Emmy Verhey facts for kids
Emmy Verhey (born on March 13, 1949, in Amsterdam) is a famous Dutch violin player. She is known for her amazing talent and beautiful music.
About Emmy Verhey
Emmy Verhey started playing the violin when she was just seven years old. Her father was her first teacher. Within a year, she was already playing difficult pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach. People quickly saw that she was a child prodigy, meaning she had incredible talent at a young age.
When she was eight, Emmy began studying with famous violin teachers. These included Oskar Back, Herman Krebbers, and later, David Oistrakh in Moscow. Learning from such masters helped her become an even better musician.
At age 17, in 1966, Emmy was the youngest person to win a prize at the important International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Just a week later, she finished her studies at the Amsterdam Conservatory. So many people wanted to watch her final exam that it had to be held in the large Concertgebouw hall.
Emmy Verhey has played with many top conductors and soloists from around the world. She performed in Europe, the United States, Israel, South Korea, and Japan. She is known for her strong playing skills and the warm, rich sound of her violin. Her music collection includes everything from old classical pieces to modern songs.
From 1983 to 2002, Emmy taught violin at Utrecht's Conservatory. In 1991, she helped start a music group called Camerata Antonio Lucio. This group plays string music from different time periods. Since 2006, her hometown of Zaltbommel has held an annual three-day Emmy Verhey Festival to celebrate her music.
In May 2012, Emmy celebrated 50 years of performing with a special concert. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was there to watch. In 2014, Emmy announced she would stop performing after the summer of 2015. Her final concert was in Amsterdam on November 29, 2015.
Emmy Verhey has made over 55 recordings of her music. These recordings feature works by famous composers like Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Her Violins
In the late 1970s, Emmy Verhey played a very special violin called the 'Earl Spencer'. This violin was made in 1712 by Stradivarius, a famous violin maker. Later, in the late 1990s, she started playing a violin made by Andrea Guarneri in 1676.
In 2000, Emmy asked a Dutch violin maker named Lambert Houniet to make an exact copy of her Andrea Guarneri violin.
Awards and Honors
Emmy Verhey has received many awards for her musical talent:
- In 1966, she won a prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. This also helped her get her first recording contract.
- In 1967, she won the National Oskar Back Violin Competition in Amsterdam.
- In 1971, she won the Tromp International Music Competition in Eindhoven.
In 2001, Emmy was given a very high honor in the Netherlands. She was made a Ridder in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, which is like being knighted for her achievements. In 2012, the City of Amsterdam gave her the Andreaspenning award. In 2009, the City of Zaltbommel gave her the Gemeentepenning and made her an 'honorary citizen' of the city.
See also
In Spanish: Emmy Verhey para niños
