Janine Jansen Famous Quote

“The wrong note played with the right intention is much to be preferred to the right note played with no soul.”
-Janine Jansen, classical Violinist

Janine Jansen, the renowned Dutch violinist, has been praised for her virtuosic performances that are both passionate and alert. While Jansen is a classical star in Europe, she is not as well-known in the US, but she will claim one of the New York music world’s most significant prizes this season: a Perspectives series at Carnegie Hall.

Jansen has an impressive ability to listen and collaborate with her fellow musicians, creating a deeply intimate drama of chamber music. She is known for her radiant tone and fiery technique, but it is the moments when she is silent that are equally as captivating. Her receptiveness towards her partners on stage is palpable, whether it is a star like pianist Martha Argerich or a timpanist in the back of the orchestra.

Jansen grew up in a family of classical musicians, and leading figures of the historically informed performance scene in the Netherlands were family friends. Her early exposure to early-music groups and performances shaped her love for music, but she also has a passion for 20th-century American chamber music and the unjustly overlooked Britten concerto. Her interests run wide, and she is well-versed in the Baroque repertory, combining the adventurous spirit of the early-music scene with a brilliant, often glamorous sound.

Jansen’s ultimate goal is to create a moment in a performance where “it falls into place and you don’t feel anymore that you’re performing a concert.” She achieves this by being present in the moment and completely taking in what is happening, becoming an observer rather than just a performer.

Jansen’s Perspectives series at Carnegie Hall is dominated by three chamber performances, including Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time,” which Jansen recently recorded for Sony Classical. Jansen’s ability to collaborate and listen to her fellow musicians make her an exceptional artist, and her upcoming performances at Carnegie Hall are not to be missed.