Elgar: Violin Concerto, Serenade for Strings with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Andrew Davis

"I'm mystified that the major labels aren't, as far as I know, vying to secure the services of James Ehnes. He plays Elgar's 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. There's a tremendous impetus to the first movement, while the slow movement has a tenderness and freedom that surely come straight from the heart. Ehnes is both technically and musically in total command." (Sunday Times, 28 October 2007)

A 'must have' for all serious collectors of romantic violin music
"This new recording takes him into a completely new realm. The strong technique, which was evident from the start, has now been ideally matched to a more deeply felt (though never ostentatious) performance style. Together with his natural musicianship, Ehnes seems to have a winning combination for this, one of Elgar's greatest masterpieces." (Music Criticism, 29 October 2007)

"This recording goes straight to the head of the class in every department. Ehnes's technique is so secure that he can focus his attention on projecting the drama and logic of the score, and this he does like few others." (Ottawa Citizen, 10 November 2007)

November 07 - With the OSM

"As with his recording from last year with Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony, James Ehnes performed the 30 minutes of Walton's Violin Concerto with radiant sonority and an absolute mastery, without having the least difficulty with the prolonged trills, repeated doublestops, fast passages covering several pages, etc. Tovey and the OSM provided him with, at the same time, precise and coloured support" (La Press, November 8, 2007)

James Ehnes "more than earns his ovations" in Winnipeg

"The andante began slowly, with Ehnes' prolonged notes changing and developing into finely honed treasures. This was utter romanticism; phrases that literally made the heart jump." (Winnipeg Free Press, September 14, 2007)

"Ehnes's technical mastery and pitch-perfect intonation was just the beginning. From his breathless, arching phrases that pierced the stratosphere in the sunny Violin Concerto No. 1, in B-flat Major (K207), to the limpid, suspended Adagio theme in Violin Concerto No. 3, in G-Major (K216), his playing thrilled the audience, capturing the imagination with an interpretation that was wholly authentic and vital." (Winnipeg Free Press, September 11, 2007)

James Ehnes at the 2007 BBC Proms

In Recital at Cadogan Hall:
"The fine Canadian fiddler James Ehnes and pianist Eduard Laurel had premiered an intriguing work by the American composer Aaron Jay Kernis called Two Movements (with Bells). The bells were well hidden in the piano texture, but the piece was superbly crafted, rhythmically charged and full of surging, sometimes angry emotion…" (The Times)

"..In Monday lunchtime's Proms chamber concert, Ehnes, with his regular pianist Eduard Laurel, made no less striking an impact in a deeply thoughtful performance of Elgar's Violin Sonata, combining emotional power with wistful delicacy, enriched with that subtle mix of light and shade, boldness and restraint that makes the work such an endlessly fascinating subject for interpretation." (The Telegraph)

With the Bournemouth Symphony, conducted by Marin Alsop - Samuel Barber's Violin Sonata
"In between came one of the most beautifully poised, heartfelt accounts of Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto it would be possible to imagine. The soloist was the young Canadian James Ehnes." (The Telegraph)

"James Ehnes was the soloist, effusively lyrical in the first two movements, hair-raisingly virtuosic in the finale, which was deemed unplayable at the time of composition…" (The Guardian)

04 July - With the Seattle Chamber Music Society

"Ehnes, newly appointed associate artistic director of the festival, played this lush, beautiful music with sympathy, sweetness of tone and limpid phrasing." (Seattle Post Intelligencer, 4 July 2007)

"First came a memorable reading of the familiar "Meditation" from Massenet's "Thais," performed with Ehnes' trademark gorgeous sound..." (The Seattle Times, 4 July 2007)

May 2007 - "James Ehnes was an impressive soloist" with the Philharmonia Orchestra

"James Ehnes bought out all these elements in a way that inspired a newly refreshed love for a familiar work. His intonation was impeccable, his control of the differing emotional elements was impressive and the end was truly magnificent, a fitting climax to a memorable interpretation." (Classical Source, 17 May 2007)

14 March 2007 - Mendelssohn Montreal

"Ehnes played with secure technique and musicianship, but more importantly with a rich silky sound, a very personal passion and emotional depth. Ehnes' performance... was secure and beautiful music-making of the highest level." (Times Argus, March 16, 2007)

