Jesse Morrison and his “lovely viola tones” (Mark Morris, Edmonton Scene) enjoys a diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player. Recently awarded a Canada Council for the Arts
grant, Jesse commissioned a new solo viola work by Derek David and recorded his debut solo album called “Transitions”, with additional works by Brett Dean, György Kurtág and Telemann.
As a recitalist, he has performed this program in Calgary through the Instrumental Society of Calgary at the Lougheed House, Sound Atlas Fest at the Calgary Contemporary Art Museum, Chamber Music at New Park in Ithaca, NY and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Killian Hall.
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Jesse has participated as artist in residence at the Capital City Concerts, Chamberfest West, Chamber Music at New Park, Classical Music Institute, Concerts in the Barn, Continuum Concerts, Festival Mozaic, Flatirons Chamber Music Festival, Ottawa Chamberfest, NEXUS Chamber Music, Sound Atlas
Festival and Sunset Chamberfest.
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Currently in his seventh season as a member of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Jesse has also played with the Toronto Symphony and St. Paul Chamber Orchestras. A devoted chamber musician, his music collaborators include Donald Weilerstein, Kim Kashkashian, Joel Krosnick, Pekka Kuusisto, the Amici Ensemble, Boston Trio and members of the Arditti, Brentano, Chilingirian, Cleveland, Juilliard, and Takács Quartets. Jesse was also the founding violist of the Neruda Quartet in Boston and Arkadas
Quartet in Toronto. He is an active music educator teaching privately and serving on faculty at the Amici String Program and Mount Royal University as both a Chamber Music Professor and Viola Professor. Jesse has also most recently given masterclasses for the Canadian Viola Society, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Calgary.
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As recipient of the Sylva Gelber Foundation Award, Jesse graduated from the New England Conservatory (NEC) with an M.M. under Kim Kashkashian, the Glenn Gould School with an A.D.
under Steven Dann and the University of Toronto with a B.M. under Teng Li. During his time in Boston, he was a chamber music coach for the NEC Prep Program and served as the Teaching Assistant for the studio of Ms. Kashkashian. His Jordan Hall debut was a solo performance of the Ligeti Sonata, followed by being awarded First Prize for both NEC Concerto Competitions, performing the Bartók Viola Concerto and Britten's Lachrymae. Additionally, he was awarded the Borromeo String Quartet
Guest Artist Award and the Honors Award with his quartet, all with performances in Jordan Hall. During his time in Toronto, his quartet there was awarded the Felix Galimir Award from the University of Toronto with recitals in both Walter Hall and The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
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Jesse is an alumnus of the Hindemith Foundation led by Tabea Zimmermann, Yellow Barn Music Festival, Kneisel Hall, the New York String Seminar, Domaine Forget, the Banff Centre and Scotia
Festival of Music and has worked with many leading composers of this generation such as Brett Dean, Steve Mackey and Jörg Widmann. Jesse has been a representative for “Music for Food” since 2015, a musician-led initiative founded in Boston that has created more than 2 million meals across North America since 2009 and currently plays on a 1971 Otto Erdesz Viola and a modern bow by Kaspar Pankow.

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