Described as “a consummate musician” (Naples Daily News) with “a divine sound... exquisitely sculpted” (The Prague Post), Canadian violist Sarah McElravy leads an exceptional and multifaceted career as a chamber musician, soloist, and pedagogue.

Her upcoming 2023/24 season is marked by debuts with the Florida Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Volksoper Vienna Orchestra, Orchestra i Pomeriggi Musicali, and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, alongside a return to the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra.

Highlights of the 2022/23 season included performances of the Walton Viola Concerto with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie under conductor Jonathan Bloxham and the Sofia Philharmonic under Daniel Geiss. Collaborating with her duo partner and husband, violinist and conductor Julian Rachlin, she showcased a series of double concertos with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Valles Symphony Orchestra at Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona. Furthermore, she made her debut at the Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw, performing Britten’s “Lachrymae” with the Radom Chamber Orchestra and conductor Jurek Dybal.

Ms. McElravy has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras worldwide, including the Helsinki Philharmonic, Prague Philharmonia, Warsaw Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Dortmunder Philharmoniker, Wiener Kammerorchester, Moscow Philharmonic, Kammerorchester des Symphonieorchesters des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Tiroler Symphonieorchester Innsbruck, and Naples Philharmonic, among others. Notable performances include the UK premiere of the Penderecki Double Concerto for violin and viola with Julian Rachlin and the Royal Northern Sinfonia under conductor Alexander Joel, as well as Strauss’ 'Don Quixote' with cellist Boris Andrianov and the Russian National Orchestra under the baton of Dmitri Jurowski. Ms. McElravy made her Japan debut with the Royal Northern Sinfonia at the “La Folle Journée” Festival.

Chamber music highlights in the 2023/24 season include a string quartet performance of Beethoven’s Op. 130 with Große Fuge at the Herbstgold Festival in Austria, featuring violinists Julian Rachlin and Boris Brovtsyn and cellist Eckart Runge,Bach’s Goldberg Variations (Sitkovetsky-transcription for string trio) in Cremona, Italy at the Stradivari Festival, in Vienna at the Musikverein, and in Graz, and the SoNoRo festival in Romania.

She has performed chamber music in prestigious venues such as the Vienna Musikverein, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Suntory Hall, and Schloss Elmau, participating in renowned festivals such as the Prague Spring Festival, La Jolla SummerFest, Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Caramoor Festival, Sion Festival, and at the Kronberg Academy. Collaborations have included internationally recognized artists like Vilde Frang, Janine Jansen, Denis Kozhukhin, Itamar Golan, Andreas Ottensamer, Mischa Maisky, Nicolas Altstaedt, Boris Andrianov, and Daniel Müller-Schott.

A founding member of the award-winning Linden String Quartet (2008-2014), hailed as “polished, radiant, and incisive” by The Strad Magazine, she toured extensively throughout North America and Europe. The ensemble served as the Fellowship Quartet-in-residence at Yale University, Apprentice Quartet at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and gave teaching residencies at the University of Iowa, University of Idaho, Caramoor Festival, and Detroit Chamber Music Society, among others. The quartet gave frequent masterclasses, lectures, and outreach performances. The Linden Quartet received the Gold Medal and Grand Prize at the 2009 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, 2009 Coleman National Chamber Ensemble Competition, and the 2010 Hugo Kauder Competition, the ProQuartet Prize at the 9th Borciani String Quartet Competition, and a prestigious New York Concert Artists Guild management contract.

In 2014, Ms. McElravy founded the Chamber Music Society México, an organization dedicated to presenting world-class chamber music in México City. As the Artistic Director, she brought leading North American artists to perform and provide educational programs for talented young Mexican musicians.

Sarah McElravy plays on a 1791 Ferdinando Gagliano violin and a 1785 Lorenzo Storioni viola, generously on loan courtesy of the Dkfm. Angelika Prokopp Privatstiftung in Vienna.