James Crawford, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, began studying violin at age seven and made his solo debut with the Charleston Symphony at age ten. He studied at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and later at the Curtis Institute of Music under Aaron Rosand. Since 1994, he has served as Concertmaster of the Grand Rapids Symphony and first violinist of the DeVos String Quartet. He has appeared as soloist with the orchestra in major works including Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, and Walton’s Violin Concerto. Prior to his appointment in Grand Rapids, Crawford held concertmaster and associate concertmaster positions with several North Carolina orchestras and has performed with ensembles including the New York Pops and North Carolina Symphony. During the summer months, he serves as Concertmaster of the Baroque on Beaver Island Festival in Lake Michigan. He lives in Ada, Michigan, with his wife, violinist Megan Reiter-Crawford, and their five children.