Praised for her “divine sound, exquisitely sculpted” (The Prague Post) and celebrated for her “emotional depth and expressive intimacy” (Kleine Zeitung), Canadian violist and violinist Sarah McElravy has established herself as one of the most compelling soloists and chamber musicians of her generation.

Highlights of McElravy’s 2026–27 season include Walton’s Viola Concerto with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Martinů’s Rhapsody-Concerto with the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, as well as appearances with the Israel Chamber Orchestra. She will also perform the world premiere of Elliott Leung’s Double Concerto for Violin and Viola, written for McElravy and her husband and long-time duo partner, Julian Rachlin, at Jaguar Hall in Shanghai.

McElravy has appeared as soloist with distinguished orchestras across Europe, Asia, and North America, including the Helsinki Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Hannover State Symphony, Grazer Philharmoniker, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, Russian National Orchestra, Bayerischer Rundfunk Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Sofia Philharmonic, Zagreb Soloists, Macau Orchestra, and Naples Philharmonic, among many others.

A passionate advocate for new music, she has premiered numerous works, most recently “Transcendent Love”, a viola concerto written especially for her by Benjamin Yusupov and hailed as a significant addition to the instrument’s contemporary literature.

Equally at home in chamber music, McElravy appears regularly at many of Europe’s and Asia’s leading festivals. Highlights of the 2026–27 season include Austria’s Herbstgold Festival, Romania’s SoNoRo Festival, the Z+ Festival in Shanghai, Chamber Music and Arts Singapore, and the Internationales Musikfest der Überraschungen at Schloss Eggenberg in Graz, Austria. She also continues international performances of Bach’s Goldberg Variations for string trio alongside violinist Julian Rachlin and cellist Boris Andrianov, following recent appearances at Wigmore Hall (London), the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Teatro della Pergola (Florence), and Milan’s Conservatorio Verdi.

As a violinist, she was a founding member of the Linden String Quartet (2009–2015), touring extensively throughout North America, holding residencies at Yale University and the Cleveland Institute of Music, and winning top prizes at the Concert Artists Guild, Fischoff, and Coleman competitions. In 2014, she founded Chamber Music Society México, bringing world-class performances and mentorship to young musicians in Mexico City and Cuernavaca.

A true global citizen, McElravy has lived in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Austria. Her dual identity as violinist and violist mirrors her artistic philosophy: rooted in tradition yet open to discovery, equally at home in Bach and in world premieres. Driven by an insatiable curiosity, she draws inspiration from the audiences, traditions, and encounters that continually shape her path.

She performs on a 1791 Ferdinando Gagliano violin and a 1785 Lorenzo Storioni viola, both generously on loan from the Dkfm. Angelika Prokopp Privatstiftung in Vienna.