Janine Jansen

This season, we turn to the violin for the first time – the Artist-in-Residence of our 131st season is Janine Jansen. Born into a Dutch musical family, she was immersed in music from an early age under the guidance of her professional musician parents. She sang in a church choir and began playing the violin at the age of six with the renowned pedagogue Coosje Wijzenbeek, while also making music with her father and brothers. She frequently attended rehearsals of early music ensembles and for a time performed with a Baroque bow herself. Ultimately, however, she chose a more “traditional” path, embracing historically informed performance in her own way – an approach that lends her playing its distinctive character.

At fifteen, she made her debut at Amsterdam’s renowned Concertgebouw, and shortly after her twentieth birthday she launched an international career, beginning her long-standing collaboration with Decca Classics. Her recording of Vivaldi, which broke sales records, brought her worldwide recognition.

Today, she performs regularly with the world’s leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. As Artist-in-Residence with the Berlin Philharmonic in the 2025/2026 season, she appeared with Kirill Petrenko, Simon Rattle, and Tugan Sokhiev, as well as in chamber music programmes.

Among her recent highlights is her collaboration with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductors Esa-Pekka Salonen and Antonio Pappano, alongside numerous chamber performances at the Baltic Sea Festival. International tours and recording projects have connected her with many other major orchestras in recent seasons.

Chamber music partnerships form a vital part of Janine Jansen’s artistic life. She collaborates closely with pianists Denis Kozhukhin and Suwook Kim; together with Martha Argerich and Mischa Maisky, she forms an established trio. She is also deeply committed to chamber music through the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht, which she founded and has led artistically for more than twenty editions. Since November 2023, she has taught violin at the Kronberg Academy.

Janine Jansen performs on the 1715 “Shumsky-Rode” violin by Antonio Stradivari.