American Violinist Jorja Fleezanis has Died, Aged 70

Fleezanis was the longest-serving concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra and the first woman to hold the role with the orchestra to date

Born in 1952 to Greek immigrants, violinist Jorja Fleezanis grew up in Detroit, Michigan. For two decades between 1989 and 2009, she was the first female concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra (MO) in its history. At the time of her appointment, she was also the second female concertmaster of a major American orchestra.

A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and Cincinnati Conservatory, Fleezanis served as associate concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony (SFS), before joining MO — which at the time, was conducted by Edo de Waart. 

“Fleezanis was a force of nature,” Waart told MPR News. “She and I first met in an audition at [SFS], where she played [the] Sibelius [violin concerto]…I was immediately inspired…so I offered her the position. When I became music director of the Minnesota Orchestra, I invited her to serve as concertmaster. 

“Jorja put more into her music than anyone I ever worked with,” Waart continued. “She had a tremendous instinct for how things should be played…[and] ability to be absolutely charming and frank at the same time…her passing is a tremendous loss to me and the world of classical music.”

During her time with MO, two pieces were commissioned for her by the orchestra, including John Adams’ Violin Concerto, which she debuted in 1994 with Waart, and John Tavener’s Ikon of Eros, which was recorded in 2003 for MO’s centennial. 

Previous to her role as an adjunct faculty member of the University of Minnesota’s School of Music from 1990 to 2009, Fleezanis taught at the San Francisco Conservatory between 1981 and 1989. She was also a frequent guest artist at Texas’s Round Top International Festival Institute, University of California, Music@Menlo Festival, New World Symphony, and the Music Academy of the West. 

As a visiting teacher, she taught at the Boston Conservatory, the Juilliard School, the Shepherd School of Music, and the Britten Pears Center, where she contributed to programs for young musicians and professional orchestral violinists.

After leaving MO in 2009, Fleezanis joined the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music faculty. In 2021, she was named Visiting Faculty for Creative Orchestral Studies at the Interlochen Arts Academy — a role she still held at the time of her death. 

Additionally, she created the Michael Steinberg and Jorja Fleezanis Fund in memory of her husband, music critic Michael Steinberg, who died in 2009 — to provide an annual commission to an emerging composer who combines music and text.

“[We] are mourning Jorja Fleezanis, the extraordinary concertmaster…who passed away recently at her home in Michigan,” MO wrote on Facebook.

“The first woman to serve in that position in the history of a major orchestra to date, Jorja was a colleague of tremendous humanity. A generous performer, passionate advocate for new music and devoted teacher, she committed herself wholly to music and to life. Her magnificent presence has made an indelible mark on the sound and spirit of the Minnesota Orchestra.”

Our condolences to Ms. Fleezanis’ family, friends, students, and colleagues.

JOHN TAVENER | "IKON OF EROS" III. | JORJA FLEEZANIS | PATRICIA ROZARIO | PAUL GOODWIN | MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA | 2012