Yuri Bashmet & Moscow Soloists

“Without doubt he is one of the greatest world’s living musicians” “Times” London.
Yuri Bashmet is one of the greatest world musicians, who revived the interest to this instrument,” “China News” Yury Bashmet occupies a special place among musicians of the present day, turning the viola, for the very first time ever, into a recognized solo instrument. Composers worldwide have grasped on to this phenomenon and, specially for Bashmet, have created more than fifty works for viola.
Bashmet’s appearances have a hypnotizing effect on listeners. As one British critic has noted, his music making seems “like rain, falling drop by drop, infiltrating the heart and animating it.”
Yuri Bashmet was born in Rostov -on-Don in 1953. He graduated from the special musical school in Lvov in 1971, In MOSCOW Conservatoire his teachers were professors Vadim Borissovsky and Fiodor Druzhinin. In 1975 Y.B. gets viola Paolo Testori (Milan of 1758), on which plays till the present time. As a Student the musician became, a Laureate of the International Competitions in Budapest I975′(second prize) and first prize in Munich 1976 . He was said to be a phenomenally gifted musician: “He could be compared only with David Oistrach as far as the perfect interpretation and brilliant sound is concerned…” wrote of the German newspapers.
His programs comprised different epochs and styles. Modern composers are eager to dedicate their works to him: A. Schnittke, G.Kancheli, E. Denisov, A. Tchaikovsky, and S. Gubaidulina. Tavener (England), Ruders (Denmark) and many others. As a whole, 50 viola concertos were written and dedicated specially to Bashmet. Y.B. has arranged A.Schnittke’s ” String trio ” for a string orchestra (under the name ” a trio – sonata ” it has published by ” Sikorskie”).
Recitals of Yuri Bashmet, as well as the concerts in ensemble with such musicians as S. Richter, M. Rostropovich, 1. Stern, A. Mutter, M.Argerich, G. Kremer are always gathering full halls and are of the great interest. His name is also associated with first in the world history viola recitals in such famous halls in the world-as Carnegi-hall (New York), Concertgebau (Amsterdam), Barbican (London), Berlin philharmonic, La Scala (Milan), Big hall of a conservatory in Moscow and Big hall of the Leningrad philharmonic.
Y.B. cooperated with many outstanding conductors, such as R.Kubelik, S.Ozawa, G.Rojdestvensky, sir Colin Davis, J.Gardiner, M.Rostropovich, V.Gergiev, S.Dutua, N.Marriner, M.Tilson Thomas, K.Mazur, B.Haitink, S.Rattle, N.Harnoncourt, Y.Temirkhanov.
As the soloist and conductor Y.B. acts with the best symphonic orchestras: Berlin Philharmonic, Berlin Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Bayerishe Rundfunk, San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, London Symphony, Radio France, Orchestra de Paris, Wiener Philharmonic etc.
Y.B. participated in many festivals worldwide: Tanglewood (USA), Bordeaux, Menton (France), Bruxelles (Belgium), Kuhmo, Mikkeli (Finland), Kreuth (Germany), Siena, Stresa, Sorrento (Italy). He is the artistic director and one of the organizers of festival on island Elba (Italy). He is regular participant of Promenade-concerts in a Albert-hall (London, England).
Yuri Bashmet is organizer and chairperson of the jury board of the International Viola Competition in Moscow, the only one of its kind in Russia. Yuri Bashmet is the Professor of the Moscow Conservatoire, Honorable Academician of the London Arts Academy, he also teaches at Summer sessions at Academia Cidzana (Siena, Italy) and in Tours (France), He is the President of the International Viola Competition named after L. Tertis (England), a member of Jury at the Viola Competition in Munich, of “Maurice Vie” in Paris. The highest appraisal of the talent of Yuri Bashmet was his appointment as the artistic director of the musical festival “December Nights” in Moscow, which had been directed by Genius Richter for 17 years.
The performing art of Yuri Bashmet has become the focus of attention of the world public. He is won the AWARD -1993 – as “The best musician-instrumentalist of the year” (London), in 1995 he became a laureate of one of the most prestigious world prizes ‘Sonnings Musicfond” (Denmark). Earlier this prize was given to I. Stravinsky, L. Bernstein; B. Britten. I Menuhin, 1. Stern, A. Rubinstein, D. Schostakovich, M.Rostropovich, S, Richter, and G. Kremer.
The International Charitable Fund, created by the musician, has founded the International premium by name Shostakovich’s name for outstanding achievement in the field of world art. This premium is awarded G.Kremer (1994), Т.Quasthoff (1995), V,Tretiakov (1996), V.Gergiev (1997), А.Mutter (1998), О.Borodina (1999), N.Gutman (2001). etc.
Yuri Bashmet participated in many large charity world actions: in Carnegie-Hall (with E. John and S, Wonder), in London (commemorating Princess Diana), in conceil.5 all revenues of which were given to the relief funds for those suffered of calamities in Armenia, Japan, relief funds for children-invalids. His contribution into the world peace movement is hard to overestimate. This noble civic position of Yuri Bashmet is connection with his exception artistic activity, than rang his name with the great names of the XX century.
Maestro lives and works in Moscow.

First prize winner of such renowned competitions as the 6th Menuhin International Junior Violin Competition in England in 1993, the International Competition for Violinists in Cologne in 1994 (Daishin was the youngest participant), and, in 1996, both the International Fritz Kreisler Violin Competition in Vienna and the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud International Competition for Piano and Violin in Paris.
Received number of prestigious awards such as Arion Award (1995), both Idemitsu and Mobile Music Awards (1997), Fresh Artists Award of the Nippon Steel Music Awards (1998), The Minister of Education , Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists (1998), Cultural Award from Hyogo Prefectural Gevernment (2011) and Change Maker 2011 in Japan, and Steigenberger and Davidov Awards in Germany.
A Japanese national born in London in 1979, Daishin Kashimoto has already been recognized internationally by performing under renowned Maestros such as Seiji Ozawa, Lorin Maazel, Yuri Temirkanov, Vladimir Fedoseev, Evgeny Svetlanov, Michel Plasson, Semyon Bychkov, Eliahu Inbal, Mariss Jansons, Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Myung-Whun Chung, Mikhail Pletnev and others.
Began studying violin in Tokyo at the age of three under Kumiko Eto. He moved to New York in 1985, and in the following year, he was accepted by the pre-college division of The Juilliard School as its youngest student where he studied under Naoko Tanaka, and received the Edward John Noble Foundation Scholarship. In 1990, he moved to Lübeck, Germany to accept an invitation to study under Prof. Zakhar Bron, and from his age 20, he studied under Prof. Rainer Kussmaul at Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, and completed master’s course winning Gustav Scheck prize.
Daishin is also active in the field of chamber music, and he has performed with noted musicians such as Martha Argerich, Itamar Golan, Yuri Bashmet, Gidon Kremer, Mischa Maisky, Gérard Caussée, Myung-Whun Chung, Paul Meyer, Emmanuel Pahud, Eric Le Sage, and others.
On January 22, 2007, Daishin was chosen to perform at a special concert aimed to develop relationship between China, Korea, and Japan and performed chamber music with the Japanese H.I.H. Crown Prince Naruhito (viola) and Myung-Whun Chung (piano) together with Jing Zhao, and Dong-Hyuck Ahn .
Starting from 2007, Daishin serves as music director at chamber music festivals in Ako and Himeji in Japan.
Three CDs have been released from Sony Classical. The third CD which was released in Febuary 2007 is a live recording from three concerts with Staatskapelle Dresden under Mo. Myung-Whun Chung (Brahms) at Semperoper in Dresden in November 2006.
Daishin was appointed as the first concertmaster of Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 2010.
In June, 2012, Daishin performed at the concert in Waldbüne with Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as a soloist under Mo. Andris Nelsons.
He plays on a violin made by Andrea Guarneri, 1674.
Curriculum Vitae as of June 2012