Gabrielle Després

Gabrielle Després is an award-winning violinist, recognized for her artistry with major awards in international competitions, including first prizes in the Irving M. Klein International String Competition and the Juilliard Concerto Competition, 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 honored as one of CBC Music’s Top 30 under 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians. She has performed across Canada, the United States, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Switzerland and has been a featured soloist with the Juilliard Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton, the Lynn Philharmonia, the Peninsula Symphony, and Kollective366. She is passionate about expanding the reach of music, and frequently collaborates with organizations to bring music to underserved communities, most recently working, as a member of the Edith String Quartet, in detention centers in California through Project: Music Heals Us.

Gabrielle received a Bachelor of Music at the Juilliard School where she is currently completing her Master of Music degree as a recipient of the coveted Kovner Fellowship. She will be pursuing an Artist Diploma at Juilliard, beginning in the fall of 2024. Prior to her time at Juilliard, she studied in Edmonton with Robert Uchida (from 2016-2018), Concertmaster of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and with James Keene (from 2006-2015), former Concertmaster of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. The Anne Burrows Foundation, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Edmonton Arts Council, and Sylva Gelber Foundation have generously supported her work. She currently performs on a Zosimo Bergonzi violin and a bow of Etienne Pajeot, graciously provided to her by CANIMEX INC., from Drummondville, Quebec, Canada.

Gabrielle Després exhibits a tremendous level of talent, musicianship, and commitment to her craft. She’s a deeply artistic soul with a highly focused and determined attitude. Gabrielle plays with a high-level of technical assuredness and a poetic musical style which contribute to her formidable artistic voice. Her professional activities are abundant and diverse with a wide creative range. She will be one to watch for years to come.

Catherine Cho, The Juilliard School Faculty, Violin and Chamber Music