About
Biography
David Garrett
“You have to be a world-class violinist in order to record a good crossover CD.” (David Garrett)
“Only those artists can afford to do crossover who have already made a name for themselves in the classical music scene.” David Garrett sets high quality standards. And he knows what he is talking about. In Fall 2007 the recording artist made his appearance in Germany with the release of his crossover album Virtuoso and he has been redefining standards in the classic and crossover scene step by step ever since. The native of Aachen, son of a German jurist and an American prima ballerina, can allow himself to sound out the limits. After all, at age 32, he already looks back on a matchless career.
He gets his first violin at age four and makes his first appearance with the Hamburg Philharmonics at the early age of ten. At age thirteen he is the youngest artist to be awarded an exclusive contract with the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. In 1999, at the height of his career, the shooting star redirects his energy, deciding to leave his predetermined path as a classical violinist and move to New York – not to take a time-out but rather to place his musical proficiency on a theoretical foundation and perfect his technique. He enrolls at the prestigious Julliard School, studying musicology and composition.
Instruction with Itzhak Perlmann lends his performance completely new facets. David Garrett’s particular enthusiasm for studying composition earns him a distinction in 2003 when he wins the renowned Composition Competition of Julliard School with a fugue composed in the style of Johann Sebastian Bach. In doing so, he lays the foundation for what have become legendary arrangements. His highly esteemed American composition teacher Eric Ewazen has said of him “As a violinist, his spectacular, heartfelt and expressive playing already dazzled – even when he was a student – those of us who had the great pleasure of teaching him, and we recognized his extraordinary gifts and his amazing talent.”
Since completing his studies, the visionary violinist has committed himself to a clearly defined goal – introducing young people to the classics and kindling enthusiasm for reputedly serious music. Combining classical elements with those of pop and rock as well as rhythm and blues is a means to this end. “Regarding the crossover pieces I arrange, I strive to attain a level of performance at least equal to that expected of classical works. When another violinist looks at one of my scores he must say “The violin part is damned good. It is so difficult I’d have to practice it for hours before being able to play it.” Concerning his ambitions, David Garrett puts it succinctly. “You have to be a world-class violinist in order to record a good crossover CD. This poses an even greater challenge than classical music does because you want to present things to your listeners in a completely new light while putting on a superb violinist’s performance. The great virtuosos from Paganini to Heifetz did just that. Anything else would be merely mindless commercialism.”
Whereas many conservative contemporaries wonder whether uncompromising excellence and popularity, art and commerce can or may even be reconciled, David Garrett long ago proved that it is possible, enthralling listeners of all ages. The same new, incredibly electrifying spirit pervades lofty philharmonic halls holding sold-out classical concerts and open-air arenas staging crossover programs. The people sense that they are being taken seriously, that a person is performing who approaches the task with utmost discipline while creating an awareness for various musical genres and styles. Garrett’s desire to diminish the awe of classical music felt by young audiences in particular, to spark a whirlwind in the music scene while striving to sweep as many people off their feet as he possibly can is fulfilled to an overwhelming degree.
David Garrett is not only a technically brilliant recording artist who has received the praise and support of such eminent violin virtuosos as Isaac Stern, Yehudi Menuhin and in particular Ida Haendel. His greatness is also reflected in his mental countenance. As one of the few classically versed artists he has an undistorted perspective on tradition and modernity. Thinking in terms of fixed categories is foreign to him. “In my eye, the Paganinis, Liszts and Chopins of the 19th century were the world’s first rock stars,” he says. Garrett knows the secrets of great music and understands that the more substance a work has, the more possibilities an artist has to make it his own and place it in new contexts. “Bach arranged Vivaldi and Mozart arranged Turkish marches. Beethoven wanted to enchant the masses too, employing musical means to this end. Great composers have always incorporated elements which were popular in their day and there is nothing reprehensible about that. On the contrary.”
