Shlomo Mintz facts for kids
Shlomo Mintz is a famous Israeli violinist and conductor. He was born in Russia on October 30, 1957. Shlomo Mintz often performs with orchestras and conductors all over the world. He also plays in solo concerts and chamber music events.
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Early Life and Learning
Shlomo Mintz was born in Moscow. When he was two years old, his family moved to Israel in 1959. There, he started learning the violin with a teacher named Ilona Feher. She introduced him to Isaac Stern, another famous violinist, who became his mentor. Shlomo Mintz also studied with Dorothy DeLay in New York.
Amazing Music Career
Shlomo Mintz first performed on stage when he was just six years old. At age eleven, he played as a soloist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Soon after, he got a special call from conductor Zubin Mehta. He was asked to play a difficult violin concerto by Niccolò Paganini with the orchestra. This happened because another famous violinist, Itzhak Perlman, was sick.
When he was sixteen, Shlomo Mintz made his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He played with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With help from Isaac Stern, he studied at the Juilliard School of Music. By the time he was 18, he was touring all over Europe. He also signed a big recording deal with Deutsche Grammophon. Many famous orchestras invited him to play, including those in Berlin, Vienna, Chicago, and New York.
He has worked with many other great musicians. These include Isaac Stern, Mstislav Rostropovich, Pinchas Zukerman, and Itzhak Perlman. He also played with conductors like Zubin Mehta, Claudio Abbado, and Riccardo Muti.
Conductor and Music Leader
When Shlomo Mintz was 18, he also started a career as a conductor. He has led many well-known orchestras around the world. These include the Royal Philharmonic in the United Kingdom and the NHK Symphony in Japan. From 1989 to 1993, he was a music advisor for the Israel Chamber Orchestra. He also led the Maastricht Symphony in the Netherlands for several years. In 2008, he became the main guest conductor for the Zagreb Philharmonic.
From 2002 to 2012, he was the artistic director of the Sion-Valais International Music Festival. He also led the winter season at Arena di Verona.
Teaching and Mentoring
Shlomo Mintz teaches master classes for violinists around the world. He is the artistic director of Crans-Montana Classics in Switzerland.
He helped start the Keshet Eilon International Violin Mastercourse in Israel. This is a summer program for talented young violinists. He supported this program for eighteen years, from 1992 to 2010.
Other Important Work
Shlomo Mintz helped create the "Violins of Hope" project. This project involves 45 violins that belonged to musicians who died during World War II. A violinmaker named Amnon Weinstein restored these violins. They have been shown in many countries. These special violins were displayed in Jerusalem to celebrate Israel's sixtieth anniversary.
Mintz has also been a judge for many international music competitions. These include the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition in Brussels. He was also the head judge for the International Henryk Wieniawski Competition. He is currently a mentor and head judge for several other violin competitions.
Personal Life
Shlomo Mintz is married to Corina. They have two sons, Eliav and Alexander. Even though he travels a lot for concerts, he enjoys spending time with his family. He once said he wished he had more time for "shooting nintendo with Eliav." His children also love music. Eliav started playing piano and viola when he was young.
Awards and Honors
Shlomo Mintz has received many awards for his musical talents:
- Premio Accademia Musicale Chigiana, Siena
- Diapason d’Or
- Grand Prix du Disque (twice)
- Gramophone Award
- Edison Award (twice)
- Cremona Music Award
In May 2006, he received an honorary doctorate from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. This was to recognize his amazing contributions to music around the world.
Recordings
Shlomo Mintz has made many recordings as both a soloist and a conductor. His music is available on labels like Deutsche Grammophon and RCA Victor. He has recorded many famous classical pieces.
Some of his recordings include:
- J.S. Bach: Bach Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin
- Beethoven: Violin Concerto
- Brahms: Violin Concerto
- Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor
- Mozart: The five Violin Concertos
- Paganini: The 24 Caprices for violin solo
- Vivaldi: ‘The Four Seasons’
See also
In Spanish: Shlomo Mintz para niños
- List of violinists
- Music in Israel
