Gidon Kremer
February 27, 1947 - Riga (Latvia)
About
Born in Riga on February 27th, 1947, Gidon Kremer is considered as one of the greatest violinists and musicians of his generation. Both professional violinists, his father and grandfather introduced him to the instrument. Gidon Kremer was then taught by David Oistrakh who passed on to his disciple the art of the Russian violin along with considerable open-mindedness endowed with a demanding musical knowledge. This exceptional tutoring put him in a strong position and enabled the young violinist to confront the most demanding competitions.
Success at different international competitions came quickly: third prize at the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition in Brussels in 1967, first prize at the Paganini Competition in Genoa in 1969 and first prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1970. This success allowed Gidon Kremer to give his first concerts in the West, (Germany, Salzburg, New York) and facilitated his exile from the USSR. Gidon Kremer then made a name for himself on the international stage and stunned his public with his masterful art.
Gidon Kremer does not limit his activities to the violin. In 1981, he founded both a chamber music festival in Lockenhous, (Austria) followed by the Kremerata Baltica chamber orchestra. Gidon Kremer has expanded his repertoire and stretched his musical practices to include first performances of contemporary works thus promoting Piazolla, Glass and Schnittke. His work with musicians, whether it be the pianists, (Martha Argerich or Keith Jarrett) or the conductors, (Herbert von Karajan or Leonard Bernstein) has given rise to moments of particularly fruitful artistic collaboration.