Gordan Nikolitch facts for kids
Gordan Nikolitch, also spelled Gordan Nikolić, (Serbian: Гордан Николић; born 1968) is a talented Franco-Serbian violinist and conductor. For almost 20 years, he was the main concertmaster (the lead violinist) of the famous London Symphony Orchestra. In October 2017, he decided to step down from that role to focus more on directing orchestras and teaching music.
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About Gordan Nikolitch
Early Life and Learning Music
Gordan Nikolitch was born in 1968 into a family that loved music. He started playing the violin when he was seven years old. He went to a special music conservatory in Basel, Switzerland, where he studied with a great teacher named Jean-Jacques Kantorow. During his studies, he also worked with other important musicians like Walter Levin and Witold Lutosławski, which made him interested in modern music.
Winning Awards and Leading Orchestras
As a young violinist, Gordan Nikolitch entered many music competitions and won several awards. Some of these included the Tibor Varga competition and the Paganini competition in Genoa, Italy.
In 1989, he became the concertmaster of the Orchestre d'Auvergne, a position he held for ten years until 1999. He has also led other well-known groups, such as the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Teaching and Inspiring Others
Gordan Nikolitch loves to share his knowledge with young musicians. He has been a professor at the Royal College of Music in London and teaches masterclasses at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since 2005, he has taught at CODARTS, the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music. In 2017, he became a professor at the Hochschule für Musik Saarbrücken. As of September 2021, he is also a violin teacher at the Paris Conservatoire CNSMdP.
Directing Orchestras
In 2004, Gordan Nikolitch became the artistic director of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra in Amsterdam. This orchestra was started in the 1950s. He led the orchestra from his position as concertmaster, which means he directed the musicians while also playing his violin. This way of leading helped all the musicians work together very closely. Playing in the famous Concertgebouw Amsterdam with this group has been a constant source of inspiration for him.
From 2006 to 2011, he was the Musical Director of St George Strings, an orchestra based in Belgrade, Serbia. Since 2007, he has also been the Musical Director of the BandArt Orchestra. With BandArt, he has directed operas like Gluck’s Orpheo and Mozart’s Idomeneo at various festivals. He has also worked with the OSCyL orchestra, performing famous pieces like Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony and Bruckner’s 9th Symphony.
Gordan Nikolitch often directs many other orchestras around the world. These include the Spanish National Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, among others.
His Violins
Gordan Nikolitch plays on special violins. He uses instruments made by Paul Belin in 2016 and a Petrus Guarnerius from Venice, which was kindly lent to him by a generous supporter. He also uses bows made by F.X. Tourte and J.P.M. Persoit. In the past, he has played violins made by other famous makers like Giuseppe Guarneri and Lorenzo Storioni.
Recordings
Gordan Nikolitch has made many recordings of classical music. These recordings often feature him as a soloist or as the director of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. He has recorded works by famous composers such as Mozart, Franz Schubert, Joseph Haydn, Benjamin Britten, and Johannes Brahms. Some of his recordings include Mozart's Piano Concertos, Haydn's "Military" Symphony, and Beethoven's Violin Concerto.
See also
In Spanish: Gordan Nikolic para niños
