Sphinx Virtuosi | Meet Us | James Zabawa-Martinez

James Zabawa-Martinez

A native of Austin, Texas, violinist James Zabawa-Martinez has performed concerts and recitals throughout the US and Europe. Before joining the first violin section of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in 2024, James was a member of the second violin section of the Kansas City Symphony and also served as a violin fellow at the New World Symphony for two seasons, where he performed frequently as concertmaster under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas. James has performed with orchestras such as The Cleveland Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and the Utah Symphony. In 2021, James released a recording of the complete Solo Sonatas by Eugene Ysaÿe. James’ primary teachers include Sally O’Reilly, Brian Lewis, and Zoya Leybin.