David Garrett (violinist)
Encyclopedia
David Garrett is a record breaking German/American classical violinist and recording artist.
, Germany to an American prima ballerina and the German lawyer and jurist, Georg Peter Bongartz. He adopted his mother's maiden name as a pseudonym.
. At the age of 12, Garrett began working with the distinguished Polish violinist Ida Haendel
, often traveling to London and other European cities to meet her. After leaving home at 17, he enrolled in the Royal College of Music
in London, leaving after the first semester. On being asked in an interview if he was expelled, Garrett responded: "Well expelled wasn’t the official term… It was mutually agreed that me and the RCM were going separate ways after the first semester. I did skip some lessons – but I also broke in to do extra practice, so that didn’t help!" In 1999 he moved to New York to attend the Juilliard School
, in 2003 winning the Composition Competition of Julliard School with a fugue
composed in the style of Johann Sebastian Bach
. While at Juilliard he studied under Itzhak Perlman
, one of the first to do so, and graduated in 2004.
Between the years 1997-2002, David Garrett participated in four Keshet Eilon International Violin Master Courses, which take place in Kibbutz Eilon
located on Israel’s mountainous northern border.
"San Lorenzo", which is among the best instruments of the "golden period". At the age of 14, as the youngest soloist ever, Garrett signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Aged 17, he played with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
under the direction of Zubin Mehta
in Delhi
and Mumbai
in concerts marking the 50th anniversary of India’s Independence.
Two years later, Garrett played with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester in Berlin, under the direction of Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
, and was hailed by critics. This led to an invitation to perform at Expo 2000
in Hannover. At the age of 21, he was invited to perform at the BBC Proms.
While studying at Juilliard, Garrett supplemented his income by working as a model.
Garrett's 2008 Encore on DECCA pursues an aim of arousing young people’s interest in classical music. The release contains arrangements and compositions of his own of pieces and melodies that have accompanied him in his life so far. Together with his band, consisting of keyboard, guitar and drums, he gives concerts that include classical sonatas (accompanied by a concert grand piano), arrangements, and compositions, as well as "Nothing Else Matters
" by Metallica
which was performed on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) presentation David Garrett: Live in Berlin recorded in January 2009.
In Autumn 2007, Garrett was chosen by the “Montegrappa” firm (whose articles are distributed by Montblanc
throughout the world) as an ambassador for the launch of the new pens from the Tributo ad Antonio Stradivari collection. The event will take place in several different venues, including Rome, New York, Hong Kong, Berlin, and London. On this occasion, Garrett has been offered a Stradivarius from the Gli Archi di Palazzo Comunale collection.
He joined the 9th annual Independent Music Awards judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers. His most recent album, Rock Symphonies, was released 20 July 2010 in USA/Canada and on 24 September in Germany/Switzerland/Austria.
Personal life
Garrett was born in AachenAachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
, Germany to an American prima ballerina and the German lawyer and jurist, Georg Peter Bongartz. He adopted his mother's maiden name as a pseudonym.
Musical education
When Garrett was four years old, his father bought a violin for his older brother. The young Garrett took an interest and soon learned to play. A year later, he took part in a competition and won first prize. By the age of seven, he was playing once a week in public, and studied violin at the Lübeck ConservatoireMusikhochschule Lübeck
The Lübeck Academy of Music in Lübeck, Germany, is the only higher level music school in the northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein. The school is located in the World Heritage city of Lübeck, a historic hanseatic city. The school was founded in 1973 but its tradition goes back to 1911. The...
. At the age of 12, Garrett began working with the distinguished Polish violinist Ida Haendel
Ida Haendel
Ida Haendel, CBE is a British violinist of Polish birth.- Career :Ida Haendel was born in Chełm, a small city in Eastern Poland. She took up the violin at the age of three and as a seven-year-old was admitted at the Warsaw Conservatory. She later studied with Carl Flesch and George Enescu in Paris...
, often traveling to London and other European cities to meet her. After leaving home at 17, he enrolled in the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
in London, leaving after the first semester. On being asked in an interview if he was expelled, Garrett responded: "Well expelled wasn’t the official term… It was mutually agreed that me and the RCM were going separate ways after the first semester. I did skip some lessons – but I also broke in to do extra practice, so that didn’t help!" In 1999 he moved to New York to attend the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
, in 2003 winning the Composition Competition of Julliard School with a fugue
Fugue
In music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....
composed in the style of Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
. While at Juilliard he studied under Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli-born violinist, conductor, and instructor of master classes. He is regarded as one of the pre-eminent violinists of the 20th and early-21st centuries.-Early life:...
, one of the first to do so, and graduated in 2004.
Between the years 1997-2002, David Garrett participated in four Keshet Eilon International Violin Master Courses, which take place in Kibbutz Eilon
Eilon
Eilon is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located a mile south of Lebanese border and six miles east of the Mediterranean coast, the kibbutz sits on a ridge between two streams, Nahal Betzet and Nahal Kziv and falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Asher Regional Council...
located on Israel’s mountainous northern border.
Career
At the age of 13, Garrett recorded two CDs, appeared on German and Dutch television, and gave a concert in the residence of the Federal Republic of Germany President, the Villa Hammerschmidt, at Dr. von Weizsäcker’s personal invitation. He was offered the use of the famous StradivariusStradivarius
The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...
