American violinist Tim Fain was born in Santa Monica, California. He graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music, where his violin teacher was Victor Danchenko, and the Juilliard School, where he studied with Robert Mann. Fain has performed as a concerto soloist and as a recitalist, notably appearing with Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in Aaron Jay Kernis' Lament and Prayer, and giving a recital with pianist Richard Bishop at the Kosciuszko Foundation in New York. But Fain is perhaps best known as a performer in soundtracks for films, which include Black Swan, Bee Season, 12 Years a Slave, Free State of Jones, and Moonlight. He frequently performs contemporary music, and has recorded works by Philip Glass (who composed his Partita for solo violin for Fain), Richard Danielpour, Jennifer Higdon, Patrick Zimmerli, and Lou Harrison. Fain has collaborated with many musicians, such as Pinchas Zukerman, Richard Goode, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Mitsuko Uchida, Jonathan Biss, Billy Childs, Ethan Iverson, Joanna Newsome, Bryce Dessner, and Rich Robinson, demonstrating his varied interests across genres. Fain has recorded for Orange Mountain Music, Naxos, Paumanok, and Image Recordings.