Violinist Jure Smirnov Oštir completed his master’s degree from the Royal Academy of Music London where he studied under the tuition of Levon Chilingirian and Remus Azoitei. He has received prizes in several international competitions, including first prize at the Ars Nova International Competition in Italy, the Gold Award at the Slovenian National Music Competition, the Sir John Barbirolli Memorial Award, and first prize at the CAVATINA Intercollegiate Competition. He has received masterclasses from Maxim Vengerov, James Ehnes, Sylvia Rosenberg, Igor Ozim, and András Keller as part of the Wigmore Hall String Quartet Masterclass Series.
Jure has given solo recitals in Italy, Russia, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, France, Romania, Moldova and the United Kingdom. Recent solo and chamber music performances include recitals at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Wigmore Hall, Barbican Hall, Colston Hall, Middle Temple Hall, Great Theatre Velenje Slovenia, Teatro di Bibiena Mantua, Drapers’ Hall, Sala Kameralna Łodz and Grand Organ Hall Chisinau Moldova. Recent festivals include Welwyn Garden Concert Club, Wimbledon Music Festival, Truro Arts Festival, Alnwick Music Society, Temple Hall Music, Ripon Concerts Club, Scotland Chamber Music MU tour, Halesworth Arts Festival, Festival Velenje and Moldo Crescendo Festival.
Jure gave the world premiere of ‘Strune Strasti’ with the Domžale-Kamnik Symphony Orchestra in 2014, a work composed and dedicated to him by renowned Slovenian composer Tomaž Habe. He also gave the world premiere performance of ‘Our Story’, for the BBC Grenfell Documentary with Gareth Malone, and a world premiere of ‘Quiet London’ for countertenor and string quartet by Alex Woolf, commissioned by the Arts Society. He was a soloist with the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, has led the Royal Academy Symphony Orchestra and performed with The English Chamber Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia and O’Modernt Chamber Orchestra. He was selected to work closely with the London Philharmonic Orchestra as part of their Foyle Future Firsts programme of 2020/21.
Jure plays in a duo with a Korean pianist Yoojin Kim. He is also a member of Fitzroy String Quartet, Meliora Collective Ensemble and O’Modernt Chamber Orchestra. He plays on 1860 Francesco Maurizi violin, on generous loan from the Harrison-Frank Family Foundation.
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