Gidon Kremer (LV)

About

Also known as: Gidons Krēmers, Gildon Kremer

Gidon Kremer is one of those rare violinists who shaped the repertoire rather than just playing it. Born in Riga, Latvia, he has spent decades championing composers who were overlooked or undervalued, from Astor Piazzolla to Alfred Schnittke, Mieczysław Weinberg and Arvo Pärt, with Sofia Gubaidulina, Luigi Nono and Giya Kancheli among those who wrote works specifically for him. His competitive record is formidable: first prizes at both the Paganini Competition and the International Tchaikovsky Competition, plus appearances with conductors like Bernstein, Karajan and Abbado. In 1997 he founded Kremerata Baltica, a chamber orchestra built around young musicians from the Baltic region, and the two have recorded together extensively for ECM and Deutsche Grammophon. He ran the chamber music festival in Lockenhaus, Austria for thirty years, always pushing unconventional programming. His discography spans Deutsche Grammophon, Nonesuch, ECM and more, earning him Grammy wins and a stack of international prizes. Kremer also played Paganini in the 1983 film Frühlingssinfonie, because apparently one career was not enough.