{"id":117808,"date":"2025-09-23T13:22:45","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T17:22:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=117808"},"modified":"2025-09-26T15:30:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T19:30:22","slug":"interview-violinist-concertmaster-former-artistic-director-educator-jonathan-crow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/09\/23\/interview-violinist-concertmaster-former-artistic-director-educator-jonathan-crow\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Violinist, Concertmaster, Former Artistic Director, Educator Jonathan Crow"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_117811\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-117811\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-117811\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2025-09-23T131848.317.jpg\" alt=\"Violinist Jonathan Crow (Photo courtesy of the artist)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2025-09-23T131848.317.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2025-09-23T131848.317-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2025-09-23T131848.317-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2025-09-23T131848.317-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-117811\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Violinist Jonathan Crow (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Add to the list sought after soloist and chamber musician, and it begins to convey the varied music practice of violinist Jonathan Crow, a familiar figure to even a casual consumer of classical music in Toronto. He stepped down from one prominent role earlier this year, and weeks later, his appointment to a newly created academic position was announced.<\/p>\n<p>The native of Prince George, British Columbia, has had an eventful year.<\/p>\n<p>He is, of course, also Concertmaster to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, a chair he\u2019s held since 2011, and a member of the New Orford String Quartet.<\/p>\n<p>LV caught up with him to talk.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/L2-sGJM9wds?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h2>Jonathan Crow: The Interview<\/h2>\n<p>It was back in August of 2024 that Crow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/08\/23\/scoop-artistic-director-jonathan-crow-announces-departure-toronto-summer-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced his departure<\/a> from the role of Artistic Director of Toronto Summer Music, a position he held from 2016 until the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/08\/05\/scrutiny-toronto-summer-music-final-concert-pays-homage-community-outgoing-artistic-director-jonathan-crow\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">last performance of TSM 2025 in July<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI definitely wasn\u2019t planning on doing it just for a year or two,\u201d he notes. \u201cThe transition is definitely traumatic for the organization. I think it\u2019s important that there\u2019s enough continuity,\u201d he explains. A multi-year commitment comes with the job. \u201cI was lucky to come in; [Douglas McNabney] had put together this amazing Academy program.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>McNabney, AD at TSM from 2010 until 2016, had revamped the Academy into a full-fellowship program for gifted emerging chamber musicians.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was planing on at least five or six years, and then COVID came along,\u201d Crow says. \u201cI really want to make sure we\u2019ve recovered from COVID before I move on. We didn\u2019t know if the drop in audiences was going to be permanent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s only been the last couple of seasons that have seen ticket sales surge back to, and according to Crow, in even greater numbers than, pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cArtists still want to come here,\u201d he says. Being able to attract the kind of talent TSM audiences expect was crucical. \u201cTo get everything back into good shape.\u201d Then, the anniversary year loomed, and timing seemed perfect.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wanted to be here for the 20th anniversary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As he points out, his departure now leaves the 25th to fall in the lap of current AD William Fedkenheuer.<\/p>\n<p>This year\u2019s TSM saw many sold-out shows. \u201cI\u2019m thrilled with how we\u2019re doing financially,\u201d he says. He\u2019s especially happy that international audiences and artists are continuing to show a growing interest in the festival. That includes the Academy emerging artists.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe best young musicians in the world are coming,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to see concerts full night after night.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Crow thinks one thing TSM might do better is touting their successes. \u201cWe perhaps don\u2019t do a good job of showing what we do well,\u201d he says. It comes as a contrast to a lot of the doom and gloom news in the classical music industry.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m really, really happy that audiences responded,\u201d he says. Many people have TSM on their calendar year after year. His experience comes as both AD and performer in the festival. \u201cIt\u2019s nice for me to as an artist to be able to look out and think, I think I know about 300 people of the 500 in the hall.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/z7b_nTg-A1Y?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>Education: Bridging the Gap<\/h3>\n<p>The educational aspect of TSM blends well with his own priorities. Crow taught at the Shulich School of Music at McGill University from 2005 until 2013. Since 2013, he&#8217;s been an Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Toronto.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve been teaching at Toronto Summer music since the beginning.\u201d The existing program, as he notes, puts the emerging artists on stage with their professional mentors. \u201cYou actually spend all week in rehearsals together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It approximates the kind of schedule a young musician needs to be able to adapt to when leaving the academic world and entering professional life as a performer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[It\u2019s] bridging that gap between school when you rehearse for six months for a concert, and real life, where you have six hours,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n<p>Being able to prepare yourself for a professional gig in a tight timeframe isn\u2019t something you necessarily pick up in school.<\/p>\n<p>Crow has first hand experience. After earning his BMus (Honours) Performance from McGill University in 1998, he went straight to the Associate Principal Second Violin position at the Orchestre symphonique de Montr\u00e9al.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I left school and joined the OSM, I was a little bit shocked,\u201d he says. \u201cI thought, my God, this is really, really quick.\u201d It\u2019s about realizing who you\u2019re playing for. \u201cThis is the professional world, and people have bought tickets. You have to GET ready,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p>While he\u2019s left those early days long behind, the impression never left him. The TSM Academy focuses on (among other things) filling that gap in practical knowledge that\u2019s necessary for a professional career. That includes the Vocal Academy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe singers and pianists get together on Sunday, and then by Monday, they are expected to be able to get a masterclass together,\u201d he says. As tight as that may seem to an outsider, in the real world, as he points out, you\u2019d meet your pianist in the morning, and perform together that evening. Long warm up periods aren\u2019t a reality, and skill alone won\u2019t keep you prepared if you can\u2019t apply it at the right moment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the professional world, things move fast. You have to be able to apply those technical skills right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He points out that, even though TSM is focused on chamber music, the skills apply to young musicians looking for an orchestral career as well. \u201cPreparation is preparation,\u201d he says. \u201cInteracting with four people in a quartet isn\u2019t so different than interacting with 80 people in an orchestra.