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Guest Artist

A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, violinist
Alexander Velinzon joined the Boston Symphony
Orchestra in January 2000, became assistant
concertmaster in 2005, and was promoted to
associate concertmaster in 2015. Since then
he has played as concertmaster under the
direction of James Levine, Kurt Masur, Sir Colin
Davis, Michael Tilson Thomas, and other leading
conductors. In addition, he has been invited to
play as concertmaster with such orchestras as the
London Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic,
Seoul Philharmonic, WDR Symphony Orchestra,
and NDR Radio Philharmonic.
An active performer of chamber music, Mr. Velinzon is a member of the Boston-
based Walden Chamber Players and has appeared with the Boston Symphony
Chamber Players. He has been seen playing chamber music in Europe, Japan,
and the United States, and since 2009 has been a member of the LiveArts string
quartet.
Mr. Velinzon began playing the violin at the age of six and graduated from the
Leningrad School for Gifted Children. After coming to the United States, he
continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music and received bachelor’s
and master’s degrees from the Juilliard School, working under the guidance of
the renowned pedagogue Dorothy DeLay. He made his New York recital debut
at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall as a winner of the Artist International Young
Artists Auditions, after which Strad Magazine described his playing as “very
musical and intensely serious.”

A prizewinner in the Heida Hermann International Competition in the United
States and the Tibor Varga International Competition in Switzerland, he has
performed as soloist with the National Symphony of Santo Domingo in the
Dominican Republic and in Venezuela; made his New York debut with the Jupiter
Symphony playing a Paganini concerto, and served as soloist/concertmaster for
the Paul Taylor Dance Company at New York’s City Center.
Mr. Velinzon’s other solo engagements in the United States have included
appearances with the Rondo Chamber Orchestra, Absolute Ensemble,
Chappaqua Symphony, and the Metamorphoses Orchestra.

2021/22 SEASON Just Add Music! PAGE 11