Colin Jacobsen

Versatile American Violinist and Composer

Violinist/composer Colin Jacobsen is a founding member of the New York-based chamber orchestra The Knights, and is a member of Brooklyn Rider, a string quartet with violinist Johnny Gandelsman, violist Nicholas Cords, and his brother, cellist Eric Jacobsen. As a touring member of the Silk Road Ensemble, he has collaborated with musicians from Asia and the Middle East, including Kayhan Kalhor and Alim Qasimov. Jacobsen recently arranged an ancient Persian song for the Ensemble, entitled Ascending Bird, and is working on other compositions for the group. Jacobsen has toured China with Tan Dun, performing his Water Passion based on St. Matthew. He has also worked with several dance companies, including the New York City Ballet, Mark Morris Dance Group, and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. In May of 2005, he wrote and performed the music for Spiral Songs, a collaboration with C. Eule Dance. In addition to appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Jacobsen has been guest soloist with the symphony orchestras of Albany, Charlotte, Chicago, Eugene, Rhode Island, Nashville, Charleston, the Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque, Santa Fe Pro Musica, BMOP and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. Jacobsen performs regularly with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and is a member of the Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert. He has performed in chamber music settings with musicians such as Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Mark O’Connor, Phillip Glass, Steven Isserlis, Christian Tetzlaff and Jan Vogler. Jacobsen began his violin studies at the age of four with Doris Rothenberg and continued with Louise Behrend at the School for Strings and, later, at The Juilliard School Pre-College Division, where he won the school-wide concerto competition. He was also the recipient of the Grand Prize from both the New York State and National American String Teachers Association Competitions. Jacobsen studied with Josef Gingold for two summers and graduated in 1999 from the Juilliard School, where he worked with Robert Mann. During the 2000-2001 season, he continued his studies with Vera Beths at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague.