Violinist and violist Barry Shiffman has enjoyed a distinguished career as a performer, recording artist, teacher, and arts leader. He made his debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at age 15 and in 1989 co-founded the St. Lawrence String Quartet. During his 17 years with the ensemble, he performed more than 2,000 concerts worldwide, including appearances at Rockport Music, and recorded several critically acclaimed albums for EMI Classics.
A highly respected teacher and chamber music coach, Shiffman has served as artist-in-residence at Stanford University and as visiting artist at the University of Toronto, and has been involved in the premieres of hundreds of new works. He was recently named Dean of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, following many years of leadership there and at the Banff Centre. Shiffman is the recipient of the Nadia Boulanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching and an honorary doctorate from the University of Calgary.