Peta Stewart
Surrounded daily by the cream of brilliant young musicians is sheer joy for Alexander Gilman, one of the foremost violinists playing internationally today. He is also, at the age of 35, a mentor, teacher, and creator of opportunities to a new generation of gifted string musicians.
Gilman is in Cape Town for two concerts with the Cape Town Philharmonic – the opening concert of the season on March 30, 2017, when he, 14-year-old cellist Danielle Akta and 20-year-old violinist David Nebel perform, and the following week when he plays Beethoven.
It is working with the young that shapes Gilman’s life. “It sounds cheesy to say this, but every day I know how lucky I am to work with such dedicated and talented musicians.”
Gilman grew up with a professional violinist as a father
Gilman is based in Zurich, from where he is Artistic Director of LGT Young Soloists, a group of 25 or 30 musicians who come from all over – Asia, Russia and Israel, through Europe to the States. He cannot stress how fortunate he was to get the backing and financial support of LGT Private Bank in Liechenstein, owned by the Liechenstein Royal Family whose relationship with composers like Beethoven and Haydn is well documented.
Together they create performance opportunities and help create the confidence that is required to become a professional musician. This covers all aspects, from participating in competition to taking auditions and then appearing on stage. Appearing on stage also has layers – as a member of an orchestra which he created, as a chamber musician and of course as a soloist.
“They get the full package,” he says. “On our last tour to Asia in December, each musician had the chance to play as a soloist on several occasions over the two weeks we toured. I lead from the first chair, and we never play with a conductor so they can learn to listen to and communicate with each other.
“Classical music is not always seen as cool by their peers, who typically are into social media or playstations, so coming together with other people with similar talent and interests also helps them relate socially.”
Gilman grew up with a professional violinist as a father, and was taught by his mother. He was born in Bamburg, but moved when he was two with the family to Munich where his father took up a teaching job at the University. He was a member of his father’s class that, at the age of seven, he made his first solo appearance on the Small Philharmonic Hall stage in Munich and was hooked. “I knew I wanted to appear on stage and that it would take hard work to do it.”
Ten years later he became a student of Zakhar Bron in Zurich, was his teaching assistant for four, went to Vienna to start his own teaching class but returned to Zurich in 2015 where he still teaches.
The kids are motivated, and most have school or university to fit in as well. Take Danielle – she lives in Israel, studies in Berlin, performed earlier this month at the Barbican in London with Spivakov and in Mexico with the Israel Philharmonic. “We want them to use our platform to try things out and then watch them fly,” he says. They have played 100 concerts in the last two years, released two CDs on RCA and one DVD. “The level of maturity on these CDs is astounding when you consider the youngest soloists are 12 and the oldest, a double bass player, is 22. ”
Watch ‘The Navarra for Two Violins’ that Nebel and Gilman will play
You can hear the stars of tomorrow, Danielle Akta and David Nebel with Alexander Gilman with the CPO on March 30 at the Cape Town City Hall; and Gilman playing the Beethoven Violin Concerto on April 6. Daniel Boico is on the podium.
When:
March 30, 2017 – Danielle Akta, David Nebel, Alexander Gilman, CPO, Cape Town City Hall
April 6, 2017, Gilman playing the Beethoven Violin Concerto, Cape Town City Hall
Tickets:
http://online.computicket.com/web/event/autumn_symphony_season_concert_1/1106908168/0/77410736 http://online.computicket.com/web/event/autumn_symphony_season_concert_2/1106925258/0/77412038
WS
