
"A GOLDEN, TIMELESS, AND IGNITED TONE
FULL OF FLARE..."
-Director of coudenberg soundbox fest, Brussels
Conor Gricmanis is a pioneering violinist celebrated for his innovative approach to historical performance. Raised in rural Shropshire, he studied under Rachel Podger at the Royal Academy of Music and graduated as a Christopher Hogwood Scholar from the Royal College of Music in 2020, where he specialised in Historical Violin under Bojan Čićič.
As a soloist, Conor has performed Concertos and Sonatas across the UK and Europe at renowned venues and festivals such as St Martin in the Fields, MA Festival Brugge, and the National Forum of Music Wrocław. He is also looking forward to performing Bach chamber works at Symphony Hall Shanghai in summer 2025. The winter of 2025 will see him in New York for four weeks, starring as the solo violinist in a contemporary-baroque opera written by Philip Venables and Ted Huffman.
A sought-after concertmaster and chamber musician, Conor serves as concertmaster for the Platinum 415 Orchestra and frequently guest leads prolific ensembles such as Il Gardellino, The London Handel Orchestra, and London Choral Sinfonia. As a leader, these performances have taken him to concert halls/venues such as St John Smith Square (London), Flagey (Brussels), St George's Hannover Square.
A dedicated recording artist, Conor features on albums with The Academy of Ancient Music, Il Gardellino, Millennium Orchestra, and La Nuova Musica. He is the first violinist on The WIG Society’s Galant Night Fever (Arcana Records) and has released his own album of Uccellini’s violin sonatas.
Looking ahead, he will perform yet again with Dame Sarah Connolly at Concertgebouw Amsterdam for Dido & Aeneas, and undertake chamber works and concertos with Il Gardellino across Europe and China, as well as tours with The English Concert and Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras.
Gricmanis' Violin is a rare Alessandro Gagliano c.1700, which complements his expressive, warm, and ignited flare. With a passion for exploring diverse palettes of performance, he continues to push boundaries, blending tradition with innovation, inviting audiences into a world of rich musical discovery.