Thus his musical expertise inspired him to interlace Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal with Mozart’s Turkish March – and he did so before Michael Jackson’s death, before the world paid tribute to this exceptional talent. David Garrett sets trends of his own because he is also ahead of his time. And yet he knows that talent and a command of one’s instrument do not suffice alone if one is to intellectually and spiritually penetrate a work and gain a grasp of it. A background knowledge of music theory enables the well-traveled artist to analyze and scrutinize scores. “Many great works are unbelievably rich in diverse possibilities. A certain passage in Mozart’s Turkish March and one in Smooth Criminal have almost the same harmonic progression. This goes to show that apart from instrumentalization, music has hardly changed at all over the past 250 years. We continue to work with the same material.”
Only this mixture of perfectionism and openness, thoroughgoingness and foresight explain the overwhelming success which David Garrett has had since the release of Virtuoso. With this recording the artist presented the public with his vision of how various musical styles can be creatively fused on a high artistic level without compromising musical standards. The succession of his own compositions interspersed with arrangements of classical pieces ranging from the virtuoso “Paganini Rhapsody,” based on Caprice No. 24 by Niccolò Paganini, to the emotionally intense rock classic “Nothing Else Matters” by “Metallica” stunned the music world. Advocates and critics sparked off a dialogue about musical orientations which has rekindled and refocused interest in how music communicates itself.
The artist was rewarded with an ECHO Classic 2008 in the category “Classic without Borders.” The “Encore” followed fast on this first success in October 2008, even surpassing the former release as a follow-up album. In the USA, “David Garrett” stayed number one in the classical and classical crossover charts for months.
With the album “Classic Romance”, released in November 2009, the violin virtuoso returned to classic turf. He created a special, very personal CD centering around Mendelssohn’s violin concerto, accompanied by seven small works from the Classic and Romantic periods. “Classic Romance” had an enormous resonance, winning Garrett the ECHO Classic 2010 in the category “Bestseller of the Year”. “Classical music is where my heart lies and I am elated that I succeed in bringing my message across to the audience.”
In June 2010 all previous musical activities of the star violinist culminated in a further exciting challenge: Rock Symphonies. At the legendary concert at Park Wuhlheide in Berlin, David Garrett delivered an unprecedentedly individual “musical address” to his multi-generational audience. Classics from all epochs – from the Baroque Age to modern times, from Bach to Nirvana – are presented in a newly arranged symphonic idiom. Once again his courage to embrace new things was rewarded.
In 2011 he received no less than two ECHO awards for his “Rock Symphonies”. The DVD “David Garrett: Rock Symphonies – Open Air Live” was distinguished in the category “Best Domestic DVD Production” and as “Best Artist” in the category “Rock/Pop Domestic”. “To date,” Garrett says, “‘Rock Symphonies’ is my most extraordinary and ambitious project. For this reason I look forward to getting together with the guys in my band, the orchestra and the audience on the 2011 Tour. For me, these people are all part of one large musical family.”
After his successful Rock Symphonies Tour in 2011, David went back to his classical roots. In the autumn, the star-violinist was Honorary Judge in the category violin at the International Music Competition Cologne. He fulfilled his lifetime-dream with the recording of the DECCA album “Legacy”, which was first released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. On this CD you can listen to the Beethoven Violin-Concerto, which David considers this “the ultimate masterpiece of the violin repertoire”, plus various works by Fritz Kreisler.
Kreisler was not only a famous violinist, but also an exceptional composer. He wrote two beautiful solo cadenzas for the Beethoven Concerto, a longer one for the first movement and a somewhat shorter one for the third movement. David has always admired Kreisler’s profound understanding of music and has considered him an iconic figure. It seemed only natural to follow this tradition and play both Kreisler cadenzas.
Legacy proved to be an exceptional success. As soon as the album was released, it reached rank 6 on the overall-charts in Germany, the highest-ranking instrumental classical album in German chart history. In January 2012, the album reached gold-status. Legacy was released in the UK on 12th March and in the US on June 05.
