Anna Jane Lester is a violinist & illustrator. She has performed with internationally-acclaimed period instrument ensembles such as Holland Baroque (member since 2018), the English Baroque Soloists, the Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal de Versailles, Le Consort, Irish Baroque Orchestra, the Internationale Händel Festspiele Göttingen Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Gabrieli Players, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, The English Concert, PRJCT Amsterdam, L’Arpeggiata, Vox Luminis, and the Luthers Bach Ensemble. Her chamber performances have brought her to stages from the Concertgebouw Amsterdam to the Smithsonian Institute to the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht.
Anna Jane began her violin studies at age four in Jacksonville, Florida, studying with Melissa Pierson Barrett before attending Vanderbilt University as a Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholar and earning her bachelor’s degree in violin performance with Cornelia Heard. She then attended The Juilliard School for a Master of Music in Historical Performance, studying with Monica Huggett and Cynthia Roberts. She has since moved to the Netherlands, completing her studies with Walter Reiter and Kati Debretzeni. In her free time, Anna Jane enjoys exploring American old time music and spending time in wild places.