Violinist

David Southorn

Concertmaster · Soloist · Chamber Musician · Educator

About

A versatile career on stage
and in the concertmaster chair

Violinist David Southorn currently enjoys a versatile career as a Concertmaster, soloist, and chamber musician. Solo highlights include performances of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the Fremont Symphony, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the Hendersonville Symphony, Aaron Jay Kernis’ AIR with the New Haven Symphony, and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the Delaware Symphony — where he was lauded by Delaware Arts Info as “nothing less than brilliant … powerful sound; immaculate precision and compelling agility… impeccable phrasing and polished lyricism…a zestful performance.” As a chamber musician, he has performed with his award-winning Amphion String Quartet at Alice Tully Hall as members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s CMS II. Southorn is the Concertmaster of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, and the Assistant Concertmaster of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Southorn currently serves on the faculty of the Mannes School of Music at The New School and has taught masterclasses and sectionals recently at Yale University and the University of North Florida.

As Soloist, Mr. Southorn has appeared with the New Jersey Symphony, New Haven Symphony, Delaware Symphony, Fremont Symphony, Portland Festival Symphony, and the New York Classical Players. In the 26-27 season he will perform Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with Elias Goldstein and the Delaware Symphony. In the past two seasons, he performed as soloist with the Delaware Symphony and as soloist and leader (without conductor) in subscription concerts of the New Haven Symphony. Based in New York City, Mr. Southorn has played with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and performs regularly as an extra with the New York Philharmonic, joining them on multiple domestic and international tours. Southorn has performed as guest Concertmaster with a number of orchestras including the Jacksonville Symphony, Reading Symphony Orchestra, Incheon Philharmonic (South Korea), Savannah Philharmonic and the Miami Symphony Orchestra.

Highlights in his chamber music career include performances with the Amphion Quartet at Alice Tully Hall, David Geffen Hall, Carnegie Hall, Chamber Music Northwest, La Jolla Summerfest, the Tilles Center, The Library of Congress, The Phillips Collection in Washington DC, BargeMusic, Caramoor, Kneisel Hall, and the Seoul Arts Center, among many others. One of his most meaningful missions is performing in schools and hospitals across the tri-state area, delivering the healing gift of music to young children and to patients who need it more than ever. He has collaborated with such esteemed musicians as Anne-Marie McDermott, Carter Brey, Anthony McGill, Ani Kavafian, David Shifrin, Edgar Meyer, and the Tokyo String Quartet. The Amphion Quartet’s recording with Nimbus Records was selected by the New York Times as a “Best Classical Album of 2015”. They won several awards including the Concert Artists Guild competition.

Education

  • Bachelor of Music — San Francisco Conservatory of Music
  • Master of Music and Artist Diploma — Yale University
  • Professional Studies Certificate in Orchestral Performance — Manhattan School of Music

Press

“Nothing less than brilliant … powerful sound; immaculate precision and compelling agility … impeccable phrasing and polished lyricism … a zestful performance.”
Delaware Arts Info — Vivaldi’s Four Seasons

The Amphion String Quartet’s Nimbus Records release was named a “Best Classical Album of 2015” by the New York Times. The quartet won several awards including the Concert Artists Guild competition.

Videos

Watch & listen

Performances as soloist and chamber musician.

Jessie Montgomery: Rhapsody No. 1 for Solo Violin

NJSO Everywhere, Newark · 6:51

Aaron Jay Kernis: AIR

David Southorn, violin · Lura Johnson, piano · 13:20

Ravel: Sonata for Violin and Cello, I. Allegro

David Southorn, violin · Philo Lee, cello · 6:20

Britten: Suite Op. 6, I. March

David Southorn, violin · 2:29

Britten: Suite Op. 6, II. Lullaby

David Southorn, violin · 5:07

Bach: Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor

David Southorn, violin · New York Classical Players · 13:32

Janáček: Quartet No. 1, “The Kreutzer Sonata”

Amphion String Quartet · CMS Live, 2015

Beethoven: String Quartet No. 11 in F minor

Live in The Greene Space · 19:57

Audio

Recordings

Featuring David Southorn and Lura Johnson

Britten: Suite Op. 6, I. March

David Southorn, violin

2:32

Britten: Suite Op. 6, II. Lullaby

David Southorn, violin

5:06

Britten: Suite Op. 6, III. Waltz

David Southorn, violin

5:22

Robert Katscher: “Madonna, du bist schöner als der Sonnenschein”

David Southorn, violin · Lura Johnson, piano

3:58

Vivaldi: Winter, II. Largo

David Southorn, violin · Lura Johnson, piano

1:53

Teaching

Sharing the craft

Mr. Southorn serves on the violin faculty of the Mannes School of Music at The New School in New York City.

Private studio

Violin instruction at the Mannes School of Music, working with undergraduate and graduate students on technique, repertoire, and orchestral preparation.

Masterclasses

Recent masterclasses and sectionals at Yale University and the University of North Florida.

Contact

Get in touch

Feel free to reach out to me via email or the contact form.
davidesouthorn@gmail.com