Meet the Student: Q&A with Violinist Jacques Forestier

Jacques Forestier, from Edmonton, Alberta, entered the Curtis Institute of Music in 2022 and studies violin with Shmuel Ashkenasi and Pamela Frank. All students at Curtis receive merit-based, full-tuition scholarships, and Mr. Forestier is the Thomas D. Watkins Fellow.

You began playing the violin at age two. What led you to pick up the instrument, and what is one of your earliest musical memories?
As the son of two professional musicians, I was surrounded by music from day one, so it only would have been natural for me to have given it a try myself, and that’s precisely what I did. My first memory was from maybe a year after attempting to imitate the sound I was hearing from my mother—I was trying to vibrate, and it happened to work weirdly enough.

Now that your first year at Curtis is coming to a close and you’ve found a rhythm to your daily life, balancing classes, rehearsals, practice routines, and performances, what excites you the most about studying at the school?
The most exciting part of studying at Curtis has the be the constant inspiration around me. The opportunity to perform in studio class weekly for my peers, to experiment, take risks, and analyze your progress in a performance context so regularly… it’s very special.

You made your debut with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at age 11 and have won numerous prizes in some of the world’s most prestigious competitions. Tell us about some of your most notable performances and why they continue to resonate with you. 
It might strike some as odd that the performances that resonate with me the most are the least successful ones—because they’re the ones that stay in my head as I strive to improve. On a less critical note, I recently had a very enjoyable performance with the Western Michigan Symphony of the Sibelius Concerto. I remember most vividly the hall feeling dry and very big (something like 3500 seat capacity), but the music-making was very satisfying. I’m also excited about multiple performances with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in just a few days of Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy!

Watch Jacques Forestier’s performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor filmed during the 2022 Klein String Competition and featured in episode 421 of NPR’s series, From the Top. 

If you had to pick your favorite violin repertoire, what would it be and why?
Almost an impossible question as it changes so frequently, but currently, my favorite piece to listen to would have to be Schubert’s Rondo in B—my favorite piece to play: Ravel’s Sonata in G major.

What are some of your interests outside of practicing and performing?
I love eating out with friends, spending time with the people I care about, listening to music, watching T.V. shows…keeping up with the news.

Photos of Mr. Forestier courtesy of the artist.