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Ivry Gitlis
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==Career== ===World War II=== In 1940, during [[World War II]], he went to London where he first worked for two years in a war factory and was then assigned to the artists branch of the British Army. He gave numerous concerts for the [[Allied forces (World War II)|Allied]] soldiers and in war factories. After the war he made his successful debut with the [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]] and subsequently played with the [[BBC]] and all other principal orchestras of Great Britain.{{fact|date=May 2025}} ===1950s=== In 1951, as suggested by his teacher [[Alice Pashkus]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.soundfountain.org/rem/remyoungv.html |title=Profile of Theodore and Alice Pashkus on Rudolf Bruil's 'The Remington Site' |access-date=20 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929104633/http://www.soundfountain.org/rem/remyoungv.html |archive-date=29 September 2011|url-status=dead }}</ref> he participated in the [[Long-Thibaud Competition]] in Paris, where he took fifth place. During the preliminary stages of the competition, a rumor circulated that he had stolen a [[Stradivarius]] violin during the war, which caused a scandal on the day of the final. Six years after the fall of [[Hitler]], being a [[Judaism in France|Jew in France]] was still causing debate.<ref>Gitlis, L'Âme et la corde, p. 152 (2013)</ref> In the same year, Gitlis made his debut in Paris, playing in a recital at the [[Salle Gaveau (Paris)|Salle Gaveau]], sponsored by the music manager Marcel de Valmalète (9 July 1951).{{fact|date=May 2025}} In those years Ivry Gitlis already ranked with the foremost young masters of his instrument in the world. He started the study of the violin at the age of five. His debut was made shortly after that and he so impressed the noted virtuoso, [[Bronislaw Huberman]], that he was sent to Paris to study. At the age of 11, the boy won first place among 150 competitors for admission to the Paris Conservatoire, and at 13, he got "Premier Prix" (graduated) at the Conservatoire. Gitlis continued his studies with such noted virtuosi as Georges Enesco, Jacques Thibaud and Theodore Pashkus, after which we embarked on a European concert tour. During the war, the youngster remained in London where he performed for the Armed Forces in hundreds of concerts. In the last few years he has been soloist with such orchestras as the London Philharmonic, London Symphony, Liverpool Philharmonic, etc. He has featured contemporary music on his program ranging from works of Bartok to Lennox Berkley, Ivor Walsworth and Hindemith, as well as continuing his programs of the music of the classics. Further tours of the European continent have strengthened critical belief that Ivry Gitlis was destined to become one of the world's greatest violinists. (text extracted from: Don Gabor archives, ©1950). In 1955 he moved to the United States where he met [[Jascha Heifetz]]. There he made several tours, managed by [[Sol Hurok]], including those conducted by [[Eugene Ormandy]] (Tchaikovsky, in Philadelphia) and [[George Szell]] (Sibelius, on 15,16 and 18 December 1955 in New York).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://archives.nyphil.org/index.php/artifact/a26476cb-e896-42f6-8748-6d96234e481e/fullview#page/10/mode/2up |title=Sibelius, 15,16,18 December 1955 in New York |access-date=15 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102201/http://archives.nyphil.org/index.php/artifact/a26476cb-e896-42f6-8748-6d96234e481e/fullview#page/10/mode/2up |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In Europe, between 1954 and 1955, he recorded for the Vox label concertos by [[Alban Berg|Berg]] ([[Violin Concerto (Berg)|Violin Concerto "To the memory of an angel"]], coupled with "Chamber Concerto" -Vox PL 8660- which was awarded a "[[Grand Prix du Disque]]" in 1954), [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky]], [[Felix Mendelssohn|Mendelssohn]], [[Igor Stravinsky|Stravinsky]] (Violin Concerto, coupled with "Duo Concertant") and with the conductor [[Jascha Horenstein]], [[Béla Bartók|Bartók]], [[Max Bruch|Bruch]] and [[Jean Sibelius|Sibelius]]. His recording of Bartók's 2nd Violin Concerto and Solo Violin Sonata -Vox PL 9020- received the "Best Record of the Year" award from the [[New York Herald Tribune]] in 1955.