Hailed by Strad Magazine for his “effortless, envy-provoking technique… sweet tone, brilliant expression, and grand style”, Michael Ludwig enjoys a multi-faceted career as a soloist, recording artist, and chamber musician. A highly sought-after soloist, he has performed on four continents, including appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Pops, KBS Symphony in Seoul, Korea, Beijing Symphony, and the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, collaborating with such conductors as Sir Georg Solti, John Williams, and JoAnn Falletta, among others. He has recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Lithuanian National Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Virginia Symphony. Michael Ludwig is the Music Director of the Roxborough Orchestra, a position he has held since 2015. As an orchestral musician, Michael has served as the Associate Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra, Concertmaster of the Buffalo Philharmonic, and Concertmaster of the Philly POPS. Michael has served as Artist-in-Residence Professor of Violin at Montclair State University's John J. Cali School of Music as well as Adjunct Professor of Music (Violin) at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Additionally, he has served as Assistant to the Music Director at Drexel University. Michael was a member of the jury for the 2017 HKIVS Shlomo Mintz International Violin Competition and gave master classes at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China. He has frequently served as an adjudicator for the Philadelphia Young Artists Concerto Competition, as well. 

 

Michael’s discography includes recordings of the Beethoven Violin Concerto, Bruch Scottish Fantasy, and Dvorak Romance with the Virginia Symphony, as well as the Wieniawski Concerto No. 2, Corigliano Red Violin Concerto, and Sibelius Concerto with the Buffalo Philharmonic. Ludwig's recording of the Corigliano Red Violin Concerto with the Buffalo Philharmonic is "hot, sharp, and close to the edge" writes critic Norman Lebrecht. His recording of the rarely performed Dohnanyi Violin Concertos with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra has received extraordinary reviews worldwide, and has revived interest in these neglected romantic works. Ludwig's discography has drawn critical acclaim from both sides of the Atlantic. Fanfare magazine writes: "His phrasing is so sensitive--it could serve as an object lesson to every budding violinist." And BBC Music Magazine praises his "persuasive playing, silky tone, sensitivity to colour and flair for golden-age' style." 

 

As a chamber musician, Michael has shared the stage with numerous acclaimed artists, such as Christoph Eschenbach, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Yefim Bronfman, Sarah Chang, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet. His recording of the world premiere of Marcel Tyberg's Piano Trio in F Major was released by NAXOS in August 2010. His chamber music performances include appearances at the Prague Spring Music Festival, New Hampshire Music Festival, and a benefit appearance for the Terezin Music Foundation at Symphony Hall in Boston. Michael and his wife Rachael are the Founding Artistic Directors of the Stella Schaevitz Concert Series, presenting concerts at the Katz JCC in Cherry Hill, NJ.

 

Michael Ludwig has been featured numerous times on Performance Today, a program that reaches approximately 1.2 million listeners on 230 radio stations nationwide. Ludwig’s media credits include live broadcasts at WRTI (Philadelphia) and WAMC (Albany, NY), as well as an appearance on the program “From the Top.” He has been featured on Bulgarian National Radio, Balkan Bulgarian Television, and the Korean Broadcasting System.

 

Michael studied violin with his father, Irving Ludwig, who was a violinist in the Philadelphia Orchestra and Music Director of the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra. Michael also studied with two of the great pedagogues of the twentieth century, Josef Gingold and Raphael Bronstein.

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Michael Ludwig is a Thomastik-Infeld artist.