Jessica McJunkins
Concertmaster
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Known for her 'dynamic playing' and 'fearless artistry', Charlotte, NC native Jessica McJunkins performs and teaches in New York City, and throughout the North and Southeast. As a classical musician, she has had concert engagements with the Harlem Chamber Players, Wordless Music Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Sherman Chamber Ensemble and Lake George Festival Orchestra, where she served as assistant concertmaster. She was a 2011 fellowship member of the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and is currently a regular extra member of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. As a recording artist, she has collaborated with noted artists Sufjan Stevens, Frankie Rose, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, the Four Tops and more. As a chamber musician, she has toured internationally with the Beacon Street Trio, and recently completed an educational quartet residency at the University of Massachusets, Lowell with Quatuor Mahogony. Internationally, Ms. McJunkins has performed on the stages of North America, Asia and Central America. She has performed on the stages of Carnegie Hall, Trinity Wall Street, Le Poisson Rouge, Highline Ballroom, Gramercy Theatre, Apollo Theatre, Rockwood Music Hall, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Recital Center, Symphony Space, The Academy of Arts and Letters, the Palace Theatre and more.
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As a champion of the immediate advancement of diversity within American orchestral scene, Ms. McJunkins is also concertmaster of the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra, as part of a groundbreaking classical music festival in Charleston, SC that features notable Black classical musicians performing the music of under-represented Black classical composers. Part of her role as concertmaster of the Festival Orchestra includes serving as concertmaster of the Colour of Music Virtuosi, the resident COMF chamber orchestra. Jessica was featured as soloist with the Virtuosi in a performance that included the Four Seasons of both Piazzola and Vivaldi during the 2014 season.
While in New York, she has made appearances on Saturday Night Live with UK pop sensation Bastille, served as solo violinist for the Off-Broadway production Stars of David, and recorded the original cast album in this capacity. As an educator, she she works closely with Roberta Guaspari at the Opus 118 School of Music, maintains a thriving private studio and enjoys varied roles as teaching artist to inner city youth. In addition to her role as concertmaster of the Colour of Music Festival Virtuosi, Ms. McJunkins is concertmaster of the Trilogy Opera Orchestra, and newest member of the Sympho Contemporary Ensemble. Past credits include Broadway performances of South Pacific, Next to Normal, West Side Story, Shrek and White Christmas; as well as performances with Max Richter and the Wordless Music Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Recital Centre.
During 2012 - 2013, Jessica embarked on an international tour as violinist of the Beacon Street Trio. The group boasts an extensive range of repertoire, including everything from Beethoven to Copeland. The Beacon Street Trio performed in Alaska, throughout the Panama Canal region, Fiji, Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Southeast Asia, ending their inaugural contract in Singapore. During the spring of 2013, Ms. McJunkins was pleased to return to Hawaii with the group, wherein they released their first recording, Voyages.
Jessica enjoys literature, fashion, championing social justice, videos of cats, busking in Grand Central Station and long walks down Riverside Drive. She is currently a first violinist of the West Village Quartet, an African-American string quartet infamous in New York City as part of Music Under New York.
While in New York, she has made appearances on Saturday Night Live with UK pop sensation Bastille, served as solo violinist for the Off-Broadway production Stars of David, and recorded the original cast album in this capacity. As an educator, she she works closely with Roberta Guaspari at the Opus 118 School of Music, maintains a thriving private studio and enjoys varied roles as teaching artist to inner city youth. In addition to her role as concertmaster of the Colour of Music Festival Virtuosi, Ms. McJunkins is concertmaster of the Trilogy Opera Orchestra, and newest member of the Sympho Contemporary Ensemble. Past credits include Broadway performances of South Pacific, Next to Normal, West Side Story, Shrek and White Christmas; as well as performances with Max Richter and the Wordless Music Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Recital Centre.
During 2012 - 2013, Jessica embarked on an international tour as violinist of the Beacon Street Trio. The group boasts an extensive range of repertoire, including everything from Beethoven to Copeland. The Beacon Street Trio performed in Alaska, throughout the Panama Canal region, Fiji, Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Southeast Asia, ending their inaugural contract in Singapore. During the spring of 2013, Ms. McJunkins was pleased to return to Hawaii with the group, wherein they released their first recording, Voyages.
Jessica enjoys literature, fashion, championing social justice, videos of cats, busking in Grand Central Station and long walks down Riverside Drive. She is currently a first violinist of the West Village Quartet, an African-American string quartet infamous in New York City as part of Music Under New York.
