Hailed by CBC Music as one of the “Top 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30.” 17-year-old Jacques Forestier began playing the violin at the age of two, and has since delighted audiences around North America, Europe, and Asia. Presently a student of Patinka Kopec, Jacques is also a student of Itzhak Perlman, Li Lin, and Catherine Cho at the Perlman Music Program. Jacques has performed as a soloist with orchestras on multiple continents making his orchestral début with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at the age of 11. Jacques is a laureate of many national and international competitions – most recently, 1st Prize at the 2021 International Shean Strings Competition and 3rd Prize at the 2022 Johansen International Competition. In March 2015, Jacques was invited to perform as a soloist at Carnegie Hall. In May 2019, Jacques toured Asia with the award-winning European ensemble – LGT Young Soloists. Presented as a student-artist at the 2019 biennial Starling-DeLay Violin Symposium at the Juilliard School, Jacques is grateful for the support of many scholarships and would like to extend his gratitude to the Edmonton Community Foundation, Mount-Royal University Conservatory of Music, and the Perlman Music Program.

In September 2022, Jacques will be attending the Curtis Institute of Music.