Janine Jansen was born in Soest, a Dutch town in the province of Utrecht. To say that she grew up in a musical family is like saying that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart grew up in a musical family: music is at the heart of her family’s culture. Jansen’s father is an organist and harpsichord player (as is one of her brothers), her mother is a singer, and another brother plays the cello in a Dutch radio orchestra.
It’s surprising to hear from someone known as such a natural violinist that as a child she first had her eye on the cello. “My parents thought it would be nice to have a little more variety in the family,” she says of her decision to play violin.
After the family’s chamber music experience, Jansen also enjoyed playing with other artists, including pianist Jonathan Biss, cellist Christian Poltéra, and clarinetist Martin Fröst. Today her list of regular collaborators includes pianist Itamar Golan, violinist Julian Rachlin; violist Maxim Rysanov; and cellist Torleif Thedéen.
For an hour last night I listened to Ms. Jansen as she prepared and recorded the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Here is that music now for your enjoyment:
