Gil Shaham
About Gil Shaham
Gil Shaham is one of the foremost violinists of our time, whose combination of flawless technique with inimitable warmth and generosity of spirit has solidified his legacy as a beloved master. He is sought after for concerto appearances as well as for recital and ensemble performances in the world’s most hallowed concert halls and most prestigious festivals.
Shaham regularly performs with the world’s top orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio Symphony, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Israel Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, among others. In addition to his many orchestral engagements, Gil Shaham is an avid recitalist, chamber musician, and proponent of new works. He regularly collaborates with musical colleagues: composers William Bolcom, Bright Sheng and Avner Dorman; pianists Yefim Bronfman, Akira Eguchi and sister Orli Shaham; cellists Truls Mørkand Lynn Harrell, and his wife violinist Adele Anthony.
Shaham’s broad discography encompasses over 30 recordings including many award-winning discs, including multiple Grammys, a Grand Prix du Disque, a Diapason d’Or and Gramophone Editor’s Choice. Since 2004 Shaham’s recordings have been produced for his own label, Canary Classics, include Nigunim: Hebrew Melodies with Orli Shaham, Butterfly Lovers and the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto; Sarasate: Virtuoso Violin Works with Adele Anthony, Akira Eguchi and Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León. 2014 saw the release, to wide critical acclaim, of Volume 1 in his 1930s Violin Concertos (CC12) series encompassing concertos by Barber, Stravinsky, Berg, Hartmann and Britten, and in 2012 released his landmark recording of JS Bach’s solo sonatas and partitas (CC14), and in 2016 the Grammy nominated recording and second instalment in his 1930s Violin Concertos featuring Prokofiev and Bartok’s second violin concertos (CC16).
Shaham was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1990, and in 2008 he received the coveted Avery Fisher Award, presented live on national television in the USA by conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
In 2012, he was named ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ by Musical America, which cited the ‘special kind of humanism’ with which his performances are imbued.