Maxim Vengerov
niversally hailed as one of the world’s finest musicians, violinist Maxim Vengerov is often referred to as today’s greatest living string player.
Born in 1974, he began his career at the age of five as a solo violinist, won the Wieniawski and Carl Flesch international competitions at ages 10 and 15 respectively, studied with Galina Tourchaninova and Zakhar Bron, made his first recording at the age of 10, and went on to record for high-profile labels including Melodia, Teldec, Deutsche Gramophone, and Warner, earning among others, Grammy and Gramophone Artist of the Year awards.
In 2007, he followed in the footsteps of his mentor, the late Mstislav Rostropovich, and Daniel Barenboim, and turned his attention to conducting; in 2010, he was appointed the first chief conductor of the Gstaad Festival Orchestra. Vengerov has conducted the Munich Phiharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Montreal and Toronto symphony orchestras, RTE Dublin, and Orchestre National de France, among others.
In January 2020, Vengerov became Classic FM’s first solo Artist in Residence and released a new recording of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with conductor Myung-Whun Chung and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, coupled with works by Saint-Säens and Ravel as well as a live recording from his Carnegie Hall concert in October 2018.
Recent highlights include his opening the season of the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala with Riccardo Chailly, a residency with the Monte Carlo Philharmonic and the Philharmonie in Paris, and extensive international recital tours. Vengerov also celebrated 40 years on stage with a sold-out Royal Albert Hall concert, performing both Brahms’ Violin Concerto and Double Concerto.
Throughout 2023–24, Vengerov toured the world with more than 60 concerts in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Highlights included Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with Orchestra della Scala and Zubin Mehta, the opening night of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival with Christoph Eschenbach, and Sibelius with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Musikverein.
Always central to Vengerov’s work, however, are his extensive recital tours, which this season include concerts at London’s Barbican Centre, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Paris’ Salle Gaveau, Rome’s Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Barcelona’s Palau de la Musica, Carnegie Hall, Washington DC’s Kennedy Center, Chicago’s Symphony Center, Ann Arbor’s Hill Auditorium, Bogotá’s Teatro Mayor, Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colón, Sydney’s Opera House, Taipei’s National Concert Hall, and Seoul’s Lotte Concert Hall.
For his 50th birthday celebrations this season, highlights will include the start of a three-year Perspectives at Carnegie Hall series that will feature more than 12 concerts, beginning with all-Mozart programs this November and concluding with all-Beethoven sonata concerts in 2027. Perspectives concerts will also see him partner with famous chamber musicians including Evgeny Kissin and Martha Argerich.
One of Vengerov’s greatest passions is teaching and encouraging young talent, and he has held various teaching positions around the world, including at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and at the Royal Academy and College of Music in London. In 2018, Vengerov became the Goodwill Ambassador of the Musica Mundi School, a unique institution that supports young talent. With the aim of making musical support generally accessible, he initiated his own online teaching platform in January 2021: www.maximvengerov.com.
Vengerov has received numerous prestigious awards, including a Grammy for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance and a World Economic Forum Crystal Award in 2007, honoring artists who have used their art to improve the state of the world. He was also granted the Ordre du Chevallier from the Palace in Monte Carlo, where he resides.
Maxim Vengerov plays the ex-Kreutzer Stradivari (1727).