Australian violinist Thomas Jones recently returned home after an extended period of study and performance in the United States. After studying at the Sydney Conservatorium under Christopher Kimber, Jones received a Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Award and became a student of the late Josef Gingold at Indiana University. Gingold was once described by The Smithsonian magazine as “the best living teacher of violin technique and repertoire in the world today.”

Gingold was a friend of Kreisler and himself a student of the great Belgian virtuoso Eugene Ysaÿe. It was Ysaÿe who originated that blend of passionate fervour and lush sensuality which is the very essence of Romanticism. Kreisler inherited this style and infused it with his own inimitable elegance and charm. Under the guidance of Gingold, Thomas Jones was able to absorb the legacy of this great romantic tradition.

In 1988 Jones became the violinist with the Atlanta Chamber Players, the leading ensemble in the Southeast and toured extensively with them throughout the United States. He also appeared as guest artist with the Borodin Trio and performed as a soloist with various Australian and American orchestras including the Dekalb Symphony, the Tampa Bay Chamber Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Queensland Pops Orchestra.