Gwendolyn Masin, violinist

“Appearing to merge with her instrument and in so doing, enchanting her audience”

Regarded as one of today's significant concert violinists, Gwendolyn Masin is celebrated for "setting first-rate standards in concert performance with her technically superior, refined, intensive and richly contrasting expression" (Der Bund).

She is a versatile artist who likes to explore classical music's borders and connect them to other styles, genres, and disciplines. Her latest project is "The Journey," in which Gwendolyn has the musical direction and plays the violin. Her co-partner in this project is the famous Lukas Bärfuss, who wrote and presented the text—more about the project is below on this page.

Masin holds degrees with the highest honors from the Royal Schools of Music in London, England; the Hochschule der Künste in Berne, Switzerland; and the Musikhochschule in Lübeck, Germany. Her teachers include Herman Krebbers, Igor Ozim, Ana Chumachenco, Zakhar Bron, and Shmuel Ashkenasi. Masin began to actively cultivate her style of violin playing and identity as an artistic tour de force while carrying out formal studies. Masin truly is a master of all things music. Not only is she an esteemed soloist and chamber musician, Masin also writes, transcribes music, and advises composers.

As the Dutch representative at the Global Stipends Awards, Masin is an International Music Award recipient. She was nominated for The Outstanding Young Persons of Switzerland award for her achievements and has received support from the Swiss Foundation for the Promotion of the Interpretative Arts. Other national and international prizes and awards were won in numerous countries in Europe and South Africa.

Gwendolyn teaches violin and chamber music masterclasses at institutes and festivals throughout Europe and North America and gives lecture recitals and talks concerning her areas of expertise. She has been a Professor of Violin Studies at the Haute École de Musique de Genève, Switzerland, since September 2013.

The Journey

"The Journey" traces the profound cultural imprints that have sculpted Europe. Listen to the poignant tunes of nomads, widows, orphans, and the displaced, echoing tales of empires' rise and fall, the bittersweet transition from old homes to foreign beds, border crossings, smuggled goods, lost children, and rediscovered love.
Happiness blooms within the homes of some while others grapple with familiar miseries in newfound places. The East, then and now, holds the key to the continent's fate—its freedom, its peace. The time is ripe to embark on this transformative journey.