Article

Marc Djokic

Published Online August 15, 2022

Last Edited August 15, 2022

Marc Djokic, musician, violinist (born 29 July 1982 in Halifax, NS). Marc Djokic is one of Canada’s most accomplished violinists. Primarily a chamber musician, he has also performed as a soloist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Quebec Symphony Orchestra. He has played alongside such classical musicians as Beverley Johnston, James Ehnes, Jamie Parker and Measha Brueggergosman. Djokic received the prestigious Prix Goyer in 2017 and was named the concertmaster of the Orchestre classique de Montréal in 2018. He is the son of violinist Philippe Djokic and the brother of cellist Denise Djokic.

Family and Education

Marc Djokic comes from a highly accomplished musical family. His father, violinist Philippe Djokic, holds a master’s degree in music from The Julliard School and is widely considered one of Canada’s greatest soloists. Marc’s mother, Lynn Stodola, is a pianist. She and her husband regularly perform as the Djokic-Stodola duo. Marc’s sister, Denise Djokic, is an acclaimed solo cellist. She has been nominated for a Juno Award and performed at the 2002 Grammy Awards. Marc also has an aunt (Michelle Djokic) and two uncles (Pierre and Alexandre Djokic) who are professional musicians.

Marc Djokic initially studied violin with his father, who had been taught by Armenian American violin master Ivan Galamian. Marc made his debut with Halifax’s Nova Sinfonia at age 14. At 16, he left Halifax to continue his education under a trio of teachers: first with David Russell at the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Young Artist Program, then with Donald Weilerstein at the New England Conservatory, and finally with Jaime Laredo at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

After completing these studies, Djokic returned to Canada and settled in Montreal. At age 17, he was the inaugural recipient of the Royal Bank of Canada’s Award for Musical Excellence. At 18, he won the Governor General’s Millennium Award. At 23, he was profiled on the Bravo! series The Classical Now.


Career Highlights

During 2009–10, Djokic was the musician-in-residence of the St. Cecilia Concert Series in Halifax. Later, he was a founding member of the Morpheus Ensemble (with Frédéric Lambert, Chloé Dominguez and Paul Stewart), which was quartet-in-residence at Montreal’s Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur from 2010 to 2013.

Over the years, Djokic has performed as a soloist with some of Canada’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Quebec Symphony Orchestra. Throughout his career, Djokic has shared the stage with a who’s who of classical musicians, including Beverley Johnston, James Ehnes, Jamie Parker, Measha Brueggergosman, Charles Richard-Hamelin, Isabel Bayrakdarian, sister Denise Djokic, David Jalbert and Thorwald Jørgensen. La Presse has praised Djokic for his “rhythmic sense and natural phrasing.”

In 2015, Marc Djokic joined multi-string group Bowfire for an appearance with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra followed by a US tour. From 2015 to 2017, classical music network Mécénat Musica noncerto produced more than 45 short videos starring Djokic and his ensembles. The videos were shot in iconic spots in nine of Canada’s 10 provinces. The goal of this multi-year project was to promote classical music through new media, in Canada and abroad.


In 2017, Djokic was named the first artist-in-residence at the CAMMAC music centre in the Laurentians. This post lasted two seasons. Also in 2017, Djokic received the Mécénat Musica Prix Goyer for Collaborative Emerging Artist. The prestigious $125,000 award is the biggest music prize in Canada and one of the largest of its kind in the world. In 2018, he released his debut album, Solo Seven. It features a selection of solo violin pieces written by Canadian composers with whom Djokic has collaborated. Solo Seven garnered critical acclaim and won the East Coast Music Award for Classical Recording of the Year.

Since 2018, Djokic has been the concertmaster of the Orchestre classique de Montréal. As a chamber musician, he frequently plays and collaborates with others; he especially loves performing in trios. Regular collaborations include: Trio Tangere, which features violin and two guitars; and Air, Strings and Keys, which features piano, violin and theremin. Djokic has also paired up with percussionist and marimba player Beverley Johnston as the Bev & Marc Duo. He has also played in a duo with pianist and fellow Maritimer Julien LeBlanc for more than a decade.

In 2019, Djokic undertook his second tour of Europe and appeared on André Mathieu’s album André Mathieu: Musique de chambre.

Instruments

The vintage violins Djokic has played include a rare Guarnerius from 1740, a Carl Becker from 1927 and a Hannibal Fagnola from 1922. From 2006 to 2009, Djokic was a beneficiary of the Canada Council’s Instrument Bank Prize; he received a violin from 1820 that is the first known instrument made by noted Italian violinmaker Giovanni Francesco Pressenda.


Other Activities

When not playing or performing, Djokic helps to mentor the next generation of string musicians. He frequently gives master classes at universities and summer music festivals, including at the University of Toronto, Concordia University and the Scotia Festival of Music in Halifax.

Personal Life

In 2015, Djokic married visual artist Avery Zhao. They perform together in the musical ensemble they founded called Art Crush (Ensembl’arts). Avery Zhao-Djokic gave birth to the couple’s first child in 2020.

Honours and Awards