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Julian Rachlin

About this Artist

Julian Rachlin is one of the most exciting and respected violinists of our time. In the first three decades of his career, he has established close relationships with many of the most prestigious conductors and orchestras. Mr. Rachlin is Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. He also leads the "Julian Rachlin & Friends Festival" in Palma de Mallorca.

Highlights of Mr. Rachlin’s 2018-19 season includes performances with the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Hanover Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Argentine National Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Saalbau Essen, RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philarmonique de Strasbourg, Vienna Philharmonic, and the Valencia Symphony with Carlos Miguel Prieto.

Mr. Rachlin’s previous season included the opening of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra season with Yuri Temirkanov, the opening of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra season with Kazushi Ono, a tour with La Scala Filarmonica and Riccardo Chailly, his return to the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale with Zubin Mehta, and a residency at the Prague Spring Festival. He will also have his own cycle at the Vienna Musikverein.

As conductor, he will tour Europe with the English Chamber Orchestra and will guest conduct, among others, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Hungarian National Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Moscow Virtuosi, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra and Prague Philharmonia.

Born in Lithuania, Mr. Rachlin immigrated to Vienna in 1978. He studied violin with Boris Kuschnir at the Vienna Conservatory and with Pinchas Zukerman. After winning the "Young Musician of the Year" Award at the Eurovision Competition in 1988, he became the youngest soloist ever to play with the Vienna Philharmonic, debuting under Riccardo Muti. At the recommendation of Mariss Jansons, Mr. Rachlin studied conducting with Sophie Rachlin. Since September 1999, he is on the violin faculty at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna. He is also an accomplished viola player, and his recordings for Sony Classical, Warner Classics and Deutsche Grammophon have been met with great acclaim. Mr. Rachlin, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, is committed to educational outreach and charity work.

Julian Rachlin plays the 1704 "ex Liebig" Stradivari and a 1785 Lorenzo Storioni viola, on loan to him courtesy of the Dkfm. Angelika Prokopp Privatstiftung. His strings are kindly sponsored by Thomastik-Infeld.