Malcolm Lowe

Malcolm Lowe(born March 15, 1953) is a Canadian and American violinist and teacher. He held the position ofconcertmasterat theBoston Symphony Orchestrafrom 1984 to 2019, making him the second-longest-serving concertmaster in the orchestra's history.

Early life

Lowe was raised on a farm inHamiota,Manitoba, Canada, with his mother being a singer and his father a violinist who commenced his violin training at the age of three. His brothers, Darren and Cameron, also pursued musical careers, with Darren becoming the concertmaster of theQuebec Symphony Orchestraand Cameron serving as a cellist with theRegina Symphony Orchestra.

After relocating toSaskatchewanand settling inReginaat the age of nine, he commenced his music education at the Regina Conservatory of Music, where he studied for nine years under the mentorship of Howard Leyton-Brown, a former concertmaster of theLondon Philharmonic.He furthered his musical training at theMeadowmount School of Musicfrom 1970 to 1973 and theCurtis Institute of Musicfrom 1971, receiving instruction fromIvan Galamian,Josef Gingold,Jaime Laredoand Sally Thomas.

Career

In 1972, Lowe won the CBC Talent Contest. Subsequently, in 1973, he served as the concertmaster at the New York Christmas String Seminar. In the subsequent year, 1974, he performed inPuerto Ricoas a member of the Casals Festival Orchestra.

In 1975, he was appointed as the concertmaster of the Regina Symphony Orchestra, a position he held until 1976. In the subsequent year, he took on the position of concertmaster with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, a role he held until 1983. During his tenure with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, he won the Montreal International Violin Competition.

In 1983, he became a member of the Worcester Symphony Orchestra inMassachusetts.By 1984, he was appointed under the music directorship ofSeiji Ozawaas the concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a position held by the 10th individual since the orchestra's inception in 1881.

On September 12, 2019, the Boston Symphony Orchestra announced his retirement. He had taken a leave from the ensemble in February of that year due to the effects of a concussion he sustained after falling and hitting his head while attempting to avoid a cyclist.

"Malcolm Lowe’s 35-year tenure as concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra exemplifies an exceptional dedication and commitment to achieving excellence at the pinnacle of music-making," remarked Boston Symphony Music DirectorAndris Nelsons.

Lowe performs with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players and serves as a soloist for the orchestra, appearing at both Symphony Hall andTanglewood. In the summer of 1990, he served as concertmaster at Tanglewood duringLeonard Bernstein's final concert. He was invited as a guest musician to perform with various orchestras, including theMontreal Symphony Orchestra,theNational Arts Centre Orchestra,the Scotia Festival of Music, and theToronto Symphony Orchestra.

Teaching

In music education, Lowe holds positions in theNew England Conservatory of Music,theCleveland Institute of Music,Boston University,and theTanglewood Music Center.

He served as a member of the jury for theInternational Violin Competition of Indianapolisin 1998, 2002, and 2006, as well as a member of the jury for the 2023Montreal International Music Competition.