David Garrett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Garrett
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Garrett performing in 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Christian Bongartz |
| Born | 4 September 1980 Aachen, West Germany |
| Genres | Classical, Crossover |
| Instruments | Violin |
| Years active | c. 1988–present |
| Labels | Decca, Deutsche Grammophon |
David Christian Bongartz (born on September 4, 1980), known as David Garrett, is a German violinist. He plays both classical and crossover music. Crossover music mixes different styles, like classical with rock or pop.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
David Garrett started playing the violin very early. When he was four years old, his dad bought a violin for his older brother. But David was the one who became interested! A year later, he won first prize in a competition.
By age seven, he was studying violin at the Lübeck Conservatoire. When he was nine, he played his first big concert at the Festival Kissinger Sommer. At 12, he began working with a famous Polish violinist named Ida Haendel. He often traveled to London and other cities to learn from her.
When David was 17, he left home and joined the Royal College of Music in London. He decided to leave after his first semester. Later, in 1999, he moved to New York to attend the Juilliard School. This is a very famous music school! In 2003, he won a competition there for a piece he composed. He also studied with Itzhak Perlman, another world-famous violinist. David graduated from Juilliard in 2004.
He also attended special music classes in Israel during the summers of 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2002.
Amazing Career
David Garrett received his first Stradivarius violin when he was just 11 years old. This special gift came from the German president, Richard von Weizsäcker, after David performed for him. Stradivarius violins are very old and rare, made by a master craftsman named Antonio Stradivari.
At 13, David recorded two CDs and appeared on TV. He even gave a concert at the President of Germany's home! At this age, he was allowed to use another famous Stradivarius violin called "San Lorenzo." This violin is from Stradivari's "golden period," meaning it was made when he was at his best.
Later, David bought his own violin, made in 1772 by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini. This artist was a student of Stradivari. Sadly, after a concert in 2008, David fell and damaged his violin. Even though it was repaired, he bought another Stradivarius soon after.
David Garrett was the youngest soloist ever to sign a special contract with Deutsche Grammophon, a major music company. He was only 13! In April 1997, at 16, he played with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in India. These concerts celebrated 50 years of India's Independence.
Two years later, he played with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. Critics praised his performance! This led to an invitation to play at Expo 2000 in Hanover. When he was 21, he was invited to perform at the BBC Proms, a huge music festival in London.
While studying at Juilliard, David also worked as a model to help pay for his studies.
In 2008, David released his album Encore. He wanted this album to get young people interested in classical music. It included his own songs and new versions of famous tunes. He performs with his band, which has a keyboard, guitar, and drums. Their concerts mix classical pieces with rock songs and movie themes.
In 2007, a company called Montegrappa chose David as an ambassador for their new pens. These pens were inspired by Antonio Stradivari. David was even offered a Stradivarius violin from a special collection for these events! He also performed at the Royal Variety Performance in 2011. He played his version of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on his violin.
David also helped judge the Independent Music Awards. His album, Music, came out in 2012. On May 19, 2012, he performed with German singer Jonas Kaufmann at the UEFA Champions League Final. He announced a new Crossover Tour for 2014.
In 2013, David played the main character in the movie The Devil's Violinist. He played the famous 19th-century violinist Niccolò Paganini. That same year, he released his album Garrett vs Paganini. His 2015 album Explosive included his own songs like "Innovation," "Furious," and "Explosive."
On August 18, 2017, David Garrett released the song "Bittersweet Symphony." This was a preview for his album Rock Revolution, which came out in September 2017.
On October 11, 2020, David performed the German national anthem at the Formula 1 2020 Eifel Grand Prix. On October 9, he released another album called Alive: My Soundtrack.
Personal Life
David Garrett was born in Aachen. His mother, Dove Garrett, was an American prima ballerina (a lead dancer). His father, Georg Bongartz, was a German lawyer. David explained that when he was a child performer, his parents started using his mother's maiden name, Garrett, as his stage name. He said it was easier to pronounce than his German last name, so he kept it!
Recordings
Studio Albums
- Mozart: Violin Concertos with Claudio Abbado (1995)
- Violin Sonata (1995)
- Paganini Caprices (1997)
- Tchaikovsky, Conus: Violin Concertos (1997)
- Pure Classics (2002)
- Free (2007)
- Virtuoso (2007)
- Encore (2008)
- David Garrett (2009)
- Classic Romance (2009)
- Rock Symphonies (2010)
- Legacy (2011)
- Music (2012)
- 14 (2013)
- Garrett vs. Paganini (2013)
- Caprice (2014)
- Timeless – Brahms & Bruch Violin Concertos with Zubin Mehta and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (2014)
- Explosive (2015)
- Rock Revolution (2017)
- Unlimited – Greatest Hits (2018)
- Alive: My Soundtrack (2020)
- Iconic (2022)
- Millennium Symphony (2024)
Other Albums
- Nokia Night of the Proms (2004)
- The New Classical Generation 2008 (2008)
Featured Songs
- Tenor at the Movies – "Parla Più Piano" (theme from The Godfather) and "Se" (theme from Cinema Paradiso) with Jonathan Ansell (2008)
- A New World – "Cinema Paradiso" with Will Martin (2008)
- Barcelona – "How Can I Go On" with Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé (2012)
- Classical 80s Dance – "Tainted Love" with Alex Christensen and the Berlin Orchestra (2022)
DVDs
- David Garrett: Live – In Concert & In Private (2009)
- David Garrett: Rock Symphonies – Open Air Live (2010)
- David Garrett: Legacy Live in Baden Baden (2011)
- David Garrett: Music – Live in Concert (2012)
- David Garrett: Unlimited - Live from the Arena di Verona (2021)
- David Garrett: Alive - Live from Caracalla & The private life of a Star (2023)
Film and TV Appearances
- The Devil's Violinist (Movie)
- Sesamstraße (1 episode)
- Dein Song (segment "Good Times")
- "Alle Tage ist kein Sonntag" (feat. Till Lindemann)
Awards and Recognitions
- 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, May 2008 to December 2011
- Bambi Awards, category Classic (November 14, 2013)
- Frankfurter Musikpreis, 2017
