Praised for his “persuasively emphatic and engaging” performances (Boston Musical Intelligencer), violist John Batchelder has captivated audiences as a passionate chamber musician, educator and administrator deeply committed to the values of chamber music. He has performed as soloist with numerous ensembles such as the Los Colinas Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Arlington, Garland Symphony Orchestra and Worcester Bach Consort as well as participated in various summer festivals such as The McGill International String Quartet Academy, the Banff Centre Masterclasses, St. Lawrence String Quartet Seminar and Music from Salem, in Salem NY. As a member of the award winning Julius Quartet, John has performed coast to coast in the country’s most esteemed venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, the Moss Arts Center, Shalin Liu Performance Center, and Bing Concert Hall. Beginning his musical education in Boston, John is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory where he studied with Lila Brown, and of the John J. Cali School of Music Graduate String Quartet in Residence program where he studied with Honggang Li of the celebrated Shanghai Quartet. In addition to his work as a performer and educator, John now serves as Executive Director of the Dallas Chamber Music Society, now celebrating its 80th season. John performs on a viola crafted by Michele Deconet (Venice, 1780) that was previously played by Boris Kroyt of the Budapest String Quartet, loaned to him in memory of Boris and Sonya Kroyt.