Hometown: Ottawa, ON, Canada

Featured in CBC Music’s “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30” list in 2023, Justin Saulnier is a young rising star in the Canadian music scene. His musicianship and stage presence have earned him performances all across Canada and beyond.  

Justin is a Franco-Ontarian violinist based in Montréal. He made his orchestral solo debut at age 12 with the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra and has since performed with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre Métropolitain, Canada’s National Arts Center Orchestra, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, among others. He has collaborated with prominent conductors including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Tomas Netopil, Naomi Woo and Alexis Hauser. He has also performed at many summer music festivals, including la Virée Classique de l’OSM, Music and Beyond, Music Academy of the West, and Sarasota Music Festival. 

Justin has received many awards, notably the Canada Council Michael Measures first prize, and the Schulich School of Music Golden Violin. He is also the first prize winner of the Eckhardt-Gramatté competition, the NACO Bursary Competition, Orchestre Métropolitain OMNI Competition and the McGill Romantic Concerto Competition as well as the second prize laureate of the Concours OSM and Shean Strings Competition. Justin is the recipient of a Developing Artist Grant from the Hnatyshyn Foundation, and is very grateful for their support. 

He is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree at McGill University with Andrew Wan, on a scholarship from the Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation. Justin plays on a 1680 Francesco Ruggeri from Cremona, and a Louis Gillet bow, generously loaned to him by the company Canimex Inc. from Drummondville.