Maxim Vengerov
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Maxim Vengerov (born August 20, 1974 in the Siberian Federal District capital, Novosibirsk) is a Russian violinist.
Vengerov was five when he received his first violin lessons from Galina Turtschaninova and later at the Royal Academy of Music in London (Junior Department). He later studied with the legendary violin teacher Zakhar Bron and was still only ten when he won the Junior Wieniawski Competition in Poland. Recital engagements in Moscow and Leningrad (St.Petersburg) followed, and he was soon appearing as concert soloist with such well-known orchestras as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the USSR State Symphony Orchestra.
In 1995 his recording of the Prokofiev and Shostakovich violin concertos won Gramophone Awards in the "Best Record of the year" and the "Best Concerto Recording" categories, later also garnering two Grammy nominations. His 1997 recording The Road I Travel chronicles some of his best work to date, with one new track, the famous "Méditation" from Massenet's Thaïs.
1997 thrust Vengerov even further into the public spotlight: his rousing performance at the Hollywood Bowl in July was followed by another virtuoso performance in September, when Vengerov took the stage at the season opening of the New York Philharmonic with Maestro Kurt Masur. 1997 also marked the release of the follow-up to the first, and critically-acclaimed, Prokofiev and Shostakovich violin concertos, recorded with legendary conductor Mstislav Rostropovich.
Vengerov toured with English harpsichordist Trevor Pinnock in 2000, taking up the baroque violin for the first time while Pinnock learnt to play the modern Steinway grand piano. These revolutionary concerts consisted of a first half of harpsichord and baroque violin, followed by a second half of piano and modern violin.[1] He has recently widened his musical experience further by taking up the viola.
He is a professor of violin at the University of Music Saarland, Germany and was appointed professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London during 2005.
