William Knuth
Violin
liam Knuth, violinist and Fulbright Scholar, has earned recognition for his artistry as a solo and chamber musician and recently joined the CCO. He is Assistant Professor of Violin and string department coordinator at the Syracuse University Setnor School of Music with a private teaching studio in Syracuse, NY. As a member of Duo Sonidos with guitarist Adam Levin, Knuth has performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Canary Islands, and South America. In Fall of 2024 he will be Visiting Professor of Violin at the University of São Paulo in São Paulo, Brazil.
​
Knuth and Levin released their most recent album Duo Sonidos: Wild Dance on the NAXOS label, which immediately rose to no. 3 on the Billboard classical music charts. The duo was awarded First Prize at the 2010 Luys Milan International Chamber Music Competition in Valencia, Spain, and BBC Music Magazine chose the debut album Duo Sonidos as the “BBC Top Choice US Release Album.” Knuth is a Grammy Recording Academy voting member.
​
Knuth has served as Assistant Concertmaster of the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria, Associate Concertmaster of the vibrant Boston-based chamber orchestra Discovery Ensemble, is a member of the esteemed New York City-based new music group Ensemble Signal, and was a long standing member of the Boston Philharmonic.
​
Knuth’s concerts in the U.S. have included a debut at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall; performances in New York’s Carnegie Hall, Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Strathmore Center, Austin Chamber Music Center, Guitar Foundation of American International Festival, National Gallery of Art, University of Miami Frost School of Music, Fundacao Oscar Americano Sao Paulo, Columbia University’s Miller Theater, Boston’s Jordan Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, Harvard Sanders Theater, Boston WGBH radio, Chicago WFMT radio, WCNY radio, Austin Classical Guitar, NPR radio and Mayne Stage Chicago; guest solo appearances with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and the Boston International Guitarfest; and ensemble work with Jacksonville Symphony, Discovery Ensemble, Signal Ensemble, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Harvard Group for New Music, IMPULS Festival Austria, June in Buffalo Festival, Big Ears Festival, and the Ojai Festival. Special projects have included collaborations with Sergio Assad, Clarice Assad, Joao Luiz, Steve Reich, Kaija Saariaho, Salvador Brotons, Eduardo Morales-Caso, Phillip Glass, Julia Wolfe, David Lang, Lukas Foss, Norah Jones, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, Goldfrapp, David Byrne, Jon Brion, Bright Eyes and the Goo Goo Dolls.
​
Knuth holds an M.M. from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied violin with Nicholas Kitchen of the Borromeo Quartet; a Fulbright certificate for studies in Austria with Ernst Kovacic at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts; and a B.M. from the Eastman School of Music, where he was a student of Lynn Blakeslee.
​
INSIGHTS
​
What made you take up your instrument as a child?
My parents began my journey on the violin when I was 2 with a local Suzuki program in Utica, NY.
​
Why do you continue to perform?
The violin has always been part of my life since I was an infant. I couldn’t imagine life without performing and it has grown even more integral to my personal and professional outlook as the years have progressed.
​
What inspires you to make music?
I am inspired by sharing moments of inspiration with colleagues on stage and the joy that creating something creative and special brings to me. The special feeling of connecting intimately with other musicians in a live performance is hard to replicate.
​
What makes playing in an orchestra so special?
Orchestral playing is teamwork in the most refined form. As with any team sport, it is exciting to be part of a group that works at one to create a unified sound.
​
What is special about the CCO, to you?
The CCO is not only a special group of players but a warm and supportive group of human beings who generally enjoy each other’s company. Rehearsal weeks feel much more like bonding sessions with friends than work!
​
​