Byron Hitchcock, Violin

A native of Wyoming, Byron Hitchcock has performed across the United States, Latin America, and Asia to critical acclaim. Praised by the Boston Globe for his “fearlessly expressive” playing and his “finely honed tone,” he has established himself as a dynamic and versatile artist, appearing on the concert stage as a concertmaster, soloist, and chamber musician. 

Mr. Hitchcock currently serves as Concertmaster of multiple professional orchestras across the Front Range. He currently serves as Concertmaster of Opera Colorado, which features highly acclaimed productions each season at Denver’s Performing Arts Center, as well as the Central City Opera Orchestra. He is also Concertmaster for Denver’s Inside the Orchestra, the country’s only professional orchestra focused solely on educational programming for Children.

He recently accepted an appointment as Concertmaster of the Fort Collins Symphony. Previously, Mr. Hitchcock acted as Concertmaster of the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, and the Spoleto USA Festival Orchestra. He has appeared as a guest concertmaster with Opera in the Heights in Houston, Texas, and with the Arizona Opera Orchestra in Phoenix, Arizona. 

As a soloist, Mr. Hitchcock’s “brilliant” and “uninhibited” playing has won him prizes in numerous competitions, including the Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project Concerto Competition. He is an active recitalist, and recently completed recording Bach’s complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin. Upcoming projects include recording Beethoven’s complete Sonatas for violin and piano, and performing live on the St. Michael Concert Series in Chicago.

Mr. Hitchcock has studied with members of the Juilliard, Takacs, Cavani, Emerson, and Cleveland Quartets. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, a Master’s degree from the New England Conservatory, and an Artist Diploma from SUNY Purchase. His teachers include David Updegraff, Lucy Chapman, and Laurie Smukler. 

Mr. Hitchcock performs on a 1998 Stanley Kiernosiak violin from Chicago.