About John
—
Praised for his “rapid-fire playing and expressive vibrato,” Washington, DC–based violinist John Philligin is an active soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer throughout the East Coast. His appearances include performances at Strathmore Concert Hall, the Kennedy Center Opera House and Concert Hall, the Russian Cultural Center, and the Embassy of Argentina.
John has collaborated with a wide range of artists across classical, contemporary, and crossover genres, including flutist Carol Wincenc, tenor Juan Diego Flórez, award-winning Broadway actor Raúl Esparza, entertainment legends Rita Moreno and Chita Rivera, Grammy Award–winning artist Ricky Skaggs, and internationally recognized tango artists Ariel Pirotti and Rodolpho Zanetti.
He currently performs with Paragon Philharmonia and serves as Principal Second Violinist with the American Contemporary Classical Orchestra. His prior leadership roles include concertmaster of the Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra and the Eastern Symphony Orchestra, as well as Principal Second Violinist of the Washington Sinfonietta. Additional ensemble appearances include the Latin Grammy–nominated Pan American Symphony Orchestra, Takoma Ensemble, Trinity Chamber Orchestra, Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, and the Greene County Performing Arts Series.
In addition to his performance career, John has maintained a private violin and viola studio for over fifteen years and is a registered teacher with the Suzuki Association of the Americas, having completed teacher training in all ten Suzuki books with renowned pedagogue Joanne Bath. He has served on the violin faculty at the Levine School of Music and with the East Carolina University String Project.
John received his musical training at the North Carolina School of the Arts and the East Carolina University School of Music, where he studied with Ara Gregorian and was the recipient of the Mary Ruth Hardy Violin Scholarship. His principal teachers include Kevin Lawrence, Diana LeGrand, and Guillermo Ayerbe.
He performs on a 2009 copy of the 1742 “Heifetz” Guarneri del Gesù violin by David L. Chrapkiewicz, paired with a silver-mounted bow by Douglas Raguse.