About Prof. Michael Foyle
'Foyle's playing is remarkable' - BBC Music Magaziner
'Playing of compelling conviction' - The Daily Telegraph
Born in 1991, MICHAEL FOYLE is quickly becoming established as a violinist of great class and elegance on the concert platform. His commitment to musical integrity and beauty of expression in every work he performs results in a powerful communication style that has won over audiences internationally.
Michael launched his career by winning The Netherlands Violin Competition 2016. His performance of Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No.1 with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra led to an immediate invitation to give his debut recital in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.
His Wigmore Hall debut followed shortly after, described by The Strad as 'full of sparkling detail, with tonal beauty and incisive rhythmic clarity, balancing wit and poetry’. Since then he has performed recitals in the UK’s most prestigious venues, including Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Buckingham Palace, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Bridgewater Hall and Usher Hall, regularly being broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
Recent concerto appearances include with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Polish Baltic Philharmonic and London Mozart Players. He gives recitals at festivals worldwide, including St. Magnus International Festival, New York Chamber Music Festival, Grachtenfestival Amsterdam, Cervantino Festival (Mexico) and Mravinsky Festival (St. Petersburg).
In 2023 his CD recording of the complete Beethoven Sonatas with pianist Maksim Stsura received five stars from BBC Music Magazine. Previous releases include "The Great War Centenary - Debussy, Janacek and Respighi Sonatas" and "Lutoslawski and Penderecki: Complete Violin and Piano Works", both to critical acclaim (‘vividly and beautifully conceived and executed' - BBC Music Magazine, ‘richly detailed and impassioned performances’ - The Daily Telegraph, ‘Foyle produces an absolutely gorgeous sound' - Fanfare).
Alongside his solo career, Michael is violinist of Trio Balthasar and Professor of Violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London, the youngest appointed in the institution's 200-year history. In 2021 he also became Professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne.
Michael plays a Gennaro Gagliano violin from 1750 on private loan.
