London-based violinist Jan Schmolck enjoys a distinguished and versatile career as an orchestral leader, soloist, chamber musician, and educator. His artistry is defined by clarity, depth, and a deep-rooted commitment to musical collaboration and excellence.

Jan currently holds the position of Section Principal Second Violin of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and serves as Leader of the Orchestra of St John's. He is frequently invited to guest-lead many of the UK's and Europe's foremost orchestras, including the Hallé Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Paris Chamber Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Musikkollegium Winterthur (Switzerland), and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. These roles reflect his reputation not only as a highly skilled violinist but also as a trusted musical leader.

As a soloist, Jan regularly appears with the Orchestra of St John's, where his performances have featured a wide-ranging repertoire—from Bach's complete Violin Concertos and Brandenburg Concertos (including several performances of Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 with flautist James Galway) to Vivaldi's and Piazzolla's Four Seasons, Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 and Sinfonia Concertante, and concertos by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Bruch, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Vaughan Williams (The Lark Ascending). His playing has been broadcast by American networks, Bavarian Radio, Hessische Rundfunk, Südwestfunk, and Swiss Radio, and he has recorded for Chandos, Black Box/ASV, Sanctuary, and Guild.

Chamber music plays a central role in Jan's musical life. He was a long-standing member of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble and a founding member of the Angell Trio. He has also appeared with the Razumovsky Ensemble and held a long-standing association with the Schubert Ensemble of London, with whom he recorded extensively and performed across major UK and European venues.

Jan's collaborations have included work with acclaimed artists such as singers Ian Bostridge and Matthew Rose, violinists Kolja Blacher and Anthony Marwood, clarinettists Jörg Widmann and Mark Simpson, and conductor-pianist Sir Antonio Pappano. He has also been involved in numerous performances of contemporary repertoire. Notably, he premiered James MacMillan's Fourteen Little Pictures in the United States at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall—a performance praised by The New York Times as "hard to imagine a more powerful performance." He also premiered Jörg Widmann's Passacaglia, composed for the Angell Trio.

In addition to his active performing career, Jan is a dedicated educator. He is a member of the teaching faculty at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and regularly gives orchestral and chamber coaching at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was appointed an Associate in 2011 in recognition of his contributions to music.

Whether on stage as a soloist, leading from the principal chair, or shaping the next generation of musicians, Jan Schmolck brings a distinctive musical voice, technical refinement, and communicative warmth to everything he does.

(Photo by Kate Kantur)