Conor Gricmanis is a young and pioneering Baroque Violinist who combines his passions for historical performance and composition to explore never-ending palettes of performance style, colour, and flair. After five years of studying with the world renowned Rachel Podger, Conor graduated with a Bachelor's degree from the Royal Academy of Music in July 2018. Conor is now a Christopher Hogwood Scholar, as a master of performance student, at the Royal College of Music studying under Bojan Cicic, leader of the Academy of Ancient Music. Bojan invited Conor to join the AAM for performances of Handel's Agrippina at the Grange Festival in Summer 2018, and to also perform in world premiere recordings of three Giornovich Violin Concertos with the Illyrian Consort the same season. Conor continues his performances with the AAM, and many other ensembles such as Florilegium. A recent performance highlight was a live BBC Radio 3 broadcast with AAM collaborating with the BBC Singers, and also with the South Asian dance company Akademi for performances of Rameau and Lully conducted by Sofi Jeannin.
Conor has performed in many famous venues and festivals such as Wigmore Hall, St James Piccadilly, Duke's Hall (Royal Academy of Music), Dora Stoutzker Hall (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama), Buxton Opera House, the Grange Festival, Llandaff Cathedral, Milton Court, St Salvator's Chapel (St Andrew's), Festival Périgord Noir, Theatre Roger Barat (Herblay, France), Westerkerk (Amsterdam), Utrecht Early Msuic Festival, Brugge Early Music Festival, The Royal Chapel of Versailles Palace, and is looking forward to performances such as a solo concert in St Martin in the Field, and a performance with Florilegium in the Royal Festival Hall.
During his time at the Royal Academy of Music and further afield, Conor has performed in masterclasses and concerts with stellar musicians and conductors such as Ton Koopman, Rachel Podger, Bojan Cicic, Ashley Solomon, Margaret Faultless, Laurence Cummings, Pamela Thorby, Dorothee Oberliner, Sofi Jeannin, Emma Kirkby, Johannes Pramsohler, John Butt, Andrew Parrott and many others. A particular highlight of his time at RAM, was Conor's participation in a performance of JS Bach Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht, BWV 105, and JS Bach Mass in A, BWV 234 with the acclaimed conductor Philippe Herreweghe amongst many of the Royal Academy of Music/Kohn Foundation Bach Cantata series concerts.
Conor has been the concert master/soloist and instrumental tutor for the Yorke Trust's Early Msuic Course for the past two years, and is regularly asked to lead various early music ensembles.