Jesús Linárez
Violin
Venezuelan-born Jesús Linárez is an accomplished violinist whose artistry and leadership have earned him recognition across the United States and internationally. Beginning in the 2025–2026 season, Jesús will serve as the Concertmaster of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, bringing his expressive playing and orchestral expertise to one of the Southwest’s premier ensembles.
A 2023–2025 Fellow of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Jesús has performed with some of the most respected orchestras in the country. He was a member of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra during the 2022–2023 season and served as Concertmaster of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago in 2022. That same year, he was also awarded a Fellowship with the Grant Park Orchestra of Chicago, reflecting his growing reputation within Chicago’s vibrant classical scene.
Internationally, Jesús has performed with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra on a European tour under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel in 2016—a formative experience that shaped his artistic vision and global perspective, performing in some of the most prestigious music halls such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Philharmonie Luxembourg, among others in cities as London, Munich, Cologne, Istanbul, and Toulouse.
Jesús is the First Prize Winner of the Chicago Violin Competition, a Winner of the Concerto Competition at Roosevelt University (2023), and a Recipient of the Evanston Music Club Scholarship. He was also a Semi-Finalist in the 2021 Sphinx Competition, a national competition that celebrates excellence among young Black and Latinx classical musicians.
He earned both his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Violin Performance from Roosevelt University in Chicago between 2018 and 2024, under the world class violin teacher Almita Vamos. His early musical training took place at the Conservatorio de Música Vicente Emilio Sojo in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, where he studied violin, piano, and music theory from 2009 to 2017.
With a unique blend of international experience, competitive accolades, and strong leadership in major American ensembles, Jesús continues to establish himself as a compelling and forward-thinking voice in the classical music world.
Jesús was a Grant Park Music Festival String Fellow in 2022.