"This Canadian is one of the steadiest on the circuit. His mix of quick tempo and steady vibrato in the Andante created a faithful metaphor for the composer's combined classical and romantic impulses." (The Gazette 15 March 2007)

“Between these two symphonic moments, James Ehnes performed Mendelssohn famous 2nd concerto for violin with a sensibility very close to the best in this repertoire.He approached the concerto with a lightness of bowing and balance in the virtuosic passages with a fine and bounding vivacity in the finale." (Le Devoir, 14 March 2007)

“James Ehnes took on the celebrated Concerto Op. 64 by Mendelssohn and brought it to port with no problems. Beautiful sonority, precision, musicality." (La Presse, 14 March 2007)

"All of 30, Ehnes has something of the patrician in him as a player, an extra degree of elegance flowing behind his sweet, superbly controlled tone. He had Mozart's lines singing poetically, each curve made meaningful, but without the slightest affectation. Cadenzas were full of character, not just technical finesse. With Herbig assuring a gently shaded response from the ensemble to match the soloist's refinement, the performance emitted a soft, ethereal glow." (The Sun, 9 March 2007)

"Post intermission saw the young Canadian violinist James Ehnes bring the house down with his darkly passionate performance of Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No.1, which invoked an instant standing ovation and multiple curtain calls, culminating in a much appreciated encore performance of a solo Bach. Most striking about Ehnes' playing is his gorgeous, rich, dark tone, which was particularly well suited to both the Shostakovich and Bach." (The Record, 3 March 2007)

23 Feb 2007 - A "dazzling" debut at Wigmore Hall

"Mercifully free of affectation or vanity, yet blessed with as stunning a technique and as intriguing a musical personality as any violinist on the circuit, James Ehnes seems set to become one of classical music's biggest names. ...he produces a simply gorgeous palette of timbres - sometimes warm and velvety, sometimes with the pellucid clarity of lark song at dawn, elsewhere thrillingly powerful and incisive." (London Times, 23 February 2007)
Read much more in the full review

"There is a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere about an Ehnes concert, and, in recitals, the close artistic rapport he has established with his customary pianist Eduard Laurel is patent. But behind the composure there lies a technical arsenal second to none, and a musical sensibility of extraordinary perception and communicative power." (Daily Telegraph, 22 February 2007)
More in the full review

25 Jan 2007 - A superb Elgar with the Duisburg Philharmoniker

"Before intermission, the second longest concerto in the violin literature - Edward Elgar's concerto - was given a grandiose performance... the horrendous technical requirements were wonderfully executed by James Ehnes...after the never ending applause Ehnes thanked the audience with the Praeludium from Bach's E major Partita." (NRZ, 22 January 2007)

"As the soloist, the brilliant 30-year-old Canadian violinist is ideal, his obvious love and deep understanding of these works shining through every bar of the music. Ehnes's playing [of the Korngold] is rapturously lyrical in the shimmering, wistful slow movement while also bringing shape and structure to the virtuoso passages. In all three concertos, James Ehnes proves that he is one of today's most talented violinists. His tone soars and sings like a human voice -- this is violin playing of the highest class. He brings out the nostalgic, hyper-emotional melodies of the Korngold without straying into over-sentimentality, as well as the often cheeky virtuoso brilliance of Walton's concerto with equal aplomb. His innate sense of rhythm and timing, and spot-on intonation almost make you forget he's playing an instrument, so clear and direct is his expression of the music."

full feature review and interview with James

"James Ehnes gives superb performances, bringing out their full emotional thrust without vulgarity or exaggeration. His playing has always been impressive on disc, but here he excels himself in expressive range as well as the tonal beauty, with expressive rubato perfectly controlled. An outstanding disc in every way."
Full review

"James Ehnes is the finest violinist of his generation and these superb concerto recordings are all the proof I need to make that statement. Lush tone, flawless technique and personality to burn make this one of the finest recordings of the year." (WRR, December 2006)

"The pure beauty of his violin is splendid... James Ehnes's interpretation is not exaggerated, flowing with the music, breathing with great sensitivity the lines of these concertos, his high notes very pure, woven together like a spider's web." (ClassicsToday France, January 2007)

