Judge Price, Violinist

Judge Michael Price has maintained a dual career for most of his adult life as a professional musician, conductor, teacher, and violinist.

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He started playing the violin at age six as one of the first West Coast students of the famed Suzuki Violin School, which teaches young children through intense ear training, imitation, and memorization. 

A pivotal moment in Judge Price's career as a musician occurred at age 17 when he was hired by the Davenport Hotel to perform for a private dinner party for two hours. Intrigued by his ability to play numerous popular songs by memory, the hotel offered him a position as the hotel's "resident violinist." That opportunity turned into a two-year engagement performing in the hotel's Matador Room, where Judge Price played for numerous politicians, celebrities, and professionals visiting Spokane including Basketball Great Bill Russell, who offered up a $20 tip if he would just "stop playing." 

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Undeterred by Bill Russell's distaste for the violin, Judge Price attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where his major teachers included Louis Krasner, Mary Lou Speaker, and Max Hobart. Further studies took place at Boston University with Joseph Silverstein and at the University of Illinois with Paul Rolland.

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While in New England, Judge Price was a frequent collaborator with the Boston Philharmonic, Boston Civic Orchestra, Boston Ballet Orchestra, Portland Maine Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, and Harvard University Symphony Orchestra and performed under the baton of conductors Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Colin Davis, Neville Marriner, and Klaus Tennstedt, among others.

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Judge Price was invited to join the Spokane Symphony by then-Music Director/Conductor Donald Thulean and became, at age 20, the Orchestra's youngest Principal Player and Assistant Concertmaster. Appointed Associate Concertmaster of the Orchestra seven years later by the late Bruce Ferden, he served as a Principal Player of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra until his recent retirement after 27 continuous seasons with the Orchestra.

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Judge Price has performed in recital and as soloist with numerous orchestras throughout the Pacific Northwest and has been heard in concertos by Bach, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, and Bruch under conductors Gunther Schuller, Bruce Ferden, Morihiko Nakahara, Stefan Kozinski, George Hanson, Eckart Preu, and Fabio Mechetti. 

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He participated in numerous historic performances and recordings with the Spokane Symphony, including the Orchestra's 50th Anniversary recording of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, the world premiere of Michael Daugherty's Letters from Lincoln with baritone Thomas Hampson, and the Northwest Bach Festival Premier of J.S. Bach's monumental 

St. Matthew Passion under Gunther Schuller.

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As a recitalist, soloist, and orchestra member, Judge Price has performed in hundreds of concerts throughout Washington State, Idaho, Montana, and California and has appeared with many of the most prominent classical artists of our time including Joshua Bell, Ann Akiko Myers, Leonidas Kavakos, Lynn Harrell, Marilyn Horne, Thomas Hampson, Alicia de Larrocha, Jean-Pierre Rampal, and James Galway.

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Judge Price has worked with countless popular and recording artists including Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, the Moody Blues, Pink Martini, Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick, Lionel Hampton, Mel Torme, Judy Collins, Marvin Hamlisch, Henry Mancini, and Burt Bacharach.

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He maintained an active private teaching studio in Spokane for over 20 years and taught violin to hundreds of aspiring young musicians. He also served as Music Director/Conductor of the Spokane Youth Symphony for five seasons.

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Judge Price hails from a family of accomplished musicians and performing artists including pianist Kathy Lewis, actress and vocalist Cherie Price, 8VA Music Consultancy founder and pianist Patricia Price, and pianist

Sam Hylton, BMW Jazz Artist of the Year.

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Although now retired as a professional violinist and teacher, Judge Price continues to study much of the standard violin repertoire and hopes to one day perform all six Johann Sebastian Bach Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin in recital.

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He currently performs on a violin made in Paris by the great French luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume in 1830.