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J. Austin Wulliman
Violinist J. Austin Wulliman can be seen in a wide variety of styles as soloist and chamber musician. He has been featured on concert series at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, Harris Theater, the Chicago Cultural Center, the Green Mill, live on WFMT and on NPR’s Performance Today. Austin is a member of the Spektral Quartet, which is an ensemble in residence at the University of Chicago, where he teaches violin and chamber music, as well as playing in the faculty new music ensemble.
Austin has quickly established himself as a fine new music player through his work with Ensemble Dal Niente, often performing as solo violinist and in the most challenging contemporary chamber music. He has also performed with other top new music ensembles including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s group MusicNow, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), and the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne of Montreal. He has worked with many leading composers including William Bolcom, John Harbison, Lee Hyla, Shulamit Ran, Bernard Rands, Hans Thomalla, Augusta Read Thomas, Kaija Saariaho, Gunther Schuller, Bright Sheng and Mark Anthony Turnage.
In December 2009, Austin gave the American Premiere of Ms. Saariaho’s Calices for violin and piano, with pianist Daniel Schlosberg. Austin has performed Ms. Saariaho’s violin concerto Graal Theatre with the Northwestern U. Contemporary Music Ensemble and the composer present. Beyond Chicago, Austin’s activities have taken him to the Aspen Music Festival, where he performed Graal Theatre with the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble in the summer of 2009. He was Violin Fellow in the Contemporary Ensemble and studied with Paul Kantor at Aspen. Austin has attended the Lucerne Festival where he played under the baton of Pierre Boulez and studied with members of Ensemble Intercontemporain.
Austin received a Master’s degree from Northwestern University as the recipient of the Rev. John M. Krump Endowed Scholarship. He was also teaching assistant to Blair Milton and soloist with the Baroque Music Ensemble. He received his Bachelor of Music summa cum laude from the University of Michigan as a student of Aaron Berofsky.