Vadim Repin
Vadim Repin (Vadim Viktorovich Repin, Вадим Викторович Репин [vɐˈdim ˈviktɐrvitʃ ˈrepin],[1] born in Novosibirsk, Western Siberia, 31 August 1971) is a Belgian (naturalized) Russian violinist who currently lives in Austria.
Yehudi Menuhin once said that "Vadim Repin is simply the best and most perfect violinist that I have ever had the chance to hear" after having heard the Russian violinist perform.[2]
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[edit] Education
Vadim Repin began to play the violin at the age of 5. He went on to study with Zakhar Bron, the famous violin teacher. At only eleven, he won the gold medal in all age categories in the Wienawski Competition and gave his recital débuts in Moscow and St Petersburg. In 1985 at fourteen he made his débuts in Tokyo, München, Berlin, Helsinki; a year later in Carnegie Hall.
[edit] Professional career
At the age of 17, he became the youngest winner of the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels, the world's premier violin competition. He was a member of the jury in the 2009 violin-session of this competition.[3]
Vadim Repin has played under such leading conductors as Simon Rattle, Valery Gergiev, Mariss Jansons, and Yehudi Menuhin. He has also played with Pierre Boulez, Riccardo Chailly, Charles Dutoit, Michael Tilson Thomas (with whom he made his United Kingdom debut at The Lichfield Festival in 1985), James Levine, Kurt Masur, Edo de Waart, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Riccardo Muti.
Repin has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra. He regularly collaborates with Nikolai Lugansky and Itamar Golan in recital; other chamber music partners include Martha Argerich, Evgeny Kissin, Lang Lang and Mischa Maisky.
Vadim Repin has been a frequent guest at festivals such as the BBC Proms,[4] Tanglewood, Gstaad and Verbier. In 2010 he played the premiere of James MacMillan Violin Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra under Gergiev which was dedicated to him.[5]
[edit] Repertoire and recordings
Repin specializes in Russian music and French music, particularly the great Russian violin concertos, as well as 20th century and contemporary music. New music in his répertoire includes works by John Adams and Sofia Gubaidulina.
He has recorded violin concertos by Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Nikolai Myaskovsky. Repin has also made two CDs of violin and piano music works with Boris Berezovsky (pianist) and has recorded chamber music with pianists Martha Argerich and Mikhail Pletnev, violist Yuri Bashmet, and cellist Mischa Maisky. In 2010, Repin recorded an album of violin sonatas with pianist Nikolai Lugansky.
The majority of Repin's recordings through 2005 were on the Erato label. However, in 2005 Repin appeared on Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on a disc of chamber music by Sergei Taneyev alongside Mikhail Pletnev, Ilya Gringolts, Nobuko Imai, and Lynn Harrell; and in April 2006 Repin signed an exclusive recording contract with DG.
[edit] Instruments
- 1984–1989 Stradivari 1720 ex-Wieniawski-Wieniawski, as a loan by the UdSSR State Library
- 1996 Repin played shortly the Guarnerius del Gesù 1737 Isaac Stern ex-Panette-Panette, a loan by David Fulton
- 1996–2005 Stradivari Ruby 1708,[6] as a loan by the Stradivari Society in Chicago and previously played by Pablo de Sarasate
- 2005 Guarneri del Gesù 1742 Il Cannone ex Paganini as a loan by the Municipal Administration of Genua for the use in a concert in the city
- 2002-2009 Guarneri del Gesù Von Szerdahely 1736
- Since 2010 Vadim Repin plays a Guarneri del Gesù 1743 Bonjour
His preferred bows are by Nicolaus Kittel and Nicolas Maline.
[edit] Private life
Vadim Repin married his first wife Caroline Diemunsch in 2001. His son Leonardo was born in 2006.[7]
His current wife is Svetlana Zakharova, the principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet. They have a daughter.
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- Vadim Repin Homepage, unofficial, but very comprehensive
- Discography
- Vadim Repin Biography (until 2004)
- Biography of Vadim Repin (English), Productions Internationales Albert Sarfati
[edit] Interviews
- All Things Strings, Vadim Repin Cover Story, excerpts from Strings Magazine, April 2000
- Interview on Evene.fr (in French), November 2008
[edit] Reviews
Vadim Repin (violin) and Nikolai Lugansky (piano):
- Crescendo, review about their recital on 20 November 2002 in Brussels
- Light-filled brilliance, review in English from Wienerzeitung, 27 November 2002
Vadim Repin (violin), Nikolai Lugansky (piano), Mischa Maisky (cello):
- La Palme d'or pour les trois Russes, Critique du récital de Vadim Repin, Nikolaï Lugansky et Misha Maïsky au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris, 25 May 2005
[edit] References
- ^ Vadim Repin pronounced in Russian
- ^ Russian Hommage with Vadim Repin on menuhinfestivalgstaad.com, Menuhin said it on the occasion of a concert given by Repin
- ^ "Entry for Vadim Repin on the official site of the Queen Elisabeth competition". Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition. http://www.cmireb.be/en/i/664-Vadim_REPIN.html. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- ^ Vadim Repin - A Biographical Timeline
- ^ James MacMillan: Violin Concerto premiere with Vadim Repin on Boosey & Hawkes
- ^ Interview de Vadim Repin à l'Actualité Musique d'Evene en Novembre 2008
- ^ Profile of Vadim Repin at the Moscow State Philharmonic Society
