For the love of MUSIC
Considered one of the foremost violinists of his time, Shlomo Mintz loves the South Island of New Zealand, he tells
ASK one of the world’s most esteemed violinists what his advice is for young players and he says it is simple — ‘‘basically love music’’.
Shlomo Mintz appears with the most celebrated orchestras and conductors on the international stage. He also gives back, holding regular masterclasses worldwide and, since 2012, he has been the director of CransMontana Classics Masterclasses in Switzerland.
Mintz also founded the Keshet Eilon International Mastercourse in Israel for talented young musicians from around the world.
He will teach a masterclass while in Dunedin at Hanover Hall taking violin students from the University of Otago through their paces as they perform work from selected violin repertoire.
For Mintz, who is now based in Switzerland, giving his time and backing to masterclasses is a way of helping a younger generation of musicians.
‘‘You can open a vision and a door for a young player.’’
He says it gives him great satisfaction to guide a younger generation. This year he is also holding masterclasses in Budapest, Switzerland and Italy.
He is also regularly invited to judge some of the most prestigious international competitions.
‘‘I only judge as chairman of competitions and since I have no particular students, that makes me an objective judge. We need objective judges, and that is why I do it.’’
Mintz, who was born in Moscow in 1957 and immigrated to Israel when he was 2, knows better than most the importance of getting guidance early in a career.
His first stage performance was at the age of 6, and by the age of 11 he was playing as soloist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Just a few years later, at age 13, he knew violin would be his career.
‘‘It was a different world, and I was lucky.’’
He had fallen in love with the violin for its ‘‘ability to penetrate hearts’’.
When he was 16, he made his
Shlomo Mintz
Carnegie Hall debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
He went on to study at the Julliard School of Music in New York and, at
18, toured extensively through Europe.
Then, still in his early 20s, he signed a longterm recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon.
To celebrate Mintz’s 60th birthday, Deutsche Grammophon rereleased his recordings as a 13CD edition. These include recordings of the Mendelssohn, Prokofiev, Sibelius,
Lalo and Vieuxtemps violin concertos with great orchestras and conductors, such as Claudio Abbado and Zubin Mehta.
Mintz has also had a parallel career as a conductor, taking positions as principal guest conductor of the Maastricht Symphony in the Netherlands and for the Zagreb Philharmonic and, more recently, has added composing to his list of talents.
‘‘I started conducting, because my teacher Dorothy Delay gave me a long speech about ‘knowing what other instruments play when you play your concertos’. She was an eloquent pianist herself and was able to accompany her students on several occasions. After I had a few years of piano playing, my interests turned immediately to conducting.’’
Last year, his Anthem to an unknown nation premiered at the Vigado Grand Hall, Budapest, and his sonatina for violin and piano premiered in Domo.
Having played with many of the great orchestras and venues around the world, he cannot name a favourite.
‘‘That all depends on the moment. I believe no experience can be repeated twice. But I have many.’’
Nor can he name a favourite composer.
‘‘The composer that I play at the moment of playing is my favourite composer.’’
In Dunedin that will be Tchaikovsky and his violin concerto, which he says he relates to well because it was written at a Swiss resort on the shores of Lake Geneva.
‘‘It’s packed with Tchaikovsky’s typically exciting Russian tunes, and explosive violin gymnastics.’’
He is also looking forward to working with guest conductor Jose
Luiz Gomez, who started his musical career as a violinist.
‘‘That will surely contribute to a thorough understanding of how to conduct Tchaikovsky.’’
Gomez is also looking forward to sharing the stage with Mintz, calling the Tchaikovsky concerto ‘‘exciting and beautiful’’.
He will also be conducting what he describes as one of his favourite Slavic composers Dvorak’s
Symphony No.7.
‘‘It has one of the most beautiful second movements ever written. It is a piece that allows the orchestra to display its ability to sing.’’
Looking back, Mintz can see many changes in the music world in his time.
‘‘Many new and young players have turned out recently, and as a result the public has more choices.’’
Mintz was also cofounder of the ‘‘Violins of Hope’’ project where the violins of players who lost their lives in ghettos and concentration camps during World War 2 are restored and displayed internationally.
‘‘It’s important because it teaches humanity to respect one another. It teaches people not to repeat the mistakes of the past.’’
Mintz has a busy concert schedule for 2018, touring Italy and then playing a special concert to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel Quirinale in Rome.
He also has concerts in the United States and China.
However, he does get time at home in Switzerland to do the ‘‘normal’’ things in life — see friends, walk, exercise and read.
❛ I started conducting, because my teacher Dorothy Delay, gave me a long speech about ‘knowing what other instruments play when you play your concertos’. She was an eloquent pianist herself and was able to accompany her students on several occasions. After I had a few years of piano playing, my interests turned immediately to conducting