Praised for her musical integrity and artistry, Canadian violinist Gabrielle Després has garnered numerous awards, including first prizes in the Irving M. Klein International String Competition and the Juilliard Concerto Competition. She also earned top prizes in the Michael Hill, Elmar Oliveira and Washington International Violin Competitions, as well as awards at the Schiermonnikoog Festival and Verbier Festival Academy. In 2020, she was included in CBC’s list of 30 Canadian Classical Musicians under 30.
As a soloist, she has performed with the Juilliard Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton, the Lynn Philharmonia, and the Peninsula Symphony. She has been presented in recitals by the St. Albert Chamber Music Society, Gualala Chamber Music, the Kelowna Chamber Music Society, the Schiermonnikoog Festival, the Peninsula Symphony’s AllStars@Home series, and the University of Alberta’s Virtual Prism series. She served as Concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra for two years, during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, including a performance of Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben under the baton of Sir Antonio Pappano.
An avid chamber musician, she recently performed at Music in the Vineyards, Schiermonnikoog Festival, and the Edmonton Summer Solstice Music Festival as well as with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players and If Music Be the Food NYC. Passionate about expanding the reach of music, Gabrielle spent 2021-2022 performing as a Gluck Community Engagement Fellow, working to create interactive programs that merge music and theatre to share across various hospitals and nursing homes throughout New York City. In 2024, as a member of the Edith String Quartet, she worked with Project: Music Heals Us in their “Music for the Future” program, performing and teaching during residencies at the Jericho Project and the Sonoma County Detention Centre.
