Martin Chalifour is a Chamber Music Instructor who began his tenure as Principal Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1995. A native of Canada, he graduated with honors from the Montreal Conservatory at age 18 before moving to Philadelphia to pursue studies at the Curtis Institute of Music. Chalifour is a recipient of numerous grants and awards, including a Certificate of Honor from the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and laureate status at the Montreal International Competition. In addition to his duties with the LA Phil, he maintains an active solo career, showcasing a diverse repertoire of over 60 concertos. He has collaborated with conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Sir Neville Marriner, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. In the U.S., Chalifour has performed as a soloist with the Auckland Philharmonia, Montreal Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and National Orchestra of Taiwan. He began his orchestral career under Robert Shaw with the Atlanta Symphony, where he served as Associate Concertmaster for six years before occupying a similar position with the Cleveland Orchestra, where he also taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music and was a founding member of the Cleveland Orchestra Piano Trio. Chalifour is a frequent guest at summer music festivals, such as the Sarasota Festival and Mainly Mozart Festival. He returned to Canada to teach and perform as a soloist with various Canadian orchestras, including the Vancouver Symphony under Bramwell Tovey.