Hailed by The New York Times as “provocative and brilliant” with “stunning technique and volitality,” violinist Geoff Nuttall began playing the violin at the age of eight after moving to London, Ontario from College Station, Texas. He spent most of his musical studies under the tutelage of Lorand Fenyves at The Banff Centre, the University of Western Ontario, and the University of Toronto, where he received his bachelor of arts. In 1989, Mr. Nuttall, co-founded the St. Lawrence String Quartet. As first violinist of this world-renowned foursome, he has performed well over 2000 concerts throughout North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

He has received two Grammy nominations for the St. Lawrence Quartet’s recording Yiddishbbuk, a collection of works by the Argentinean-American composer Osvaldo Golijov. Their premiere recording of Robert Schumann Quartets won a Juno Award, granted by the Canadian Academy for Arts and Sciences for Best Classical Album, as well as the coveted German critic’s award Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik.

Since winning the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Young Concert Artist Auditions in the early 90s, the St. Lawrence String Quartet has become a regular at some of North America’s most esteemed music festivals, including Mostly Mozart, Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, Bay Chamber Concerts, and Spoleto USA. Their busy touring schedule has seen them in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum, Kennedy Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, Royal Concertgebouw Hall in Amsterdam, Theatre de Ville Paris, Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, and the White House for President Clinton and guests. With the St. Lawrence Quartet, Mr. Nuttall served as graduate ensemble-in- residence at the Juilliard School, Yale University, and Hartt School of Music, acting as teaching assistants to the Juilliard, Tokyo, and Emerson String Quartets, respectively.

He is now on faculty at Stanford University, where the St. Lawrence Quartet is Ensemble-in-Residence, and makes his home in the Bay Area with his wife, violinist Livia Sohn, and their two young sons.