Gil Shaham facts for kids

Gil Shaham (born February 19, 1971) is a famous American violinist. He is known for his amazing performances with many of the world's top orchestras. These include the New York Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic. He even won a Grammy Award in 1999 for his music!

About Gil Shaham

Gil Shaham was born in Urbana, Illinois, in the United States. His parents were from Israel and were visiting the University of Illinois for their studies. His father was a scientist who studied stars, and his mother was also a scientist. Gil has a sister, Orli Shaham, who is a talented pianist. His brother, Shai Shaham, is also a scientist.

When Gil was two years old, his family moved to Jerusalem, Israel. He started learning the violin when he was seven at the Rubin Academy of Music. He won scholarships every year from a special foundation that helps young artists. Later, he went to the Horace Mann School in New York. He also studied at the Aspen Music Festival and School and the Juilliard School, which are famous music schools. He and his sister Orli also studied at Columbia University.

Today, Gil Shaham lives in New York City. He teaches music at Bard College Conservatory of Music. He is married to another violinist named Adele Anthony. They have three children together.

Gil's Music Career

Gil Shaham played his first solo concert with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra when he was just 10 years old. Less than a year later, he played with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, which is Israel's most important orchestra. When he was 11, Gil won first prize in the Claremont Competition. This helped him get into Juilliard, where he continued to study the violin.

A big moment in Gil's career happened in 1989. He was still in high school when he got a call to replace a famous violinist, Itzhak Perlman, who was sick. Gil performed two difficult violin concertos with the London Symphony Orchestra. This performance helped him become well-known around the world.

Gil has won several important awards for his music. He received the Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1990. He also won the Premio Internazionale of the Accademia Chigiana in Siena in 1992.

He has performed with many of the world's best orchestras. These include the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Boston Symphony Orchestra. He has played all over the world!

Since 1989, Gil Shaham has played a very special violin. It's called the "Comtesse de Polignac" and was made by a famous craftsman named Antonio Stradivari in 1699. This valuable violin is on loan to him from the Stradivarius Society of Chicago.

Recordings and Albums

Gil Shaham has recorded many albums throughout his career. These recordings allow people all over the world to listen to his beautiful violin playing. Here are some of his well-known albums:

• Mendelssohn, Bruch: Violin Concertos (1990)
• Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (1995)
• Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2 (1999)
• John Williams: Treesong / Violin Concerto / 3 Pieces from Schindler's List (2001)
• Brahms: Violin Concerto / Double Concerto (2002)
• Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin (2015)

Awards and Honors

Gil Shaham has received many awards for his talent:

• Avery Fisher Career Grant (1990)
• Premio Internazionale of the Accademia Chigiana in Siena (1992)
• Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance (1999) – He won this with André Previn for their album American Scenes.
• Avery Fisher Award (2008) – This is a very important award for classical musicians.
• Instrumentalist of the Year (2012)

See also

In Spanish: Gil Shaham para niños