As one of the most distinguished and respected violinists of her generation Janice Graham enjoys a varied career as soloist, chamber musician, director and leader.
Janice started playing the violin at the age of 5. She studied with Jean Fiske, Fredrick Grinke, and at the Purcell School, before spending five years at the Guildhall with David Takeno. Whilst there she won the string prize of the Overseas League Competition and an English Speaking Union Scholarship to study at Tanglewood. Among other successes she was the Gold Medal Winner of the LSO/Shell competition and was awarded the Julius Isserlis Scholarship to study at the Juilliard School in New York with Glen Dicterow.
In addition to her current position as artistic director, leader and soloist with English Sinfonia, Janice was recently appointed leader of the English National Opera Orchestra. She has appeared as guest leader of most of the country’s leading orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra of which she was a member for eight years before leaving her position as assistant leader. With the LSO she took part in their Barbican Chamber Music Series appearing with Yuri Bashmet and Andre Previn. For five years she was the leader of BBC National Orchestra of Wales with whom she made many solo appearances. These included the Mendelssohn, Britten and Nielsen Concertos, Mozart Sinfonia Concertante, Saint Saens Morceau de Concert and Vaughn Williams The Lark Ascending.
Janice’s work has also embraced many other areas, from contemporary music with the London Sinfonietta to Chamber music with the Nash Ensemble, as well as leading many film soundtracks including Braveheart and Nottinghill. Her solo recordings include Dohnanyi’s Second Violin Concerto (ASV), Delius first and second Violin Sonatas and Walton Sonata (EMI) and Holst Solo Works for Violin (Naxos)
Since 1995 Janice has been a professor at the Royal College of Music and is a Governor of the Purcell School. She plays on a Testore Violin dated 1703.
