Saraphina, Toronto, Live Music & Bands

Saraphina Violin (Sarah Davidson-Gurney) is an acoustic and electric violinist with multiple degrees in Violin Performance. Having played violin since the age of three and piano since the age of five, Saraphina first recorded an album at the age of twelve. At the age of sixteen, she was featured at the Brantford Sanderson Centre for Performing Arts as the new “young artist”, giving her a solo concert. Saraphina has won numerous awards including the concerto competition at York University as well as the talent portion of Miss World Canada (winning her a $7500 scholarship to a school in British Colombia.) Saraphina graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts in Violin Performance and completed her ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music. She studied at York University where she completed her Masters Degree in Violin Performance under the tutelage of the late Jacques Israelievitch (with whom she studied for eight years.) Having played electric violin since the second year of her Bachelors Degree, Saraphina wrote her thesis for her Masters Degree on the practice of implementing live instrumentation with DJs and popular music. Saraphina attended the prestigious Chautauqua Institute for a total of four summers on full scholarship where she also studied with Jacques Israelievitch. She was a first violinist in the Koffler Chamber Orchestra (directed by Jacques Israelievitch) from 2005-2014 when she also performed multiple times as a soloist. She was concertmaster of the York University Symphony Orchestra from September 2009-May 2011. Saraphina was the principal second violinist of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra from 2012-2013. In addition to classical music, Saraphina is renowned for her work with the electric violin. She regularly performs for high profile events across the globe such as halftime shows for the NBA. Saraphina has amassed quite a following on instagram through her music videos, and is known across the globe. She has opened for artists such as Diana Ross, Usher and Gwen Sefani to name a few. Saraphina is currently working on material for a full album of her own house-inspired electronic violin music and has released three songs and music videos to date