"The Canadian violinist plays with grace, but also with brio, in particular in the virtuoso movements offered by these concertos." (ConcertoNet, January 2007)

"The young Canadian James Ehnes proves an admirable champion of all three works, unfazed by the technical demands of Korngold and Walton, and wallowing in their rhapsodic melodies. This is gorgeous music, sumptuously performed." (Sunday Times, 26 November 2006)

"Ehnes's playing is as smooth a silk." (Toronto Star, 23 November 2006)

"All three composers tested a soloist's virtuosity, particularly Samuel Barber in the "presto in moto perpetuo" that forms the short but fiendish finale to his concerto; nor was Walton any slouch in the demands he made in the "presto capriccioso alla napolitana" at the centre of the concerto that he wrote on the Amalfi coast. Mediterranean warmth as well as caprice radiates from Ehnes's performance, and in the other two concertos he gets right to the heart of the music's temperament, nostalgic but with spirited uplift as well. The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra does him proud in establishing vibrant, complementary support. This is a must-have disc." (Daily Telegraph, 11 November 2006) *CD of the Week*

"Mr. Ehnes lacks nothing for clean-cut virtuosity, and you'll not hear Barber's perpetual-motion finale tossed off with cooler brilliance. A really attractive combination of concertos, well played and naturally recorded." (Dallas Morning News, 28 October 2006)

"What a great collection of concertos. The performances show violinist Ehnes in peak form, full of star quality with his silky tone and almost offhanded ease with the technical fireworks (many of which were written for Jascha Heifetz)." (Philadelphia Inquirer, 22 October 2006)

"Ehnes is very convincing with this approach. He's virtuosic but not flashy. His sweet, warm tone wins you over and enhances the more purely musical aspects of this music, and especially in the gorgeous slow movement of the Korngold. Intonation and tuning are once again, near perfect, as are his phrasing and overall musicianship." (Sound Advice, 14 October 2006)

"Lustre and muscle" in Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under Marin Alsop
"What an honest musician this Canadian is. Nothing is superficial. He faced this warhorse squarely, made it live, and made it his own. He was febrile; his vibrato trilled; notes came glued with a little portamento. Yet nothing here was pushed to excess; nor was he ever out of step with the orchestra's own passion. Ehnes fully deserved his encore." (London Times, 20 November 2006)

"The soloist in Mendelssohn's E minor Violin Concerto was the outstanding young Canadian, James Ehnes. Bold of line and free of sentiment, Ehnes's playing had lustre and muscle, with beautiful turns of phrase in the slow movement and a light, airy quality to the finale. This was a performance that stripped away clichés that might have accrued in interpretations of this most familiar of concertos over the years, and showed it in all its originality and freshness." (Daily Telegraph, 17 November 2006)

Celebrating Mozart with Roberto Diaz and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
"Violinist James Ehnes and violist Roberto Diaz were the intrepid soloists for Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major. Happy to say, Ehnes and Diaz dispatched the tuneful concerto with ease and musicality. Ehnes' plush sound harmonized beautifully with the plangent, darker tone of Diaz, like cream and coffee. Their intricately woven melodies -- tastefully accompanied by Harth-Bedoya and the orchestra -- achieved the most synergy in the cadenzas, where individual virtuosity took a back seat to a warm blend. Both musicians made rich use of vibrato, the quivering of pitch often used by string players for expressive effect." (Star Telegram, 27 August 2006)

"The two string players brought in for a performance of the Sinfonia Concertante — an unusual hybrid, for orchestra, solo violin, and viola — were the most satisfying of the festival. Violinist James Ehnes, heard here in May performing the Brahms Violin Concerto, and violist Roberto Diaz played their hearts out in a shimmering reading that combined style and emotional intensity." (Fort Worth Weekly, 30 August 2006)

James Ehnes returns to the Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival
"Violinist James Ehnes, cellist Robert deMaine and Weiss played [chaikovsky's Trio for violin, cello and piano in A Minor] as musicians with one communal thought, and the result was enthralling." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 11 August 2006)

"Violinist James Ehnes made the most of his solo lines with a noble, strong and beautifully shaped tone [in Chausson's Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet]." (Seatlle Times, 28 July 2006)

