Dimitri Murrath

Born in Brussels, Belgian-American violist Dimitri Murrath made his mark on the international scene performing as a recitalist and soloist in venues including the Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Royal Festival Hall (London), and Théâtre de la Ville (Paris).

A first-prize winner at the Primrose International Viola Competition, Murrath has won numerous other awards, including top prizes at the Tokyo International Viola Competition and ARD International Music Competition. In 2012, he was named laureate of the Juventus Festival, an award recognizing young European soloists. He received a 2014 Avery Fisher Career Grant, through which he recorded and released his first solo album in 2017, with music by Vieuxtemps, Clarke, and Hindemith.

An avid chamber musician, Murrath has been the violist of the Esmé Quartet since 2023 and was a member of the Boston Chamber Music Society from 2013 to 2023. He has collaborated with Richard Goode, Gidon Kremer, Menahem Pressler, Mitsuko Uchida, and members of the Cleveland, Mendelssohn, and Guarneri Quartets. He has performed in festivals including Verbier, Caramoor, Juventus, and Marlboro.

Murrath began his musical education at the Yehudi Menuhin School, studying with Natalia Boyarsky. He earned his bachelor of music degree in London with David Takeno at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and graduated with an artist diploma from the New England Conservatory as a student of Kim Kashkashian. After nine years teaching viola at the New England Conservatory, he is now professor of viola and chair of chamber music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

In addition, Murrath participates in the Music for Food project, which raises awareness of hunger faced by a large percentage of the population and offers the opportunity to experience the powerful role music can play as a catalyst for change.