You reached this page through the archive. Click here to return to the archive.

Note: This article is over a year old and information contained in it may no longer be accurate. Please use the contact information in the lower-left corner to verify any information in this article.

Grammy-winning virtuoso to perform at St. Olaf with SPCO

By David Gonnerman '90
April 18, 2003

Gil Shaham
Shaham
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Andreas Delfs, continues its 44th season with a performance at St. Olaf College featuring violin virtuoso Gil Shaham. The concert, an annual event at St. Olaf, begins at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, in Boe Memorial Chapel. This concert is free and open to the public, though people are urged to arrive early for best seating.

The program will include Korngold?s ?Violin Concerto,? ?Prospero?s Books Suite? by Nyman and Beethoven?s ?Symphony No. 7.?

?Shaham is the romantic violinist?s violinist,? states a review in the Philadelphia Inquirer. ?The young virtuoso?s playing overflows with color and his music-making is touched by a spirit of fun.?

Shaham is widely regarded as one of today?s most virtuosic and engaging classical artists. In addition to recitals and ensemble appearances at various festivals, he has performed around the world with orchestras under the direction of some of today?s top conductors: Claudio Abbado, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta and Wolfgang Sawallisch.

Shaham won a Grammy Award in 1999 for his recital album American Scenes, accompanied by maestro Andre Previn on piano. His most recent releases are Messiaen?s ?Quartet for the End of Time? and a recording of showpieces entitled ?Devil?s Dance.? He has also recorded Bartok?s ?Violin Concerto No. 2? and ?Two Rhapsodies for Violin and Orchestra? with maestro Pierre Boulez conducting the Chicago Symphony, which earned two Grammy nominations.

Shaham was born in Illinois in 1971 and moved with his parents to Israel two years later. He began violin studies at age 7 with Samuel Bernstein of the Rubin Academy of Music. In 1981 he made debuts with the Jerusalem Symphony and the Israel Philharmonic. In 1982, after taking first prize in Israel?s Claremont Competition, Shaham became a scholarship student at the Juilliard School of Music.

In his second season as music director of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Delfs is recognized as one of today?s leading young conductors. A native of Flensburg, Germany, Delfs was formerly music director of the Bern Opera (and a regular guest conductor of the Bern Symphony), resident conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and music director of the celebrated Orchestre Suisse des Jeunes. From 1995 to 2000 he was general music director of the Hannover State Opera and Orchestra in Germany.

Delfs began the study of piano and music theory at age 5 in his native Flensburg. At age 20 he became music director of the Hamburg University Orchestra ? the youngest person to hold the post ? and was musical assistant at the Hamburg State Opera. Delfs completed his master?s degree at Juilliard.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.