David Garrett Violin virtuoso Date of Birth: 04.09.1980 Country: Germany

Biography of David Garrett

David Garrett is a virtuoso violinist known for his crossover style, which combines various musical genres. He was born on September 4, 1980, in Aachen, Germany, to lawyer Georg Peter Bongartz and American ballerina Dove Garrett. His stage name, David Garrett, was derived from his mother's surname.

At the age of four, David first picked up the violin, despite it originally being intended for his older brother. Within a year, he won his first prize at a children's music competition, and at the age of seven, he began studying at the conservatory in Lübeck. By the age of ten, he performed at the Hamburg Philharmonic concert and received a Stradivarius violin as a gift after performing for the President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

In 2000, David started taking lessons from renowned violinist Ida Haendel, traveling to London and other European cities for his studies. At the age of 13, he became the youngest artist to sign a contract with Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft, releasing his first CDs featuring classical works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Paganini.

David briefly attended the Royal College of Music in London in 1997 but discontinued his studies after the first semester due to differences in artistic vision and his need for additional musical practice. He resumed his education a year later at the Juilliard School in New York, where he studied musicology, composition, and further honed his performance skills under the guidance of renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman.

During his studies, David also worked as a fashion model, but it did not hinder his musical achievements. In 2003, he won a student composition competition with a fugue in the style of Bach. In 2004, David graduated from the Juilliard School and recorded his first album, "Nokia Night of the Proms." He went on to perform with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and other prestigious events.

In 2007, David became the ambassador for the Italian company "Montegrappa" and the face of their elite fountain pen collection, "Tributo ad Antonio Stradivari." As part of the collection's presentation, he performed on a Stradivarius violin in various cities worldwide. It was also in 2007 that he released his albums "Free" and "Virtuoso," which garnered significant attention in the music industry. These albums featured his compositions, classical melodies, and rock compositions like Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters."

David's aim was to awaken young people's interest in classical music by synthesizing it with pop, rock, and rhythm and blues styles. He argued that Liszt, Paganini, and Chopin were the rock stars of the 19th century and that Vivaldi and Mozart's works contained elements of contemporary pop music. While his approach sparked debate in the music world, both supporters and critics could not deny the perfection of his compositions and his impeccable performance style. His albums consistently topped the charts.

His album "Encore," released in 2008, achieved even greater success and won the ECHO Classic Award in the "Classical Without Limits" category. That same year, David was named "Musician of the Year" in the "Gentlemen's Quarterly" magazine's awards. In 2009, he released a self-titled album that reached the top of the charts in the United States. Later that year, he released another album, "Classic Romance," featuring compositions by Mendelssohn, which also won an ECHO Classic Award in the "Bestseller of the Year" category.

In 2010, David's career took a new direction with his ambitious project, a concert in Berlin's Wuhlheide Park that combined classical works from Bach to Nirvana. The album "Rock Symphonies," based on this concert, won two ECHO Awards for "Best DVD Product" and "Best Rock/Pop Artist," and also earned him a place in the Guinness World Records as the world's fastest violinist.

After the success of "Rock Symphonies," David returned to classical music and released the album "Legacy" in 2011, featuring works by Beethoven and Kreisler. The album achieved gold status in several countries. In December of the same year, he performed a unique cover version of Nirvana's iconic song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at the Royal Concert in London, combining rock and classical elements. He also collaborated with opera singer Jonas Kaufmann on a cover version of the UEFA Champions League anthem at the UEFA final match in May 2012.

In 2013, David released another unconventional album titled "Music," which featured rock and pop compositions in symphonic arrangements. His most recent album, "Caprice," released in 2014 in collaboration with guitarist Steve Morse, tenor Andrea Bocelli, and pop singer Nicole Scherzinger, showcases his versatility. David's concert schedule is planned two years in advance, and he continues to captivate audiences around the world with his performances.