violist Richard O’Neill, and cellist Robert deMaine): "We share the same sound ideal.
And we naturally feel pulse and pacing in basically the same way.".