Violinist James Ehnes, who is widely considered one of the most dynamic and exciting performers in classical music today, stays on top because he plays by the book — literally. And in the context of his appearance at Strathmore Thursday as guest of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Ehnes holds firm to the belief that a good violinist does not mess with Mozart.

“Sometimes musical performers forget that their primary responsibility is not to themselves; they’re not playing a piece for their own amusement, but they’re playing for an audience,” said Ehnes, who will perform Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 as part of the evening’s repertoire. “As a performer, you might have played it 30 times and there’s a part of you that thinks you would be justified to find a different way of doing it to keep yourself interested. But there’s a real danger in that.”