© Dr. Burkhard und Sibylle Schäfer
David is playing the “A. Busch” Stradivarius (1716)
I have enjoyed a huge variety of music styles through my life from all around the world. The violin has always been an instrument that touched me deeply. I love how you have opened the violin to a wider genre of musical pieces. Your talent is aweing, and your performances are beyond words. You have developed your own style and it draws the audience into the music, allows us to feel it, not just hear it. I hope you come to the southern east coast of America some day. I dream of getting to see you in person before I leave this world but if that is not meant to be I will continue to seek out your new works to add to my music collection.
Hey David,
Danke für das bisher beste, klassische Konzert in Magdeburg!!!!!!!!!!!!
Du hattest auch vollkommen recht als du Stadthalle Magdeburg gesagt hast :-).
Meine Mutter meinte erst, dass ein klassisches (Brahms-) Konzert nicht so gut seien würde, ABER Du hast ihr das absolute Gegenteil bewiesen!!!!
DDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
Uli
*Adiago* Deine Musik versetzt mich in eine andere Zeit. Es ist so, als ob es diese Unzufriedenheit nicht gibt … so, als ob das Kleine so geschätzt wird wie alles andere was es auf dieser Welt gibt. Die Menschen wissen so wenig zu schätzen heutzutage … doch deine Musik bringt sie in eine nicht oberflächliche Welt … in einen Moment wo nur die Musik zählt ! Ich wünsche dir einen Menschen an deiner Seite … der dir das gibt, was dir noch fehlt!
Simplesmente Fantástico! Sou do Brasil e meu esposo viu um vídeo seu por acaso, depois disso, assistimos sua Rock Symphonies, ficamos pasmos!!!
Maravilhosa interpretação e conhecimento musical! Parabéns! Muita luz de Deus em seu caminho!!!
Abraços!
David garrett your music Is my life!!!!!!
Hello Emily,
David has already performed Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at the Hampton Court Palace Festival in 2009. It was a great performance.
I have just seen a concert of yours on Television in the UK. I love how you have combined commercial music with classical. I have subsequently bought your album and I wondered if you would be coming to London soon to do a show? As much as the album is great to listen to, I’m sure you would be amazing to see live. Plus I think your music would suit my whole family so we could all go! :)
If you do ever come to the UK, can I recommend Hampton Court Palace as a venue. It’s smaller but it’s in an old open air English courtyard and it’s very beautiful on a summers evening. Anyway good luck with this year’s tour and hope to see you in London soon! x
I’m from Russia and when I saw a video “Nirvana”, I was sitting without breath and I was shocked! So much emotions and seems that Violine is a part of his soul! When I was a child, I wanted to play it but my parrents said NO! But when I saw David’s playing I understood that I really want to play violine again/ And then I went to music school and said that I was small)) so now I’m learning this beatiful instrument. THANK YOU, DAVID GARRETT!!!
David I have just discovered you TODAY – Ich freue mich riesend auf deinem Gottgegebene Talent!!!Bitte komm nach Südafrika!!!!
Conheci sua arte através de um email que me enviaram e que custei a abrir. Amo música clássica e adorei todas as suas performances apresentadas no Youtube. Além do mais, você é um belo homem que transmite sensibilidade e alegria em suas apresentações, Tenho seus três últimos DVDs: Rock Symphonies, Music e Legacy. Lamento apenas não entender o inglês e o alemão. Espero que venha ao Brasil logo. Viajei num Cruzeiro e fiquei imaginando você e sua banda e orquestra fazendo shows para aquele mundo de gente, inclusive para mim também….Parabéns e até outra vez.
David, you rare The Best!
Angels were around when you got born.
Please, come to Brazil, we miss you here.
Your last dvd Music is amazing, fantastic, emotional, cool, full of passion, great!
