Leonidas Kavakos is recognised across the world as a violinist and artist of rare quality, known at the highest level for his virtuosity, superb musicianship and the integrity of his playing. He works with the world’s greatest orchestras and conductors and has signed an exclusive recording contract with Sony Classical.

 

 

Born and brought up in a musical family in Athens and still resident there, Kavakos curates an annual violin and chamber-music masterclass in Athens, attracting violinists and ensembles from all over the world and reflecting his deep commitment to the handing on of musical knowledge and traditions. Part of this tradition is the art of violin and bow-making, which Kavakos regards as a great mystery and to this day, an undisclosed secret. He plays the ‘Willemotte’ Stradivarius violin of 1734 and owns modern violins made by F. Leonhard, S.P. Greiner, E. Haahti and D. Bagué.

 

 

Jiemin was the first women to conduct operas in both La Fenice and San Carlo opera houses, and her Opera DVD Cavalleria Rusticana with San Carlo opera was released in 2008 and broadcast by RAI. She first studied piano and percussion at the age of seven and graduated in orchestral conducting and composition from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1995. That same year she was appointed as Resident Conductor of the Shanghai Opera House , and in 1998 worked at Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence as assistant to Maestro Zubin Mehta for the production of Turandot in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Since 2002 Jiemin has worked with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and has been a regular guest conductor at the Beijing International Music Festival, Shanghai Spring Music Festival and the Macau International Festival.

 

 

Her career in Europe began in 2006 with a Gala concert at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, and in the same season Jiemin conducted several concerts with la Fenice orchestra at various music festivals across Italy. The following year she made her debut in Spain with La Traviata at the Palazzo dello Sport in Madrid, and in 2008 conducted the Symphony of Rome in a series of concerts at the Salerno opera house. In the 2001-2002 she worked as assistant conductor at National Orchestra Capital du Toulouse in France.

 

 

Conductor: Zhang Jiemin

Violin: Leonidas Kavakos

 

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra

 

Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major, Op.61 44' (Violin: Leonidas Kavakos)

 

- Intermission - 

 

Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet Suite (Excerpts)

Shostakovich: Suite for Jazz Orchestra No.2 21'