A major presence in the music world since the age of thirteen, Julian Rachlin has cemented his reputation as one of the most renowned artists of his time.

Over the course of his career, he has taken his multifaceted interests across the globe as a conductor, soloist, recording artist, chamber musician, teacher, and artistic director. As a violinist, he has shared the stage with the most prestigious orchestras and conductors. A frequent presence on the podium, he thrills audiences with compelling interpretations—at once electrifying and sensitive, elegant and dynamic—establishing himself as a leading conductor of his generation.

Known for his meticulous rehearsal methods and deep musicianship, he conducts the Chicago Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Israel Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Vienna Radio Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and China Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the festival orchestras of Grand Teton and Verbier.

Recent highlights as a soloist include appearances with the Oslo Philharmonic and Klaus Mäkelä, Philharmonia Orchestra with Santtu-Matias Rouvali, National Symphony Orchestra and Gianandrea Noseda, in Washington DC, Munich Philharmonic, Los AngelesPhilharmonic with Zubin Mehta, St. Petersburg Philharmonic with Yuri Temirkanov, Boston Symphony with Juanjo Mena, Filarmonica della Scala, RAI National Symphony with Andres Orozco-Estrada, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, and the Pittsburgh Symphony with Manfred Honeck.

A strong proponent of expanding the relevance of classical music within today’s cultural framework, Rachlin creates projects with living composers and imaginative collaborators that have brought together artists from a variety of disciplines, backgrounds, and genres. He has worked closely with, and given premieres of, Krzysztof Penderecki, Giya Kancheli, Vangelis, and Lera Auerbach. In 2000, he joined Mstislav Rostropovich in the premiere of Penderecki’s Sextet. Penderecki later wrote and dedicated the Concerto Doppio for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra and the Ciaccona for Violins and Viola to Mr. Rachlin. Rachlin has appeared in films, collaborated with digital installation artists, and has worked with notable actors such as John Malkovich, Sir Roger Moore, and Gerard Depardieu.

Rachlin’s celebrated music festivals reflect his joie de vivre and passion for bringing audiences together in a celebration of music and art. He frequently collaborates with longtime musical partners Martha Argerich, Evgeny Kissin, Janine Jansen, and Vilde Frang. His work and dedication to Julian Rachlin & Friends, a festival in Dubrovnik, Croatia that ran for over a decade, received worldwide recognition. Rachlin has also been appointed artistic director of the Herbstgold Festival at the legendary Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria, since 2021.

Dedicated to educating and supporting young talent, Mr. Rachlin founded the Julian Rachlin & Friends Foundation to help nurture the careers of extraordinary young musicians. Since 1999, Rachlin has served as a faculty member and professor at the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien.  

Mr. Rachlin is the recipient of numerous awards recognizing his work in the field of classical music, including the Accademia Musicale Siena Prize laureate, Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund. In 2013, Rachlin performed alongside Zubin Mehta and the Bavarian State Orchestra at the historic Peace for Kashmir concert at the Mugal-era Shalimar Gardens in Srinagar, Kashmir, the first-ever performance by a Western orchestra in that region.

Born in Lithuania, Rachlin emigrated to Vienna with his family at the age of three, where he studied violin with the renowned pedagogue Boris Kuschnir at the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien, and received private lessons from Pinchas Zukerman in New York City. Mr. Rachlin also completed his conducting studies with Maestro Mariss Jansons and Sophie Rachlin and was mentored by Maestro Daniele Gatti.

Rachlin plays the 1704 “ex Liebig”Stradivari and a 1785 Lorenzo Storioni viola, on loan to him courtesy of the Dkfm. Angelika Prokopp Privatstiftung. His strings are kindly sponsored by Thomastik-Infeld. Mr. Rachlin’s critically acclaimed recordings can be heard on Deutsche Grammophon, Sony Classical, and Warner Classics.●

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