Vadim Repin, violin
A critic wrote of Vadim Repin, “He can master the most dangerous challenges with an almost provocative serenity.” Fiery passion with impeccable technique, poetry and sensitivity are Repin’s trademarks, and his name has rapidly become synonymous with the violin.

Born in Siberia in 1971, he started to play violin at the age of five and six months later had his first stage performance. At age 11 he won the gold medal in all age categories in the Wienawski Competition and gave his recital debuts in Moscow and St Petersburg. In 1985 at age 14 he made his debuts in Tokyo, Munich, Berlin, Helsinki; a year later in Carnegie Hall. Two years later Vadim Repin was the youngest-ever winner of the most prestigious and demanding violin competition in the world, the Reine Elisabeth Concours. Since then he has appeared with the world’s greatest orchestras and conductors.

An advocate of new music, Vadim Repin has received international accolades for his performances of John Adams’ Violin Concerto and Gubaidulina’s Offertorium, and recently premiered a new concerto by Daniel Brewbaker with the Baltimore Symphony.

Vadim Repin has been a frequent guest at festivals such as the Hollywood Bowl, Tanglewood, Ravinia, Rheingau, Verbier and the BBC Proms. His ‘Carte Blanche’ invitation to the Louvre in Paris resulted in a prize-winning live recording of music performed with friends including the gypsy violinist, Roby Lakatos. Mr. Repin regularly collaborates with Nikolai Lugansky in recital and last season toured Brazil and the U.S. culminating in concerts in Boston and at Avery Fisher Hall in New York. In the 2006-07 season they gave recitals throughout Europe. Other recent North American engagements included a gala performance with Plácido Domingo for Washington National Opera’s 50th Anniversary, Carnegie Hall with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and concerto dates with the Montreal Symphony and the National Arts Centre Orchestra and New York Philharmonic. His busy season also includes concerts in Asia, Australia, New Zealand and a European tour with the Melbourne Symphony.

Recent performance highlights have included galas with Mstislav Rostropovich to celebrate the centenary of the London Symphony Orchestra, a unique recital in Genoa on Paganini’s own violin, the legendary “Cannone,” a concert with the Bavarian Radio Symphony and Mariss Jansons for an audience of 8,000 on Munich’s Odeonsplatz, a concert to mark the opening of the Olympic Games in Athens, and benefit galas for the children’s charity Amadé Mondiale in the presence of its president, Princess Caroline of Monaco, and for Amnesty International with Kurt Masur and the Orchestre National de France. Most recently he had a triumphant debut with the Vienna Philharmonic in the Shostakovich centenary celebrations.

A recording of the Tchaikovsky and Myaskovsky concerti with the Mariinsky Orchestra and Gergiev features in Mr. Repin’s prize-winning discography, and he recently signed a contract with Deutsche Grammophon. His recording of chamber music by Taneyev for DG with Ilya Gringolts, Nobuko Imai, Lynn Harrell and Mikhail Pletnev recently earned a Gramophone Award.

Vadim Repin plays on the magnificent 1736 Guarneri del Gesù “von Szerdahely” violin.