Meet the Detroit Symphony Orchestra

ORCHESTRA ROSTER

One of the most versatile artists on the concert stage today, Detroit Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Emmanuelle Boisvert has won the hearts of audiences, critics and musicians alike with an undeniable finesse and charismatic presence befitting her prestigious position.

No stranger to trailblazing, Boisvert was just twenty-five-years old when she became the first woman to win the post of concertmaster in the United States. That year, she also made her first solo appearance with the DSO, and has given annual solo performances ever since. Lawrence B. Johnson of The Detroit News has called Boisvert’s solo offerings “brilliant, endlessly imaginative, daring...” As the Orchestra’s leader, she is no less inspiring to her colleagues. Mark Stryker of the Detroit Free Press has remarked that, “Boisvert’s musicianship takes a back seat to no one.” As a collaborator, her work in chamber music is equally impressive, and her performances with the St. Clair Trio have earned widespread attention and critical acclaim.

Last year she performed Brahms’ Violin Concerto to great acclaim, and was also called upon as a last-minute replacement soloist in Brahms’ Double Concerto with cellist Alban Gerhardt. Boisvert stepped up to replace guest artist Julia Fischer who became ill the week before the performances. With just days to prepare for the notoriously difficult work, Boisvert turned in a bravura performance that was hailed by critics and audiences alike.

Boisvert began her studies at age three at the Conservatoire de Musique de Québec. With additional study at the Meadowmount School of Music, she attended the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she was a student of Ivan Galamian and David Cerone. Following her graduation from Curtis, she played for the Concerto Soloists Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and the Marlboro Music Festival. While a member of the Cleveland Orchestra, she won her coveted position in Detroit in 1988.