JAMES THOMPSON, VIOLIN

James Thompson, sixteen and a sophomore at Saint Ignatius High School, began studying violin at the age of four at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In 2009 he appeared as a soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO) when it was on tour in the Boston area, and also with the Suburban Symphony Orchestra, after winning concerto competitions with both groups. As the winner of other competitions, James has performed as a soloist with the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra, the Firelands Symphony Orchestra, and for the Sigma Alpha Iota String Competition. For the past two summers he was selected to attend the Hotchkiss Chamber Music program in Connecticut, where he was chosen to perform in an octet with the world-renown Orion String Quartet, and served as concertmaster of a chamber orchestra which collaborated with internationally-acclaimed violinist, Ida Kavafian. He has been asked to return there again this summer. This year, James served as both co-concert master and principal second violin of COYO, of which he has been a member since 2005. He also enjoys composing music and in 2009 had a four-part vocal piece selected for performance by several ensembles including the Cleveland Composers’ Guild. For the past five years he has studied with Paul Kantor, conservatory faculty member at the Cleveland Institute of Music