Simon Blendis

Simon Blendis was leader of the Schubert Ensemble for 23 years, from 1995 until it finished earlier this year, gaining a reputation as one of this country’s most respected chamber musicians. With the Ensemble he performed in over thirty different countries, recorded over twenty CDs, made frequent broadcasts for BBC Radio 3, created a library of live performances on YouTube, and appeared regularly at Europe’s major venues.

Simon is in great demand an orchestral leader, and has appeared as a guest leader with most of the UK’s major symphony and chamber orchestras. He has been leader of the London Mozart Players since 2014, and has shared the position of first concertmaster with Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa in Japan since 1999. He regularly directs the LMP from the violin, and has appeared as a guest director with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the English Chamber Orchestra.

As a soloist he has performed and recorded with many of the UK’s leading orchestras including the Philharmonia and the RPO, and has recorded Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for the Warner Japan label. A keen exponent of new music, he has had works for solo violin written for him by, amongst others, Tansy Davies, Stuart Macrae, John Woolrich and jazz legend Dave Brubeck, and new violin concertos by David Knotts and Jeff Moore.

Website: www.simonblendis.com