“His playing is virtually flawless in its technical ease, scintillating articulateness and purity of tone.” (Gramophone)
British/German violinist, director and festival director Jack Liebeck, possesses “flawless technical mastery” and a “beguiling silvery tone” (BBC Music Magazine). Jack is the Royal Academy of Music’s first Émile Sauret Professor of Violin and Artistic Director of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music. “A diverse and interesting program, giving voice to many of the festival artists, this was a terrific offering for this year’s Australian Festival of Chamber Music.” (Limelight Magazine). Jack’s playing embraces the worlds of elegant chamber-chic Mozart through to the impassioned mastery required to frame Brett Dean The Lost Art of Letter Writing and he has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras, conductors and chamber musicians. Jack’ fascination with all things scientific has led to two new concertos being written for him and regular collaborator Professor Brian Cox - Dario Marianelli’s Voyager Violin Concerto and Paul Dean’s A Brief History of Time commissioned by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in commemoration of Professor Stephen Hawking. In summer 2023 Jack gave the online premiere of Taylor Scott Davis’ new concerto for violin, choir & orchestra To Sing of Love: a Triptych with the VOCES8 Foundation Choir and Orchestra conducted by Barnaby Smith as part of LIVE From London, commissioned for Jack this will be released on album in 2024.
Upcoming highlights include a tour of Australia with VOCES8 including performances at Sydney Opera House and with Queensland Symphony Orchestra performing a new arrangement of Lark Ascending and Christopher Tin The Lost Birds; his debut with Spokane Symphony performing Marianelli Voyager, return performances with Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Bruch with Jaime Martin), Savannah Chamber Music Festival, Franz Liszt Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra, Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall with Jack’s ensemble Salica Piano Trio, and debuts at La Jolla Festival and a new project with the Australian Youth Orchestra.
Upcoming album releases include featuring as soloist and guest leader on Decca Classics’ Christmas 2023 release, A Choral Christmas, with the VOCES8 Foundation Choir and Orchestra and Barnaby Smith; a recording of the Wilson Violin Concerto with Rory Macdonald and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for Linn Records; Vaughan Williams’ Concerto Accademico with London Choral Sinfonia; and a chamber recording for Orchid Classics of English composer and musical advisor Frederick Laurence’s Sonata for violin and piano and Spring Nocturne with pianist Anna Tilbrook. Jack’s Schoenberg & Brahms with BBC Symphony Orchestra was ‘Recording of the Month’ and BBC Music Magazine’s ‘Recommended Recording’ for Brahms Violin Concerto in its ‘the greatest violin concertos of all time’; the “flawlessly done” Music from the Ghetto on Signum with Simca Heled and the London Chamber Orchestra earned 5*’s in BBC Music Magazine.
In the 25+ years since his debut with the Hallé, Jack has worked with major international conductors and orchestras including Sakari Oramo, Andrew Litton, Leonard Slatkin, Karl-Heinz Steffens, Sir Mark Elder, Vasily Petrenko, Brett Dean (Royal Stockholm Philharmonic), Daniel Harding (Swedish Radio), Jukka Pekka Saraste (Oslo Philharmonic), David Robertson (St Louis Symphony), Jakub Hrůša and many orchestras across the world including Belgian National, Queensland Symphony, Moscow State Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Indianapolis Symphony and all of UK orchestras. Recent orchestral appearances include Queensland Symphony with Elena Schwarz, Uppsala with Rebecca Miller, Philharmonia with Santtu-Matias Rouvali, BBC Philharmonic, Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, Bournemouth Symphony with Jamie Phillips, BBC National Orchestra of Wales with Jac Van Steen, and Opera North with David Greed. Recital touring includes performances across Europe, USA and Australasia for festivals and venues such as Wigmore Hall, Savannah Music Festival, Portugal Festival de Música dos Capuchos, Arts and Lettres, Vevey, Inons Festival (CA), Leeds International Piano Competition, multiple UK festivals as well as his own Australian Festival of Chamber Music and Oxford May Music festival which celebrates the synergy between art, music and science.
Other recordings and collaborations include recordings Ysaÿe Six Sonatas on Orchid Classics "...in every track Liebeck excels in capturing the fury, poetry, madness and dazzle of Ysaÿe’s haunting music. This is an exceptional release.” (The Times 5*); The Lark Ascending with VOCES8 commemorating Vaughan Williams’ 150th anniversary, the world premiere recording of Stuart Hancock’s violin concerto released on Orchid Classics, two chamber discs for Albion Records (Holst and Vaughan Williams with Mary Bevan and Vaughan Williams Folk Songs vol.1 with Nicky Spence and Mary Bevan), The Mozart Question with Michael Morpurgo and the London Philharmonic, Classic FM’s, The Glorious Garden (poetry by Alan Titchmarsh, narrated by Alan with music by Debbie Wiseman), a collaboration with Alexis Ffrench on his new release ‘Truth’, a project with Opera North, and as BBC Music Magazine’s cover disc in celebration of Paganini, The Virtuoso Violin. He can also be heard in the soundtracks of The Theory of Everything, Jane Eyre and Anna Karenina.
As the first Émile Sauret Professor of Violin at the Royal Academy of Music Jack works as an ambassador helping to recruit future talent both at home and internationally as well as nurturing the next generation of violinists in his class. Jack has a developing relationship with digital teaching app NomadPlay, a unique opportunity for individuals to play alongside renowned musicians and orchestras. He has written and curated pieces for Strad Magazine, guest edited Classical Music Magazine, and presented BBC Radio 3’s Inside Music. Jack is also a member of the Salieca Piano Trio and directs his own ensemble of regular collaborators, ‘Jack Liebeck and Friends’.
Jack plays the ‘Ex-Wilhelmj’ J.B. Guadagnini dated 1785 and is generously loaned a Joseph Henry bow by Kathron Sturrock in the memory of her late husband Professor David Bennett.
Jack Liebeck is managed worldwide by Percius. www.percius.co.uk
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