Joel Zifkin (born April 14, 1954) is a Canadian musician and songwriter.

[1][2] His primary instrument is the electric violin and he is best known as a session musician and live performer.

[3][4][5] Zifkin has performed and/or recorded with the following artists: Kate & Anna McGarrigle,[6][7][8][9][10][11] Richard Thompson,[12][13][14] Rufus Wainwright,[15][16] Martha Wainwright,[17] Emmylou Harris,[18][19][20] Buddy Guy,[21] Big Mama Thornton,[22] Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson,[23] Philip Glass, Lou Reed,[24][25] Townes Van Zandt, Rational Youth, Joe Dassin, Roma Baran, Elvis Costello,[26] Wade Hemsworth, Pierre Marchand, Robert Charlebois, Les Colocs,[27] Yaya Diallo, Chaim Tannenbaum,[20] Joe Boyd,[15][28] The Chieftains, Pat Donaldson, Ravens & Chimes, Hal Willner's Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited,[29] among others.

He also appeared in the film Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave (1980) and the documentary "Sing Me the Songs That Say I Love You: A Concert for Kate McGarrigle", directed by Lian Lunson (2013).

Zifkin released the self-titled solo album Joel Zifkin in 2004, Five Songs More in 2008, and the singles "When Insanity Reigns It Pours" and "The Glow" in 2013, all on iTunes.