Charlie Siem

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Charlie Siem
Background information
Born 1986
United Kingdom London, England
Genres Classical, Classic rock
Occupations Violinist
Instruments Violin
Years active 2001–present
Labels Warner Classics and Jazz
Website http://www.charliesiem.com/
Notable instruments
Violin
1735 Guarneri del Gesu d’Egville

Charlie Siem (born 14 January 1986) is an English contemporary classical violinist.

Life

Charlie Siem was born in London, England, to Norwegian billionaire Kristian Siem and a British mother, and began the study of violin at the age of five. He studied at Eton College and Girton College, Cambridge, and continued his violin studies with Itzhak Rashkovsky and Shlomo Mintz. He performed his first concerto with an orchestra at age 15, and played with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at age 18.[1]

Siem is distantly related to Norwegian violin virtuoso and composer Ole Bull.[2]

Siem plays a violin by Guarneri del Gesu from 1735 also known as the d’Egville. The violin was previously owned by Yehudi Menuhin.[1]

Career

His first CD featured Violin Sonatas by Grieg and Elgar and was released in 2008. He signed with the Warner Classics and Jazz label and released his second CD Charlie Siem - Violin Virtuoso in 2010. His third CD, Bruch, Wieniawski and Bull, was released in August 2011.

His international concert activities includes appearances with:

Touring activity:

  • Asia
  • North America
  • South America
  • Russia
  • Middle East
  • Europe, he performed on 33 dates on the Night of the Proms tour of Belgium, Holland and Germany.[3]

2010

2011

2012

  • In May he performed at the Royal Albert Hall for Our Greatest Team Rises to support the Olympics and Paralympics Team GB.
  • He was appointed as visiting Professor at Leeds College of Music in June
  • Appearing with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the OVG Concerts in Rotterdam
  • In September 2012 he played his first Solo Recital at Wigmore Hall in London, accompanied by Itamar Golan.
  • During October he toured the Netherlands on a Recital Tour accompanied by Caroline Jaya - Ratnam.
  • He has also composed variations on popular songs.[1]
  • In 2012 he has continued to collaborate with many diverse artists including dancers from the Royal Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, Will Young and superstar Chinese Opera Singer Zhang Jun.[2]

2013

  • January started with 2 concert series in Norway: Oslo and Kristiansand including performances of Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No. 5 with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.
  • In Holland he performed Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2 on a concert tour with the North Netherlands Orchestra. One performance was attended by Queen Beatrix.
  • Masterclasses in Leeds College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music in New York.
  • Performing Vieuxtemps No. 5 with the Basel Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Michal Nesterowicz.
  • Recital tour in Taiwan in May and June
  • Performing at the Munch Museum in Oslo during the Tine@Munch Festival
  • Recital in Copenhagen with Itamar Golan, piano.

TV & other appearances

He has appeared in numerous fashion publications including Vogue, Acne Paper, GQ and V Man. In September 2012 Charlie appeared with Itamar Golan on BBC, interviewed by Sean Rafferty prior to Charlie's Wigmore Hall debut

In December 2012 collaborated with Bruce Weber on the Dior Homme - "Can I Make The Music Fly?" Recorded the Main Theme from Schindler's List with the BBC Concert Orchestra - Celebrating the anniversary of composer John Williams. He was one of the few men photographed by Karl Lagerfeld for the Chanel book "The Little Black Jacket: Chanel's Classic Revisited" published in 2012. [4]

Critical reception

Charlie Siem - Violin Virtuoso

"These performances show that his music-making is more than capable of speaking for itself without any kind of special pleading." The Guardian

'His very heartfelt interpretation of Cantabile Doloroso by Ole Bull created the highlight of the evening' Skagens Avis, Denmark ******

"there was a dumbfounding gap between his retro suavity and the ineptitude of his playing (...) His intonation, passagework and tone were simply ugly" - The New York Times.[5]

"Charlie Siem, allowing his tone to soar in a great arch, creates a memorable high-point" - Gramophone[6]

Elgar/Grieg reviews:

'Convincingly thought through and beautifully delivered' Classic FM Magazine ****

'A wonderful tone...spacious and beautiful' Classic FM Magazine ****

'His Elgar sonata is by turns confidential and quick-witted, perfectly shaded and full of sweet-sour regrets' The Guardian ****

'Siem... manages to focus unerringly on the musical core of each.' The Guardian ****

'...these are performances of remarkable freshness and spontaneity.' BBC Music Magazine *****

'The Elgar Sonata is especially beautifully done, at once mercurial and intimate, as if Siem is plucking the music straight from the air... Elgar would surely have approved...' BBC Music Magazine *****

'...clearly he's a player of remarkable promise.' BBC Music Magazine *****

Discography

Siem has released CDs including:

  • Charlie Siem - Elgar & Grieg (Sonatas for Violin and Piano )
  • Charlie Siem - Violin Virtuoso
  • Charlie Siem - Bruch, Wieniawski, Ole Bull - The London Symphony Orchestra - Andrew Gourlay
Charlie Siem at Wigmore Hall

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Binlot, Ann (17 October 2011). "Meet the World's Hottest Violin Virtuoso: Charlie Siem on the Perfectionism That Enthralled Both Lady Gaga and Stephen Hawking". Retrieved 30 October 2011. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "About". Retrieved 30 October 2011. 
  3. ↑ Edgar, Michelle (23 April 2010). "Music Unites to Showcase Young Violinist Charlie Siem". Retrieved 30 October 2011. 
  4. ↑ Breslin, Yale (17 April 2012). "The Goods: Digging Through Dapper Violinist Charlie Siem's iPod". Retrieved 24 November 2013. 
  5. ↑ Woolfe, Zachary. "Impeccably Dressed, With His Violin at the Ready". New York Times. Retrieved 15 August 2012. 
  6. ↑ Elgar, Grieg. Gramophone. August 2008. p. 66. 

External links

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