"San Lorenzo", which is among the best instruments of the "golden period". At the age of 14, as the youngest soloist ever, Garrett signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Aged 17, he played with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
The Münchner Philharmoniker is a German symphony orchestra located in the city of Munich. It is one of Munich's three principal orchestras, along with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Bavarian State Orchestra...
under the direction of Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
in concerts marking the 50th anniversary of India’s Independence.
Two years later, Garrett played with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester in Berlin, under the direction of Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos is a Spanish conductor and composer.Frühbeck studied violin, piano, and composition at the conservatories of Bilbao and Madrid...
, and was hailed by critics. This led to an invitation to perform at Expo 2000
Expo 2000
Expo 2000 was a World's Fair held in Hanover, Germany from Thursday, June 1 to Tuesday, October 31, 2000. It was located on the Hanover fairground , which is famous for hosting CeBIT...
in Hannover. At the age of 21, he was invited to perform at the BBC Proms.
While studying at Juilliard, Garrett supplemented his income by working as a model.
Garrett's 2008 Encore on DECCA pursues an aim of arousing young people’s interest in classical music. The release contains arrangements and compositions of his own of pieces and melodies that have accompanied him in his life so far. Together with his band, consisting of keyboard, guitar and drums, he gives concerts that include classical sonatas (accompanied by a concert grand piano), arrangements, and compositions, as well as "Nothing Else Matters
Nothing Else Matters
"Nothing Else Matters" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the third single from its self-titled fifth studio album, Metallica. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart as well as top-ten positions on many European charts...
" by Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
which was performed on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) presentation David Garrett: Live in Berlin recorded in January 2009.
In Autumn 2007, Garrett was chosen by the “Montegrappa” firm (whose articles are distributed by Montblanc
Montblanc
Montblanc may refer to:* Montblanc , a German manufacturer of writing instruments, watches and accessories* Montblanc, Hérault, a commune of the Hérault département, in France...
throughout the world) as an ambassador for the launch of the new pens from the Tributo ad Antonio Stradivari collection. The event will take place in several different venues, including Rome, New York, Hong Kong, Berlin, and London. On this occasion, Garrett has been offered a Stradivarius from the Gli Archi di Palazzo Comunale collection.
He joined the 9th annual Independent Music Awards judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers. His most recent album, Rock Symphonies, was released 20 July 2010 in USA/Canada and on 24 September in Germany/Switzerland/Austria.
Studio albums
- FreeFree (David Garrett album)Free is a 2007 album by violinist David Garrett, released in Europe by Decca.- Track listing :# "La Califfa" # "Carmen Fantasie" featuring Paco Peña, guitar# "Nothing Else Matters"...
(2007) - VirtuosoVirtuoso (David Garrett album)Virtuoso is a 2007 album by violinist David Garrett, released in Europe. Its tracks, listed below, are mostly borrowed from his earlier album, Free:- Track listing :# "La Califfa" – 2:46...
(2007) - EncoreEncore (David Garrett album)Encore is a 2008 album by violinist David Garrett, released in Europe. Its tracks are as follows:- Track listing :# "Smooth Criminal" # "Who Wants to Live Forever?" # "Clair de Lune"...
(2008) - David GarrettDavid Garrett (album)David Garrett is a 2009 self-titled album by violinist David Garrett, released by Decca in the United States. It borrows all of its tracks from his earlier albums published in Europe, particularly Encore:- Track listing :...
(2009) - Classic Romance (2009)
- Rock Symphonies (2010)
Other albums
- Nokia Night of the Proms (2004)
- The New Classical Generation 2008 (2008)
Featured
- 2008: Tenor at the Movies – "Parla Più Piano" (theme from The GodfatherThe GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
) and "Se" (theme from Cinema Paradiso) with Jonathan AnsellJonathan AnsellJonathan Mark Ansell is an English singer, formerly the high tenor of the vocal group G4.Jonathan Ansell was born in Bognor Regis in 1982, where both his parents were primary school teachers. Influenced by his mother’s tapes of Pavarotti and the Three Tenors, Jonathan joined the West Sussex Boys'... - 2008: A New World – "Cinema Paradiso" with Will MartinWill MartinWill Martin is a New Zealand-born classical crossover singer.Martin's first album, released in his native New Zealand, went platinum in 6 weeks. The album, called A New World, featured songs such as "Into the West", "If" and "Going Home".Will commented on his success with “I am an entertainer; I...
DVD
- David Garrett Live - In Concert & In Private (2009)
- David Garrett: Rock Symphonies – Open Air Live (2011)
Recognition and awards
- Radio Regenbogen Award, March 2008
- Echo Classics, Classic without borders, October 2008
- GQ Award Man of the Year category music, November 2008
- Goldene Feder, May 2009
- Goldener Geigenbogen, May 2009
- Golden Camera, Best Music International, January 2010
- World's Fastest Violinist, Guinness World Record
External links
- Official website
- Official International Support Site
- International Support Webpage (E/G)
- DAVID GARRETT – Evolution of an Icon, Metamorphosis of an Artist
- Television Interview with David Garrett from C Music TV
- http://www.theartisttoolbox.com/index.php/theartistsFeatured on the first episode of The Artist ToolboxThe Artist ToolboxThe Artist Toolbox is a half hour-long interview program on PBS, hosted by writer/director John Jacobsen. The program focuses on the creative process of a selection of master-level artists in disciplines such as music, architecture, comedy, fashion, acting, ballet, writing, design, etc. The...
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