TJ Skinner
Intrigued by the violin, TJ Skinner (they/them) began studying music at the age of nine in their hometown of Victoria, Canada. Since then, they have become an engaging and versatile performer and a dedicated educator, sharing music across America, Europe and Asia.
An active chamber musician, they are a member of Montreal’s Juno-nominated cutting-edge classical string band, collectif9, as well as the contemporary nonet, CASSIOPÉE. A recognized leader, TJ has enjoyed the role of concertmaster with the McDuffie Center String Ensemble, the McGill Symphony Orchestra, and the McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble. They currently perform regularly with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and are a substitute violinist with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.
In 2015, TJ was the winner of the Canadian Music Competition (19-30 years strings category) and the Jeunesses Musicales du Canada’s Peter Mendell Award. They won first prize in the Prix d’Europe competition strings category in 2016, as well as third prize in the overall competition, and the Guy Soucie prize for their interpretation of a Québécois work. The same year, TJ won the McGill Chamber Music Competition with Trio Armonioso and they performed at the Salzburg Mozarteum. In 2017 they were a recipient of the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation award, and in 2018 they were a finalist in the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition. Most recently they were named one of CBC’s “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30”.
TJ graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Georgia, USA. They also hold a Master of Music in Violin Performance and recently completed their Doctor of Music in Performance Studies degree at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music where they studied with Axel Strauss.
A dedicated educator, TJ has been a string coach for the McGill Symphony Orchestra, Macon Youth Symphony and Kawartha Youth Orchestra, as well as a chamber coach and private instructor at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. They taught in the Suzuki program and were a tutor at F.A.C.E. (Formation Artistique au Cœur de l'Éducation) School. They currently teach privately from their studio in Verdun, Montreal. TJ is passionate about inspiring their students to be creative, confident and curious and is able to use their experience from studying Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais to foster an approach which prioritizes injury prevention, setting the foundation for healthy, sustainable relationships with the violin.