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Preparation is part of being a desirable colleague. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to be the one to be holding people back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Post secondary instrumental training programs, he notes, don\u2019t come close to creating a real world environment when it comes to performance. When he was a member of the McGill Orchestra during his own student days, they practiced a piece for six weeks before a concert. It\u2019s a stark contrast to a real world situation, where musicians are expected to arrive at rehearsal knowing the music inside and out.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_117812\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-117812\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-117812\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/JOnathan-Crow-3.jpg\" alt=\"Violinist Jonathan Crow (Photo courtesy of the artist)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/JOnathan-Crow-3.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/JOnathan-Crow-3-300x250.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/JOnathan-Crow-3-1024x853.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/JOnathan-Crow-3-768x640.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-117812\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Violinist Jonathan Crow (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Director of the Temerty Orchestral Program<\/h3>\n<p>On the heels of stepping down as AD of TSM, Crow was announced as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/09\/10\/scoop-royal-conservatory-musics-glenn-gould-school-names-jonathan-crow-director-temerty-orchestral-program-violin-faculty-member\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Director of the Temerty Orchestral Program at the Royal Conservatory of Music\u2019s Glenn Gould School<\/a>. He\u2019ll begin that position in September 2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very excited,\u201d Jonathan says. \u201cAnd the Royal Conservatory doesn\u2019t have a regular conductor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As he notes, the RCM brings in four conductors to lead the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/05\/08\/scrutiny-royal-conservatory-orchestra-takes-manhattan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Royal Conservatory Orchestra<\/a> over the course of each year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe students there get to work with real professionals in the field.\u201d That includes people like Tania Miller and JoAnn Falletta.<\/p>\n<p>Treated as professional musicians, it\u2019s another program that looks to help students in that leap from student to professional. The RCO works with each conductor for only a week.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a good practice from a performance point of view, but it left a gap.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat means there\u2019s not somebody necessarily looking over the repertoire,\u201d he points out. Hence, the creation of his new position with the school. He\u2019ll be filling the need for someone to oversee the repertoire over the whole year, and make sure it fulfills the students\u2019 requirements.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019ll also be taking in a few select students.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VUF1MZleeH8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>The Toronto Symphony Orchestra &amp; Other Projects<\/h3>\n<p>When LV spoke to Jonathan, it was just after the TSO\u2019s 2025\/26 season opening night. It was his first time back with the orchestra since his summertime sabbatical.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was really nice,\u201d he says. He spent much of the summer travelling. \u201cI don\u2019t really want to live in airports.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s also an active member of the New Orford String Quartet, which recently kicked off their season in Kingston at the Isabel Bader Centre with pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko. It was also the first concert with cellist Joseph Johnson, who\u2019ll be performing with the quartet this season. The ensemble takes up a residency at Western University in November for several weeks of intensive chamber music.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe love working together,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>As a soloist, he\u2019s focusing on the Mendelssohn violin concerto. He\u2019s performing it with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/event\/toronto-symphony-orchestra-jonathan-crow-plays-mendelssohn\/2025-10-02\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Toronto Symphony Orchestra and conductor Peter Oundjian<\/a> on October 2, 3 and 4, and it will be a continuing theme for him through the whole season, including several other appearances to perform the work <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theroseorchestra.org\/copy-of-colour-my-world\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">throughout Ontario<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an enviable schedule.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t really complain. I\u2019m really happy with what I get to do,\u201d he says. \u201cI must admit I\u2019m pretty lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a;\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? 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Send us a\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"mailto:anya@ludwig-van.com?subject=Let's%20chat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em><u>note<\/u>.<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em><b>#LUDWIGVAN<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n<p class=\"western\"><em>Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em>Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! \u2014 local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid=S3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid%3DS3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1695737525351000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0QTqKRwRJQFGK3KoJYigxX\">HERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Concertmaster, chamber musician, educator, former artistic director and violinist Jonathan Crow is a familiar figure to even a casual consumer of classical music in Toronto.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":117811,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[41660,10,76,19,22,41496,29,59,63,68],"tags":[1436,4439,2377,6411,3356,3360],"yst_prominent_words":[6715,14729,7680,11455,11460,14728,15149,6825],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-2025-09-23T131848.317.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-uE8","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117808"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117808"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":117926,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117808\/revisions\/117926"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117808"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=117808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}