"Violinist James Ehnes and pianist Adam Neiman played the crucial roles with spirit and determination. Ehnes possesses a sweet but penetrating sound and a refined musical sensibility, which found a natural home in the Chausson." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 28 July 2006)

"Violinist James Ehnes and cellist Ronald Thomas, who got the lion's share of the great string tunes, played with the most elegant refinement, coupled with a passion that was echoed in Anton Nel's mighty performance at the keyboard." (Seattle Times, 26 July 2006)

"The unexpected delight of the evening was violinist James Ehnes and harpist Heidi Krutzen in a Saint-Saens "Fantaisie" (Op. 124), which was all elegance and subtlety." (Seattle Times, 24 July 2006)

James Ehnes celebrates Shostakovich's centenary year with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under Marin Alsop
"This was the performance of Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto to take away as the ultimate souvenir of the composer's centenary year. It is rare to find an interpretation in which the music's impact is at once so shattering and so exhilarating, so firmly in control yet so generous in expression, so organic in conception yet so rich in its detailed exploration of the score. Extraordinary forces were at work here, and they were harnessed with potent artistic resolve." (Daily Telegraph, 24 March 2006)
To read the full review, click here

""Force and poetry. More than most executants, Ehnes found a way to balance these key ingredients, never sacrificing beauty of tone for the excitement of fist fights between bow and strings, yet still playing with fervour. His dark, soulful colouring cast its magic right from the opening; for the central passacaglia he avoided outright sobbing with the most carefully controlled vibrato. Ehnes's spell was at its strongest during the cadenza. This is the section that sorts out the field. Fancy show-offs or real musicians? Ehnes showed himself the genuine article, eschewing stop-go attractions for the greater power of a gradual increase in heat and dynamics. Most exciting." (Times, 27 March 2006)
To read the full review, click here

James Ehnes Superb with the New York Philharmonic
"Mr. Ehnes can really play. On Thursday night, Mr. Ehnes gave a superb account of the concerto. From the violinist, Walton requires gobs of lyricism, and Mr. Ehnes provided them. Seldom will you hear such singing on a violin. He was utterly seamless. Mr. Ehnes's sound was focused, sweet -- but it was never sugary. Technically, Mr. Ehnes seemed capable of anything. And he showed admirable understanding of Walton's music." (New York Sun, January 9, 2006)

"Delicacy and buoyancy distinguished Ehnes' performance, particularly in his first-movement solo cadenza and the balletic sequence to follow. The piece is melodious to its core, with the violinist making the most of the tunes in even the busiest passagework...the sounds he made were spot-on, yielding the purest intonation whether in the glassy ponticello touches of the first movement's ending or the garlands of piquant double-stopping in the Prokofiev-like central scherzo. Ehnes was a connoisseur's player in a connoisseur's piece." (Star Ledger, January 9, 2006)

Best of 2005
James Ehnes makes the list of best performances in London's Daily Telegraph and Florida's Sun Sentinal and Rick Philips chose James's recording of Bach Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord as one of his top ten picks of the year:

"I was profoundly moved by the Elgar Violin Concerto played by James Ehnes in Brighton." (Daily Telegraph, 24 December 2005)

"The Canadian fiddler displayed the flexibility, turn-on-a-dime technique and musical integrity that have made him one of the finest violinists currently before the public. With first-rate support by pianist Eduard Laurel, Ehnes served up music of Schumann, Grieg, Dvorak and Kreisler with aristocratic finesse and faultless technical command." (Sun-Sentinal, December 29, 2005)

James Ehnes Excites Hometown Concertgoers
When news of James Ehnes's homecoming to Brandon, Manitoba for a recital on Wednesday September 21 with pianist Eduard Laurel spread and tickets went on sale, the recital sold out in 1/2 an hour, causing a shift to a larger venue to accomodate the demand.

