Gidon Kremer, dubbed "the greatest living violinist" by the late conductor Herbert von Karajan, will perform with the Kremerata Baltica Soloists Monday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. in Bailey Hall as part of the Cornell Concert Series.
Kremer has established a reputation worldwide as one of the most original and compelling artists of his generation. His career has a distinctive profile. Born in 1947 in Riga, Latvia, Kremer has become associated with such diverse composers as Alfred Schnittke, Arvo Pärt, Sofia Gubaidulina, John Adams and Astor Piazzola, bringing their music to audiences in a way that respects tradition yet remains contemporary. "You found yourself caught up in the score, awaiting every note and only incidentally analyzing the reasons for your entrapment," commented a reviewer in The San Francisco Examiner.
In November 1996, Kremer founded Kremerata Baltica to foster outstanding young musicians from the Baltic states. Performing with Kremer will be Lithuanian violist Ula Zebriunaite and Latvian-born cellist Marta Sudraba.
"To be honest as an artist means I must find that link between my emotional and musical life," said Kremer. "It wouldn't do to be one more in that overwhelming number of performers who take the easy path and play the same war horses over and over."
The Bailey Hall concert features music from the 20th century, including works by composers Ennio Morri-cone, best known for his many film scores, "tango-master" Astor Piazzola, Alfred Schnit-tke and Giya Kancheli.
Since making his Western debut 25 years ago, Kremer has appeared with the orchestras of Berlin, Boston, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, New York, London, Paris and Vienna in collaborations with a distinguished roster of conductors that includes, in addition to von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, Carlo Maria Giulini, Eugen Jochum, Andre Previn, Claudio Abbado, James Levine, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Muti, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Zubin Mehta and Sir Neville Marriner.
Since 1981, Kremer has been inviting a select group of artists to participate in the music festival he founded in the small Austrian village of Lockenhaus. For two weeks each summer, musicians from all parts of the world gather to perform in an intimate setting. Both Lockenhaus and Kremerata Baltica are the realization of Kremer's belief that music can overcome all barriers of language and culture.
Tickets for the concert are $17-$27 for the general public and $9-$16 for students and are on sale at the Cornell Concert Series ticket office, 124 White Hall, 255-5144. Ticket office hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tickets can be ordered from this web site: http://www.arts.cornell.edu/ccs.
| Cornell Chronicle Front Page | | Table of Contents | | Cornell News Service Home Page |