Described by her legendary mentor Josef Gingold as “one of the greatest talents that I have ever taught. Her great technique, inborn musicianship, sense of style and virtuosity are unequalled”, Patricia Shih is one of the most unique and outstanding violinists working internationally today. Patricia has also been privileged to study with Rostislav Dubinsky, Sandor Vegh, Denes Zsigmondy and Lise Elson.
Patricia’s virtuosity and unrivalled artistry has made her one of the most versatile and extraordinary musicians available to leading classical music groups of several generations. Patricia’s professional achievements reveal the great range of consistently outstanding musical collaborations she has engaged in. She has performed as soloist in some of the world’s great venues including the Carnegie Hall in New York, Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, Wigmore Hall in London, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Liszt Akademy Hall in Budapest, and the Roy Thompson in Toronto amongst many others, and has received rave reviews for her magnificent performances often comparing her to some of the great violinists of the past.
Patricia’s significant international concert career under the mentorship of the great Rostislav Dubinsky (Borodin Quartet) and on his introduction to his personal manager Mariedi Anders Artists Management, has toured internationally both as recitalist and as soloist with many leading orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic, the Halle Orchestra, the Orchestra Bretagne, the Toronto Symphony, the Mexico National Symphony, the Singapore Symphony and the Polish National Radio Orchestra.
Born in Canada, Patricia made her first public debut at the age of 4 performing the Bach Violin Concerto in Bellingham, Washington. At an early age, Patricia won the Grand Prize at both the CIBC National Music Competition in Canada and the Seattle Young Artists Competition in the USA. Patricia also received the highest honour and award amongst all instrumentalists for three consecutive years in the 4,000 person entrant Canadian Music Competition, a feat that was never achieved by anyone since.
By the age of 14, Patricia became a pupil of the legendary Josef Gingold at Indiana University. In less than a year, she made a highly acclaimed debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall playing the Wieniawski Concerto No.1, a concert arranged especially for her by Prof. Gingold. Patricia was also the only student chosen by Prof.Gingold to perform for his 75th birthday celebration on national television for the Charles Kuralt Show viewed by millions across America.
As the youngest finalist at the age of 15, Patricia received a Special Prize at the International Wieniawski Competition in Poland and was a laureate at the International Kreisler Competition in Vienna. She was also awarded the International Sommerakademie Mozarteum prize in Salzburg, Austria and in her native Canada, was honoured with the prestigious Sylva Gelber Foundation Award for the most outstanding Canadian musician under age 30.
In the media, she has been broadcast both on TV and radio innumerable times. Her recordings and videos have also been viewed on the Classic FM Channel in Europe.
Patricia delivers to the highest standards and has become the much applauded leader of Canada’s foremost Borealis String Quartet, based in Vancouver, BC. As Quartet in Residence and faculty at University of British Columbia and at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the Borealis String Quartet have also taught and mentored at many other universities internationally as artists in residence.
The Borealis has achieved an international reputation for fiery performances, passion, coupled with a refined musical interpretative style. The quartet has toured in the USA and Canada, at major venues, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Seattle, and also in Europe and Asia where they are sponsored by Chimei Culture Foundation in Taiwan. Their broad repertoire includes the traditional masterworks as well as new works written especially for the Borealis by contemporary composers such as Imant Raminsh, Bramwell Tovey and Murray Schafer. Their performance for the Prime Minister of Canada was viewed by over 75,000 people while performing at Parliament Hill in Ottawa and consequently, performed special concerts for the Chief Justice of Canada, Beverly MacLachlin and for His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama.
As a philanthropist, Patricia and the Borealis devotes their time and art by playing hundreds of performances for audiences who are less fortunate and are no longer able to make it to concerts as part of the Health Arts Society and Concerts in Care. The Borealis also raises the awareness of young composers in the annual Jean Coulthard Quartet Readings by promoting and performing works especially written for the event.
Patricia’s passion of teaching is realized by reaching out to countless number of local school students by coaching individuals, giving masterclasses and working with the school orchestras. She also performs charity concerts for many causes including Children in Need, the Red Cross and Tsunami Relief amongst others.
Patricia was recently honoured as a “Distinguished Fellow of BC” for the applauded presentations and lectures given as a Visiting Scholar at Green College@ UBC.
The Borealis is endorsed by Pirastro Strings and are ambassadors for the famed string company.
On the Biography Channel, “Patricia Shih, a half hour documentary” was aired across North America.
While she is not practicing the violin, Patricia can be found practicing her cooking skills, biking and hiking in the mountains of BC.
Patricia plays on a 1740 Paolo Antonio Testore made in Milan and is Associate Professor of Violin at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
See Patricia perform during our concert season!