"The beauty, warmth and colour of James Ehnes' violin playing just about made me weep and gave me a new appreciation for the upper register. The duo's interpretation of the technically demanding Sonata No. 1, Sz. 75 (1921) by Bartók demonstrated the players' mastery of their instrument, the breadth of their emotions and their depth of their musical partnership. In the final programmed work, Brahm's Sonata in A, Op. 100, he held the audience captivated with his lush vibrato." (Brandon Sun, 23 September 2005)

Acclaim for James Ehnes's recording of Dvorak's Violin Concerto (Chandos)
"The Canadian violinist James Ehnes gives a strong, incisive performance...with the furiant finale bitingly fresh." (July 2005)

"The performance is undeniably effective, just as Ehnes's perfectly centred, intensely musical violin playing demands attention…" (Guardian, 1 July 2005)

"The Violin Concerto features the exceptionally musical James Ehnes as soloist in a performance that captures the work's combination of brio and voluptuous passion." (Daily Telegraph, 23 July 2005)

Bach Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord, Vol. 1 with Luc Beausejour (harpsichord)
"James Ehnes has already made a number of outstanding recordings, but this may be his finest yet. It will come as no surprise to his growing band of admirers that technically and internationally these performances are utterly blemish less, without the slightest sense of strain...Ehnes's golden tone is seamlessly sustained throughout the register and his use of vibrato exquisitely subtle, based around an extremely narrow medium pace, absolutely ideal for music of this period…" (International Record Review, June 2005)

"Ehnes, of course, carries the tunes, and he makes his Strad sound like a soprano with musical heart and the most exquisite cantabile phrasing. He also eschews Romantic colouration in favour a clear, restrained tonality devoid of vibrato that is especially effective when the music is pulling him forward." (Edmonton Journal, 4 June 2005)

"Like the great Belgian player, Ehnes commands a beguilingly sweet, singing tone and adopts an unashamedly expressive approach to the adagios, andantes and largos of the four sonatas. The allegros and prestos have an irresistible élan and momentum. Highly recommended." (Sunday Times, 29 May 2005)

"James Ehnes seems incapable of making a recording that is anything less than first-class.... As before, Ehnes' polished musicianship is particularly well suited to this repertoire. His fluid playing, light articulation and elegant decoration are delightful, with his sweet burnished tone bringing out the lyric freshness in slow movements without sacrificing Baroque." (Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2005)

"The results are stellar, giving both unrepentant modernists and early-music purists reason to think in new ways about Bach." (The Seattle Times, April 3, 2005)

Romantic Pieces...another huge success!
"Ehnes and his pianist [give] performances which bring out the most winning qualities of each work with rare understanding." (Gramophone, August 2004)

"Another out-and-out winner." (London Daily Telegraph, March 27, 2004)

"With this latest recording, James Ehnes proves that he posseses everything to become one of the greatest violinists of the 21st century." (Classica, April 2004)

"Ehnes is a world-class violinist and he proves it once again with intense, characterful, and technically flawless renditions of these Czech gems." (Classics Today, April 2004)

James Ehnes wows Scottish concert-goers
The Scottish press lavished James Ehnes with praise after a tour of Scotland playing Prokofiev's Concerto No. 1 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Stephene Deneve conducting. The Glasgow Herald described Ehnes's performance as "sweetly expressive yet powerful in the lyrical outer movements, with impressive, sparkling technical accuracy in the angular central scherzo." (3 November 2003)

"And here's yet another notch in the belt of James Ehnes. With every new recording, he shows his versatility and range. Once again, Ehnes seems completely comfortable. His control, patience and maturity are really well beyond his years. Five out of five." (Sound Advice, CBC Radio, 21 February 2004)

James Ehnes in Recital in Belfast with Eduard Laurel (piano)

"Excellent musicianship. James Ehnes produced a gritty and integrated performance, his determined approach to tempi maintaining a momentum that powered the vehicle forward." (Belfast Telegraph, 1 March 2004)

On Tour with Les Violons du Roy

"Ehnes penetrated to the sublime core of the music and created that time-stopping, rapt hush in the hall that is the very emblem of great music understood." (Globe and Mail, 10 February 2004)

"Ehnes's tonal brightness proved the ideal complement to the violist's mahogany beauty. They shared and traded phrases with seamless life…they probed phrases like philosophers in wise conversation. Even the privileged monarchs of France couldn't have been this fortunate." (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 5 February 2004)

