Violinist James Garlick has built a dynamic career as a soloist, collaborator, and orchestral leader. A committed chamber musician, Garlick is Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Music on the Strait, where he performs often with Jeremy Denk, Richard O’Neill, Efe Baltacıgil, and many other leading musicians of today. 

He has performed concerti ranging from Tchaikovsky to Piazzolla with ensembles including the Northwest Sinfonietta, Everett Philharmonic, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Port Angeles Symphony, Cascade Symphony, and Philharmonia Northwest; and he has toured internationally, including performances and cultural exchanges in South Africa and Cuba, most recently to perform Barber’s Violin Concerto with Medellin’s Orquesta Sinfonica EAFIT. As a baroque violinist, James has performed with the Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Juilliard 415, and the Twelfth Night Ensemble. 

Born and raised in Port Angeles, Washington, Garlick began violin studies at age five, later graduating with bachelor’s degrees in violin performance and neuroscience from Oberlin College and Conservatory and a master’s degree from The Juilliard School.

James served for over a decade on the music faculty at Macalester College, teaching violin, baroque violin, and chamber music and performed full-time with the Minnesota Orchestra for six seasons. He returns regularly to perform with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra, and to perform chamber music with his friends and colleagues in both ensembles. Currently, he serves on the faculty of the Seattle Chamber Society Academy and can be found performing frequently with the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera. James plays a 1991 Samuel Zygmuntowicz violin and lives in Seattle with his wife Emily, son Arthur, and springer spaniel Oliver.