{{fact|date=May 2025}} ===1960s=== In 1963, he was the first Israeli violinist to play in the Soviet Union. He gave a series of concerts under the cultural exchange program of the Soviet Union and Israel, starting in [[Vilnius]] (23 October 1963). His other concerts were given in Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv and Odesa.<ref>[http://www.jta.org/1963/10/25/archive/israeli-violinist-gives-successful-concerts-in-soviet-cities Israeli Violinist Gives Successful Concerts in Soviet Cities], JTA Archive, 25 October 1963.</ref> In 1968, he participated in [[The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus]] film project, performing "Whole Lotta Yoko" with [[Yoko Ono]] and [[The Dirty Mac]]. Many composers were fascinated by his sound and way of playing, among whom [[René Leibowitz]] who dedicated his Violin Concerto, Op. 50 (1958) to him; [[Roman Haubenstock-Ramati]] with "Sequences" for Violin and Orchestra (1958); [[Bruno Maderna]] writing "Pièce pour Ivry" (1971), which Gitlis never recorded commercially, but recorded live in Paris on 25 May 1983; [[Yannis Xenakis]] with "Mikka", which Gitlis premièred in 1972;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://iannis-xenakis.org/xen/works/work_46.html |title=Mikka - Catalog of works - Iannis Xenakis |website=iannis-xenakis.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507190620/http://www.iannis-xenakis.org/xen/works/work_46.html |archive-date=2018-05-07}}</ref> [http://www.sempremusica.com/charlesbernstein/index.html Charles Harold Bernstein] with two works for solo violin, inspired by Gitlis, "Rhapsodie Israélienne" and "Romantic Suite" (1984). ===1970s=== In 1972, Gitlis founded the Festival de Vence, famous for its innovative programming. He was also the inspirer and organiser of the Saint André de Cubzac, Alfortville and Bonifacio Music Festivals.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.musicamundi.org/en/artists/gitlis.htm |title=Ivry Gitlis bio at Musicamundi.org |access-date=11 June 2015 |archive-date=13 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613004300/http://www.musicamundi.org/en/artists/gitlis.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1975, he undertook a dramatic role, as Hypnotist in [[François Truffaut]]'s film, ''[[The Story of Adele H]]''. He often visited Japan, where he was very popular.<ref>[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/04/26/national/debris-violins-pull-at-heartstrings/ ‘Debris violins’ pull at heartstrings], Instruments crafted from homes, trees washed away by tsunami at center of musical relay project – The Japan Times, 26 April 2012</ref> ===1990s=== In 1990, Gitlis was designated [[UNESCO]] Goodwill Ambassador.<ref>[http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=8301&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Ivry Gitlis – UNESCO Celebrity Advocates | UNESCO.org<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091111121548/http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID%3D8301%26URL_DO%3DDO_TOPIC%26URL_SECTION%3D201.html |date=11 November 2009 }}</ref> His stated aim was the "support of education and culture of peace and tolerance". He performed at the opening event of the International Bioethics Committee's 3rd session in 1995.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ivry Gitlis {{!}} United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization|url=http://www.unesco.org/new/en/goodwill-ambassadors/ivry-gitlis/|access-date=2020-12-24|website=www.unesco.org}}</ref> ===2000s=== [[File:Martha Argerich & Ivry Gitlis 02.jpg|thumb|Gitlis with pianist Martha Argerich, after a joint performance at the Israel Philharmonic, Tel Aviv, 2018]] Ivry Gitlis was a commentator (along with [[Itzhak Perlman]]) on the DVD ''The Art of Violin'' (2000), which showcases violin performances and gives biographical details of many of the great violinists of the twentieth century. In 2008, he became patron of the Paris-based association "Inspiration(s)", whose aim is to make classical music accessible to all. He was a Fellow of the [[Royal Northern College of Music]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Fellows and Honorary Members|url=http://www.rncm.ac.uk/about/college-information/fellows-honorary-members/|publisher=Royal Northern College of Music}}</ref> He was a distinguished guest of the International Master Course for violinists and string players at Keshet Eilon Music Center.
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