Genesis

ADDA Alicante Symphony Orchestra
Blake Pouliot — violin
Josep Vicent — Principal Conductor

Shostakovich — Violin Concerto No. 1
Shostakovich — Symphony No. 1

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Blake Pouliot — violin

Described as “immaculate, at once refined and passionate” (ArtsAtlanta), violinist Blake Pouliot (pronounced “pool-YACHT”) has secured his place among the foremost prodigies of classical music. A determined young artist whose passion captivates audiences at every performance, Pouliot has been hailed as “one of those rare talents that appear only once in a lifetime” (Toronto Star).

As soloist in the 2025–26 season, highlights include his return to the National Arts Centre Orchestra to open the season alongside Music Director Alexander Shelley, performing Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1. He makes debuts with the Illinois Symphony, playing Rózsa’s Violin Concerto under Music Director Taichi Fukumura, and with the Columbus Symphony, performing Korngold’s Violin Concerto conducted by Josep Vicent.

Other orchestral engagements include appearances with the Rochester Philharmonic and a tour with the Prague Philharmonia across Spain and the United States, culminating in a performance at Carnegie Hall—marking Blake’s debut in Stern Auditorium.

His recital season features appearances at Newport Classical, the Vancouver Chamber Music Society, the Artist Series of Sarasota, and Portland Ovations, joined by his long-time collaborator and pianist Henry Kramer.

Since his orchestral debut at age 11, Pouliot has performed with the Aspen, Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, Madison, Montreal, Toronto, San Francisco, and Seattle symphonies, among many others.

He has collaborated with numerous leading conductors, including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Matthias Pintscher, Sir Neville Marriner, David Afkham, Pablo Heras-Casado, JoAnn Falletta, Marcelo Lehninger, Vasily Petrenko, and Thomas Søndergård.

Pouliot has appeared twice on Rob Kapilow’s educational series *What Makes It Great?* and served as Artist-in-Residence for NPR’s *Performance Today* in Minnesota (2017/18), Hawaii (2018/19), and across Europe (2021/22).

Previously, he won the Grand Prize of the Manulife Competition of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal in 2016 and was named First Laureate of the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank in both 2015 and 2018.

Pouliot performs on a 1729 Guarneri del Gesù violin, generously loaned by an anonymous donor.