Michael Foyle won The Netherlands Violin Competition 2016. His acclaimed performance of Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No.1 with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra led to an immediate invitation to give his debut recital at The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. During 2017-18, he performs the concerti of Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Elgar, Korngold, Lalo, Mendelssohn, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky. In addition to his solo and chamber performances, Michael is engaged this season as Guest-Concertmaster of BBC Symphony Orchestra and Halle Orchestra. Born in Ayrshire in 1991, Michael gave his concerto debut in Edinburgh Festival Theatre aged eight.

He went on to win the BBC Young Musician of the Year Tabor Award 2008 and the Royal Overseas League String Competition 2013, subsequently performing as a City Music Foundation, Park Lane Group, Kirckman Concert Society and Making Music Young Concert artist. His acclaimed duo with pianist Maksim Stsura won the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe Competition and the Salieri-Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition in 2015. Together, they have given recitals in Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Buckingham Palace, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Bridgewater Hall, Usher Hall, Estonia Concert Hall and New York Chamber Music Festival, performing live on BBC Radio 3, NPO Radio 4 and Estonia Klassikaradio.

Upon graduating from the Royal Academy of Music in 2015, where he is now Violin Professor, Michael was awarded the Regency Award for Excellence and the Roth Prize for the highest violin mark of the year. Alongside his studies with Maureen Smith and Daniel Rowland, he received artistic guidance from Olivier Charlier, James Ehnes and Maxim Vengerov. He completed his studies with a Certificate of Performance degree with Pavel Vernikov at the Vienna Konservatorium. Michael plays a Gennaro Gagliano violin (1750) on loan and is represented by Interartists Amsterdam. (www.michaelfoyle.org)