Originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, baroque violinist Julia Wedman joined the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra in 2005 and quickly developed a reputation for her solo performances. She is regularly showcased on the orchestra’s home series and on tours throughout Canada, the US, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, China, Korea, and Japan. Toronto’s Globe and Mail describes her playing as “extraordinarily intuitive,” “highly communicative,” and, her personal favourite, “zesty”! As a student, she developed a passion for historically informed performance, inspired by her work at Indiana University with baroque violinist Stanley Ritchie, as well as studies at the University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto.
Julia is a member of the innovative baroque ensemble I FURIOSI. In addition to their successful Toronto concert series, IF has performed at music festivals in Canada, the US, Germany, England, and Ireland. She is also one-quarter of the Eybler Quartet, a period instrument group that specializes in excellent and underrated classical works. Their recordings include string quartets by their namesake Joseph Leopold Edler von Eybler and Haydn, quintets by Mozart and Backofen, and an arrangement of Schumann’s Dichterliebe. Their most recent CD, the first complete recording of Vanhal’s charming Op. 6 quartets, was released earlier this year and soon to to come is Beethoven’s Op. 18.
Over the past few years, Julia has become increasingly sought after as a teacher and coach. In addition to teaching privately and at Tafelmusik’s Summer and Winter Institutes, she was invited for short-term residencies at the Guildhall School for Music and Drama (London, England), the University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon), the University of Western Ontario (London), Queens University (Kingston), Fredonia University (NY), and the Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY).
Julia's debut solo recording of Biber's Mystery Sonatas (Sonoluminus) received rave reviews. The CD was featured in Gramophone magazine: “Rather exceptionally, one suspects, Wedman has approached Biber's music as a true pilgrim, interpreting key moments in the life of Christ thoughtfully, vividly and with evident personal humility and warmth. Her performances exude humanity and have about them a radiance that somehow transcends the sound of her lovely 1694 instrument.” This recording was also awarded a top place by Gramophone in their 2017 survey of Biber Mystery Sonata recordings.
Performance highlights this past year have included her solo debuts with her hometown Saskatoon Symphony, a European tour as guest concertmaster with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Masaaki Suzuki, and concerts in Cambridge and London as guest concertmaster with Academy of Ancient Music and Richard Egarr.