Weill's Violin Concerto a "dynamite" debut with the San Francisco Symphony

"A dynamite debut. Ehnes…made a terrific case for the piece. His playing boasts a quiet elegance, seemingly without effort or turmoil, that brought out the lyricism underscoring even Weill's most tartly pointed writing. His string tone is warm and full-voiced, his rhythmic control deceptively fluid. His return visit is something to look forward to." (San Francisco Chronicle, November 8, 2003)

James Ehnes with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra

, in a strong performance of Prokofiev's First Violin Concerto in the Usher Hall on Friday, Ehnes gave a hint of what all the fuss is about; "sweetly expressive yet powerful in the lyrical outer movements, with impressive, sparkling technical accuracy in the angular central scherzo." (Glasgow Hearld, November 3, 2003)

Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the Alabama Symphony

"James Ehnes...provided rising-star ebullience. A meticulous, highly refined technician, he plays with more classicism than bravura, yet he possesses that rare talent of bringing a crowd to total silence at an important trill or cadence." (Birmingham News, September 14, 2003)

James Ehnes with the Minnesota Orchestra and William Wolfram

"Ehnes' cadenzas were sublime and undoubtedly the high point of the evening." (St. Paul Pioneer Press, July 14, 2003)

Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the New York Philharmonic

"an exciting reading of the Tchaikovsky, playing the slower sections with a smooth and warm honeyed tone and the brisker ones with ample quantities of firepower…" (New York Times, July 9, 2003)

Sibelius's Violin Concerto with the Florida Orchestra

"Ehnes showed the range of a mature artist: a spectrum of tonal colors, balanced intonation, persuasive phrasing, a delicate vibrato and a keen sense of the concerto's implied lyricism." (Tampa Tribune, April 26, 2003)

On Tour with the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec

"Ehnes was coolly masterful as soloist...dazzling the Roy Thomson audience with a combination of sweetness of tone, a powerful technique and an ease with his instrument that made the challenges of the work seem effortless and simple." (Globe and Mail, April 11, 2003)

With the BBC Philharmonic

"James Ehnes played with spellbinding intensity, shimmering magically to life with his opening solo, then digging into the scherzo's rough middle section with a relish that was both earthy and jaw-droppingly virtuosic." (Guardian, February 3, 2003)

"James Ehnes brought phenomenal clarity to Prokofiev's First Violin Concerto, moving surefootedly even in passages where the starriest virtuosos slip and slide, yet was also sensitive to the fairy-tale atmosphere in which the whole unfolds." (Daily Telegraph, February 3, 2003)

Recital in Montreal with Pro Musica

"His virtuosity riveted the public to their seats. High notes dead on and relaxed, effortless shifting, perfect harmonies, pizzicatos with the left hand, everything is there and in such a way that one can only be reminded of the echos of the past critiques of the power that Paganini had over his public. If the music seduced us before, here the virtuosity convinced us of a great artist who could and did everything. And magnificently well." (Le Devoir, January 14, 2003)

"Ehnes showed his mastery and elegance. These two adjectives are usually reserved for great artists, of which James Ehnes is manifestly one. … James Ehnes, at 27, has already achieved the gold standard, and with his fabulous violin, one has the impression that his artistry will live forever. His playing grabs your attention from the first notes to the last." (La Presse, January 14, 2003)

Reviews of Max Bruch Concerto No. 2 & Scottish Fantasy

"Ehnes here confirms his stature as an artist of refined sensibility, with a musicianship to match his technical control and tonal allure." (Daily Telegraph, March 15, 2003)

"I am going to sound a bit like a broken record in dealing with James Ehnes. My list of superlatives is running short. Without question he is one of our bright musical lights right now. The new CD gets five stars." * * * * * (Rick Phillips, Sound Advice, CBC Radio, November 16, 2002)

Reviews of James Ehnes Plays Fritz Kreisler

"…outstanding release. There is a warm seductiveness that colours his approach to many of the works. When technical fireworks are called for he even upstages the old master, intonation in the frequent passages of double-stopping being absolutely infallible. …his silvery tone proving a constant joy to the ear." (Strad, February 2003)

"As a violinist, the Canadian is top-of-the-range luxury goods: the sound he produces is ravishing, the intonation faultless, the articulation impeccable… The most satisfying Kreisler programme and modern performances currently available - and that includes those by Bell, Mintz and Kennedy." * * * * * (BBC Music Magazine, January 2003)