Kisses Betina
Ola David
Este é um poema de um Fado cantado por Amália Rodrigues
Foi por vontade de Deus
Que eu vivo nesta ansiedade
Que todos os ais são meus
Que é toda minha a saudade
Foi por vontade de Deus
Estranha Forma de Vida
Que estranha forma de vida
Tem este meu coração
Vive de vida perdida
Quem lhe daria o condão
Que estranha forma de vida
Estranha Forma de Vida
Coração independente
Coração que não comando
Vives perdido entre a gente
Teimosamente sangrando
Coração independente
Estranha Forma de Vida
Eu não te acompanho mais
Pára deixa de bater
Se não sabes onde vais
Porque teimas em correr
Eu não te acompanho mais
Estranha Forma de Vida
David Garret, please come to Brazil…..
God bless u! Joely Souly
I will thank my friend untill the end of my life that she showed me your recordings and that now I can share your passion and enjoy such a great music! That really made a sens to my glooomy existence! That’s like a blessing! Thank you David:*
David, please come to POLAND! We’re waiting for you here! With love xxx!
Ola David além da sua musica também temos de simpatizar com os artistas e um homem com charme um grande profissional na musica espero que ao longo da sua carreira e da minha vida o possa ouvir conheço a sua musica por acaso e fiquei logo apaixonado sou de Portugal Lisboa uma bonita capital para vir comer um bom arroz doce uns bons pasteis de nata únicos no Mundo e um vinho do Porto entre outras bebidas feitas em Portugal .
Temos paisagens maravilhosas exportamos muito o Fado e Vinho do Porto que em breve vou chegar a si.
Temos o Vitorino de Almeida um homem ligado a musica clássica com operas feitas por ele é maestro também um grande compositor talvez um pouco esquecido.
Como tudo na vida.
Venha a Portugal e desfrute-se das paisagens de Lisboa e Porto Coimbra monumentos únicos no Mundo e da boa gastronomia caseira e única.E já agora não se esqueça de mim porque lhe mostro coisas únicas e apetecíveis….Um pouco do seu Pais já conheço a Alemanha típico pela cerveja e as salsichas……
Espero que tenha um ano de 2013 muito bom pode ser que eu o veja +por ai se sim levo uma bandeira de Portugal logo saberá que foi eu que escrevi isto no caso de vc o ler porque eu sei que fazem dos artistas as vezes uns meninos protegidos que nunca lê o que se escreve nas paginas…..eu sei o que isto é.chama-se mordomias
Abraço
Lisboa-Rafael
A nota soa, estremece a corda, reverbera no ar
passeia, viaja, penetra nas paredes, fura o silêncio
desenha a melodia, mostra os sons
e pára na mão do músico como que a aguardar
uma segunda ordem, que pode mudar de repente,
quem sabe? pois a música vai além da partitura,
do compasso, das cinco linhas da pauta,
a música é a interpretação que repousa às vezes
em meio segundo a mais ou a menos.
Vai músico, passa pelo pianíssimo, forte,
staccato, termina e depois… da cappo,
a platéia pede sua presença,
a coxia é a sua porta de casa,
e o ciclorama é a sua moldura.
Vai, no conjunto você é único
e seu som lhe pertence como a nenhum outro
pois não há dois músicos iguais,
na multidão você é solo, e
por mais que pareça acompanhar
você tem seu nome e sua assinatura particular.
No suor do seu rosto o esforço,
os dedos doem, as pernas cansam,
as luzes castigam as retinas, mas
saiba que os aplausos são para você
e eles serão ouvidos muito depois,
até o fim.
David Garrett.. es hermosa tu musica… y tu maravillosa forma de ser..simple como cualquier joven o adolescente,Ne encantaría que un dia de éstos, pensaran en venir a Azul (la Ciudad Cervantina ) pcia de Buenos Aires- Argentina, tenemos un hermoso teatro..claro para lo tú haces.. es pequeño.. Pero dejame soñar!!! gracias.Eva