BIOGRAPHY
Charlotte Rowan is regarded as one of Britain's leading violin virtuosos. Her communicative power, dazzling technique and sublime tone have resonated strongly with audiences and attracted new listeners to the violinistic genre.
“Awesome technique and commanding tone was the order of the day …the violinist was Charlotte Rowan, who has made a name for herself in the USA and Europe as one of the best UK soloists around these days.”
Charlotte performs extensively as a recitalist throughout the UK as well as developing her international profile with solo appearances in Germany and the USA.
She has been widely praised for the innovation in her concert programming and brings a refreshing breadth and balance to recitals.
Whilst preserving tradition she is dedicated to championing both contemporary and lesser well-known works and engaging more audiences with the full gamut of the violin literature.
“ Her deep strength of tone drawn from bow on string in the Grieg Sonata filled the rich acoustics of King St. Halls with unbound passion. In contrast, her delicate control of that same bow in the quietest of moments in Richard Strauss’s Morgen was just sublime.”
Born in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, Charlotte was invited at age 16 to study at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, USA. Selected as concertmistress of the Conservatory Orchestra in her first year, she subsequently performed under the conductor and pianist Leon Fleischer and featured on the Washington Performing Arts Series with Rob Kapilow. During her studies, she was invited to perform for Justice of the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotonayor in Washington DC and participated in masterclasses with Midori and the Juilliard String Quartet.
With her duo partner, pianist Charlotte Stevenson, she has given concert tours around Northern and Central Scotland, Yorkshire, Wales, Southern England, the Midlands, Essex, Kent and East Anglia.
They have performed in many of the country's finest cathedrals including Ely, Chichester, Winchester, Ripon, Chelmsford, Lincoln and Manchester and given acclaimed appearances at festivals including Edinburgh, Wetherby, Buckingham, East Devon, Harwich, Horsham and Crail.
"A spectacular rendition -
A display of violin techniques that for most violinists are bowing folklore or roped off with danger signs"
Her 2023-24 season opened with a tour to the Orkney Islands where alongside her regular recital performances she was invited by Orkney International Science Festival to lead a workshop on violin-making and sound production.
A regular soloist with orchestras in both America and Britain, Charlotte has a diverse concerto repertoire ranging from Baroque to 21st Century works. In recent months she has performed concerti by Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Dvorak, Glazunov and Elgar. In October 2019 she was artist-in-residence at Wetherby Arts Festival where she performed the Bruch Violin Concerto with Leeds Symphony Orchestra under conductor Martin Binks MBE.
As a dedicated teacher, she has taught the violin in environments of staggering variety, bringing together children of many different faiths and working with students from war-torn countries.
She is passionate in the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to play an instrument and gain great enjoyment in doing so.
Charlotte is based in Cambridge and teaches violin at the Perse School, Leys School, St Faith’s and King’s School, Ely.
She graduated from the Peabody Conservatory, USA with high honours and her teachers have included Jerre Gibson, Violaine Melançon, Stephanie Gonley and Ofer Falk.
Charlotte plays a Fridolin Rusch violin (2005) of Memmingen, Bavaria.
In addition to her music, Charlotte enjoys learning languages, writing, visiting beautiful gardens, French Impressionism and walking in the Bavarian Alps. You can find out more about her upcoming concerts and blog through her social media channels below.
"The sheer virtuosity of her playing - speed, range of technique, mood - was amazing.
You truly gave us a concert to remember."
Crail Music Festival