"James Ehnes tackles these brilliant pieces by Kreisler with a moving lyricism. There is nothing mechanical about his playing, but a facility to arouse an incomparable nostalgia. Even in the most virtuoso parts, the rich palette of sound of the instrument opens spaces where the poetry is queen. He literally crushes the competition, however impressive (Perlman, for example)… this is the number one Kreisler recording in the current discography." (Répertoire, November 2002)

"He plays confidently and securely, with elegance, taste and style. As usual, Ehnes plays with his large, full but sweet tone, always in tune. James Ehnes continues to get better and better with every recording." * * * * * (Rick Phillips, Sound Advice, CBC Radio, October 19, 2002)

Ulster Orchestra Performance

"From the effervescent opening the violinist proved himself a poet, both for the beauty of his tone and the purity of his phrasing. ... Such was the audience's delight that they wanted more and Mr Ehnes returned to the stage to play an unaccompanied Praeludium from Partita No.3 by JS Bach. This was scrumptious!" (Irish News, October 21, 2002)

With the New Jersey Symphony

Most striking in a concert filled with striking events was violinist James Ehnes' silken performance of Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto. ... the soloist played the piece with Classical restraint and ultra-clean line." (Classical New Jersey Society Journal, October 10, 2002)

BBC Proms

"It is the thought that lies behind his interpretations, coupled with a spontaneous freshness, that marks him out as one of the most gifted and sincerely expressive artists to have emerged in recent times. The Brahms exhibited this comprehensively… Altogether remarkable." (London Telegraph, September 4, 2002)

"Ehnes plays with a firm, generous, vibrant sound, and knows when to soar above the orchestra and when to blend in with them. " (Guardian, September 5, 2002)

"It was a stunningly accurate reading, graced by his consistently rich tone." (Evening Standard, September 5, 2002)

"What strikes you immediately is the lightness of Ehnes's touch and the seeming effortlessness of his playing. The beauty of Ehnes's playing is a virile elegance that eschews both pyrotechnics and preciousness. He captivates an audience." (Globe and Mail, July 20, 2002)

Seattle Chamber Music Summer Festival

"Ehnes' sound poured out like butter -- rich and strong and pliant, propelled by a secure bow arm and a technique of impressive accuracy. He is a powerful, purposeful player who has worked out every detail of interpretation; he draws you in with his intelligence. (Seattle Times, July 3, 2002 - review of Seattle Chamber Music Society's Summer Festival)

"The playing was both cultivated and genial, using a violin tone of rare beauty to find in the music its delicacy, rhythmic vitality and refinement of shaping. Ehnes has an unostentatious talent. There is an ease and grace to his playing, but it is underpinned by mature insights. There will be other opportunities to hear him in London during the summer, and admirers of artistry at it's purest should not miss them." (The Daily Telegraph, March 25, 2002)

"We've been most fortunate through the years to hear several world-renowned string masters from Itzhak Perlman and the late Isaac Stern on down. But TPAC's Jackson Hall has rarely if ever witnessed such a brilliant single performance." (Tennessean, April 7, 2002)

"James Ehnes, brilliant young Canadian virtuoso from Manitoba…is an impressive soloist with an exceptionally pure, sweet tone…."(Grammaphone, September 2001)

"Though warmly romantic in his playing, Ehnes with his bright, sweet, pure tone, is never soupy in a traditionally romantic way. Intonation is flawless with a clear, middle-of-the-note focus." (Gramophone, July 2002)

Reviews of Bach's Sonatas & Partitas (Analekta, 2000)

"They have a concentration which combined with Ehnes' flawless technique making them consistently compelling" (Gramophone, July 2002)

"Ehnes's mastery of his instrument in quite exceptional: his sound is lustrous, his intonation flawless, his stamina untiring... Above all, these are noble readings of a high seriousness - controlled, poised, totally untrammelled." (BBC Music Magazine, Sept. 2001)

"Before Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite ", which ended the concert, the soloist in Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto was the impressive young Canadian violinist James Ehnes. This was his London debut, and this performance emphasized his winning combination of warm, glistening tone, supple virtuosity and subtle expressiveness " (The Telegraph - 30 July 2001)