About TJ
TJ Skinner (they/them) is a multifaceted, trans nonbinary artist based in Tiohtiá:ke/Montreal, Canada with 20+ years of classical violin training and performance experience. Since beginning to study violin at the age of nine in their hometown of Lkwungen/Victoria they have become an engaging and versatile performer, collaborator and educator, sharing music around the world.
An award-winning soloist and chamber musician, TJ has been recognized by the Canadian Music Competition 2015 (1st prize), Jeunesses Musicales du Canada (Peter Mendell Award), Prix d'Europe 2016 (1st prize, strings; 3rd prize, overall; Guy Soucie prize), Sylva Gelber Music Foundation, Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition (finalist). Their winning performance in the McGill Chamber Music Competition (2016) with Trio Armonioso resulted in a performance at the Salzburg Mozarteum. Named one of CBC's “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30”, TJ performed solo with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in 2020.
TJ doesn’t limit themselves to one genre or style; an active chamber musician and cross-genre collaborator, they are a member of the 2x Juno nominated classical string band, collectif9, as well as the contemporary nonet, CASSIOPÉE. Beyond the classical sphere TJ has collaborated with artists such as REM, Yes We Mystic, Basia Bulat, Frannie Holder, Braids, Fanny Bloom, Mille Milles/Vincent Legault, Catherine Durand, and Ingrid St Pierre. Whether in the context of performing, project collaboration, recording, or writing/arranging, TJ loves the challenge and possibilities that come with finding new ways to create an impactful musical experience.
Since 2018 TJ has played regularly with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, touring with the orchestra through Europe, South America, South Korea and the United States. They also frequently perform with Orchestre de l’Agora and Ensemble Obiora. A recognized leader and orchestral musician, TJ has enjoyed the role of concertmaster with the McDuffie Center String Ensemble, the McGill Symphony Orchestra, and the McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble, as well as guest associate concertmaster with Orchestre de l’Agora.
Privileged to connect with musicians around the globe, TJ has performed at notable festivals that include the Lucerne Festival Academy in Switzerland, La Folle Journée de Nantes in France, Music Masters Course in Japan, the Banff Centre Music Festival, the Toronto Summer Music Academy, Domaine Forget Music Academy as well as Chamber Academy, Music By The Sea, and the Rosebud Chamber Music Festival in Canada. TJ has also performed at the Brevard Music Festival and Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival in the USA, New Music for Strings Festival in Denmark, the Rome Chamber Music Festival in Italy, and Moritzburg Music Festival in Germany.
TJ graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Georgia, USA. They also hold a Master of Music in Violin Performance and a Doctor of Music in Performance Studies degree at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music where they studied with Axel Strauss. Their doctoral dissertation “An Authenticity Puzzle: The versatility of arrangements and their role in today’s musical landscape” explored the evolution of the arrangement from the 18th to 21st century, including issues of authenticity and stigma, and their relevance and importance today. Through analyzing arrangements created for collectif9 and Trio Émerillon they examine the arranging process and the potential for finding solutions that balance what have historically been two mutually exclusive concepts: creative freedom in altering a work, and perfect authenticity.