Lewis KAPLAN

• jury, Violin 2005
  
• Jury, Violin 2009
  

For nearly fifty years, Lewis Kaplan has dedicated his career to performance as a violinist – both soloist and chamber musician. He is an internationally renowned teacher, director and founder of one of the world’s most important festivals, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and conductor of the Festival Orchestra.
With a zest for living and a dedication to music, Lewis Kaplan is known not only for teaching the extraordinary technique developed by his mentor and one of the greatest violin pedagogues of the 20th Century, Ivan Galamian (1901-1981), but for his great musicianship in the traditional repertoire and his leadership role in contemporary music.
A graduate of The Juilliard School – where he earned both bachelors and masters degrees in violin studies and conducting studying under Jean Morel – Mr. Kaplan began teaching at the prestigious conservatory in 1964 and is presently a senior professor in violin and chamber music.
He is the founder in 1961 and violinist of the Aeolian Chamber Players – the first permanent ensemble of mixed timbre and a model for hundreds of ensembles internationally that followed his pioneering work.
Known as an extraordinarily gifted teacher with a special talent for working with young performers, Mr. Kaplan teaches at The Juilliard School, the Mannes College for Music, the Summer Academy Mozarteum, and the Bowdoin Festival as well as presenting master classes at most of the well known conservatories and schools worldwide.
Lewis Kaplan has served on the juries of numerous international competitions, including Fritz Kreisler (Vienna), Mozart International (Salzburg), Concert Artists Guild (New York), Japan International (Tokyo) and the Queen Elisabeth (Brussels) in May 2005.
He has made numerous television appearances and has premiered more than 100 works, both as a soloist and with the Aeolian Chamber Players, by most of the well-known composers worldwide. He has recorded for Columbia/CBS Masterworks (Sony), CRI, Folkways and Odyssey Records.
In addition to performances with the Aeolian Chamber Players internationally, he has appeared as violin soloist and as a conductor in Europe, Asia, and North America. He has performed as well with Michael Rabin, Jaime Laredo, Szymon Goldberg, Ruggiero Ricci, pianists Richard Goode, Rudolf Firkusny, Murray Perahia, Horacio Gutierrez and many others.
In 2009, Lewis Kaplan was awarded with the Federal Republic of Germany’s Bundesverdienstkreuz (Order of Merit).

Durant près de 50 ans, Lewis Kaplan a partagé sa carrière entre la vie de concerts et l’enseignement. Comme interprète, il a créé plus d’une centaine d’oeuvres en tant que soliste ou à la tête des Aeolian Chamber Players, ensemble qu’il a fondé en 1961. Il s’est également produit en tant que chef ou violoniste soliste avec des personnalités comme J. Laredo, S. Goldberg, R. Ricci, R. Goode, M. Perahia, R. Firkusny ou H. Gutierrez. Il a enregistré pour CBS Masterworks, CRI, Folkways et Odyssey Records. Lewis Kaplan a consacré une grande partie de son temps à l’enseignement, et plus particulièrement à celui de la technique de son mentor Ivan Galamian. Il est professeur à Juilliard School, établissement où il a obtenu ses diplômes de violon et de direction d’orchestre, mais aussi au Mannes College, à la Sommerakademie du Mozarteum et au Bowdoin Festival, dont il est le fondateur et l’actuel directeur. Il est régulièrement invité à donner des master classes dans la plupart des grands conservatoires, et a participé au jury de nombreux concours internationaux dont le Concours Fritz Kreisler (Vienne), le Concours Mozart (Salzbourg) et le Concert Artist Guild (New York). En 2009 il a été récompensé par l’État allemand, qui lui a octroyé une distinction honorifique (Bundesverdienstkreuz).

Gedurende meer dan 50 jaar heeft Lewis Kaplan zijn carrière verdeeld tussen concerteren en doceren. Hij vertolkte als soloviolist een honderdtal oeuvres in première en leidt nog steeds de Aeolian Chamber Players, een ensemble dat hij in 1961 oprichtte. Hij trad op met beroemdheden als J. Laredo, S. Goldberg, R. Ricci, R. Goode, M. Perahia, R. Firkusny en H. Gutierrez, en maakte opnames voor CBS Masterworks, CRI, Folkways en Odyssey Records. Lewis Kaplan steekt heel wat energie in het overbrengen van zijn kennis, en meer bepaald van de techniek die zijn mentor Ivan Galamian hem bijbracht. Hij is leraar aan de Juilliard School, waar hij zijn diploma viool en orkestleiding behaalde, aan het Mannes College, aan de Sommerakademie van het Mozarteum en op het door hem opgerichte en geleide Bowdoin Festival. Lewis Kaplan geeft regelmatig master classes in de bekendste conservatoria en zetelt in de jury’s van o.a. de Fritz Kreislerwedstrijd (Wenen), het Mozartconcours (Salzburg) en de wedstrijd die de Concert Artist Guild (New York) organiseert. In 2009 werd hij door de Duitse staat gehuldigd met een Bundesverdienstkreuz (Orde van verdienste).

www.lewiskaplan.net