Duo Temayrah
TEMAYRAH DUO
Classical guitarist Laura Young and Baroque violinist Farran Sylvan James are internationally acclaimed soloists who have created one of today’s most original and captivating chamber duos.
Their musical partnership is rooted in both historical insight and contemporary vision. Merging the warm, expressive clarity of the gut-strung classical violin, an exquisite 1790 instrument, and the deep resonance of the classical guitar, their collaboration opens a rare and beautiful sound world — fiercely passionate, intimate and deeply moving. At once refined and adventurous, Laura Young and Farran James are not merely interpreters — they are creators of a passionate new musical voice.
Farran Sylvan James, violin
Farran Sylvan James is a Canadian violinist who has established herself as a leading Baroque soloist and concertmaster in Europe after having moved to Spain from New York over 25 years ago. Her passionate and moving performances have inspired and won her high acclaim over the years. She regularly performs in leading concert halls around Europe and North America, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Les Champs Elysees, the Concertgebouw, Musikverein, Victoria Hall and Wigmore Hall and has been invited as concertmaster and soloist with well-established Baroque ensembles such as Ayre Español (2004 -2017), Bach Consort Wien (2012-2015). She is currently acting concertmaster and soloist with the ensemble Vespres d’Anardí, regularly performing in the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, the Madrid Auditorium and Wigmore Hall. She was invited in March 2026 as soloist in the Musikverein with the Bach Consort Wien and has recorded for Harmonia Mundi, Naive, and Challenge records.
She began playing violin at 3 years old in Vancouver and later studied with Joyce Robbins in Stonybrook, NY and Joel Smirnoff at the Juilliard School of Music, gaining a Masters in Violin Performance from the highly acclaimed SUNY at Stonybrook Music School in New York. As a highly respected chamber musician she has performed as first violin of the Quartet Albada and the Aisling Quartet and has been regularly invited to perform in the Early Music Vancouver Chamber Music series alongside Marc Destrube. As an inspiring conductor she has also been invited to conduct the Baroque Orchestra of Seville, Baroque Orchestra of Catalunya, Academia 1750, the Andorra Chamber Orchestra and the Menorca Chamber Orchestra, amongst others.
Laura Young, guitar
Laura Young is a leading classical guitar virtuoso who has built an international career as a soloist for over 30 years. Born in Toronto, Canada, she began her study of music at the age of seven and soon after, upon her debut, the international community immediately recognized her exceptional abilities and musical expressiveness. Laura has spent most of her adult life as a concert soloist in Europe and has become well established in her reputation as one of the finest classical guitarists today. She is a soloist in halls such as the Concertgebouw, Salle Cortot, National Arts Centre Canada, and the Auditorio Nacional to name a few. Laura’s unique style and distinctive performance philosophy have prompted composers to create daring new music for her. Her stylistic explorations and expressive innovations are found in her most recent album, “Laura Young Plays Max Reger”, where her dramatic repertoire is presented through her skilful and complex guitar transcriptions of Max Reger’s solo cello suites, violin sonatas, preludes and fugues. This 2018 recording was awarded the highly coveted Pasticcio prize, celebrated by critics and the listening public alike for the deeply personal power and beauty of her sound, depth of colour and exquisite phrasing in her playing. Laura is renowned for the vast breadth of her repertoire including highly original compositions, many of which are world debut recordings and performances. A significant number of these works are dedicated to Laura who is distinguished for pushing at the very limits of the instrument’s expressive power. She has premiered works dedicated to her by contemporary composers such as Sergio Assad, Apostolos Paraskevas, Feliu Gasull and Michael Doherty among many others.
In addition to her performing career, Laura Young is a university professor at the Mozarteum University, Salzburg.
