- American violin virtuoso of German origin. Guinness World Record holder for fastest violinist in the world, no one playsRimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" is faster than him (65 seconds). An exceptional artist and simply a handsome man. An extravagant musician whom you want not only to listen to, but also to see. Single:)

My acquaintance with the musician occurred in 2013, when I quite by chance went to the cinema to see the film “Paganini: The Devil’s Violinist”, in which, as it later turned out, David Garrett played the main role. To be honest, at first I was attracted by the man’s charm and the crazy devils in David’s eyes. I didn’t even know that before me was a modern genius of classical music. You can say that I fell in love, absolutely my type: a long-haired musician, fire in his eyes, charisma pouring out of his ears (and this is just a movie!) and an instrument in his hands:) A talented person- talented in everything andDavid did not limit himself to acting; he also became a film composer. On my own behalf, I would like to advise everyone to familiarize themselves, who have not yet watched it, with this colorful story about the legendary violinist Niccolo Paganini, whose life has always been shrouded in various mystical rumors.

I was simply amazed and hurried home to somehow satisfy my curiosity and Google, Google, Google. When I’m very impressed, and this happens often, it’s my friends who suffer first of all from the huge amount of spam on my part, and then it’s my colleagues’ turn. In general, back in 2013, many people learned about the existence of the incomparably handsome David Garrett.
And on the eve of this genius’s concerts in Russia, namely:

• September 8 in Moscow
• September 9 in St. Petersburg

I want to tell and tell, and for someone else I might discover this guy with hurricane-crazy energy and an outstanding artist.

In short, I still don’t want to clutter it with biographical facts, because simply the emotions and impressions of the artist are much more interesting and colorful. So just a little information: David Garrett was born on September 4, 1980 in Aachen (Germany), according to the horoscope Virgo, which means— David is obsessed with cleanliness (Virgo— they are like that), and he himself admitted in one of his interviews that cleaning is for him a kind of meditative process, when you can think about a lot and scroll through various thoughts in your head. So David is very close to the people and even washes the floors.

According to a widespread legend, the father initially gave the violin to his eldest son, but as they say— we assume, but God has it, and the gift, as it turned out in the end, was intended for the future genius violinist, who grabbed the instrument and to this day does not let go, delighting us with virtuoso playing. David had a unique childhood, if he had one at all, because having started playing the violin at the age of 4 and winning his first competition a year later, all subsequent years were filled with hard work, a series of various competitions, performances and exclusive contracts. It's not childish at all. It is worth noting that the President of Germany gave him his first Stradivarius violin at the age of 11Richard von Weizsäcker after David's speech at the presidential residence at Villa Hammerschmidt by personal invitation. In fact, David’s enchanting performances and achievements can be listed endlessly, but I see no point in retelling Wikipedia, and true fans already know everything. I was struck by the fact in his biography that at the age of 17, David made a bold, independent decision that determined his entire subsequent life. Contrary to the will of his parents, because all decisions were then made for him by others, and having broken all contracts,— send moved to New York, to the Juilliard School, one of the largest American institutions of higher education in the field of art and music. I tried to pay for my studies on my own, taking on any job from toilet cleaner to modeling. Such actions, in fact, speak about many things, for example, about the maturity and awareness of a person, and this is at 17 years old. Don’t be afraid not just to live, but to change your life- worthy of respect.

Special thanks to David for the album "Rock Symphonies", for such an incredible arrangement of classic rock on violin and orchestra. Hear songs from such world-classmainstays like: Metallica, U2, Guns N'roses, Nirvana... in such an original and divine presentation- it’s just a delight for the ears, well for mine for sure. I love Nirvana very much, and when I first heard, or rather saw (after all, David is even better in dynamics!) "Smells like Teen Spirit", then it just blew me away, how is this possible? He is simply incomparable, so talented and beautiful that watching one video, you hang out on the Internet for a couple of hours. It’s impossible to just stop and enjoy watching the performances.

David Garrett - Smells like Teen Spirit

For fans of Michael Jackson, one of his immortal songs, transcribed to violin.

David Garrett - Smooth Criminal

And my favorite performance is from David— Tomaso Albinoni "Adagio". I remember that I had this composition on the ringer of my old phone for a whole year, until it was stolen. Someone, apparently, was also drawn to beauty at one time.

Seriously, this kind of music is like a panacea and acts like a pill, relaxes and takes you somewhere into the distance, it is impossible to resist these magical sounds, and is it worth it? It's better to trust and enjoy.

David Garrett - Albinoni - Adagio

David absolutely broke the mold with his appearance. Classical music- This not necessarily strict attire and stiffness. Classics have rock stars too! Many women would give their last dress for this look.

Long blonde hair, three-day stubble, ripped jeans, heavy boots, a velvet tuxedo ora loose jacket, a simple T-shirt with a skull underneath, hair carelessly tied with an elastic band and in his hands an antique Stradivarius violin that costs millions of dollars,- how wild and in the same time everything is so natural in this appearance. It's just a natural world of contrastsDavid Garrett.

David, as a traveler and at the same time a guide between different musical worlds, who, even dressed in a potato sack, delights his audience, exciting and warming up interest and curiosity in classical music even among those who previously had no idea about this world, for example me. He attracts more and more people to concerts and convinces him that classical music- it’s very modern and fashionable.

As David himself says:"Music is the expression of life. Music can never be hate. Music is always positive emotions. They may be sad, but they are always hope. Music changes thoughts for the better."

Now I'm in trembling anticipation of the concert of this incredible guy who promised to comewith a program in the classical crossover style "From Mozart to Metallica" and perform hits of world famous rock and pop performers, as well as music from famous films and classical works.

“Crossover” is a word that is often used when it comes to the art of the German-American violin virtuoso David Garrett, because its distinctive feature is the synthesis of different musical styles.

The musician’s homeland is the German city of Aachen, where he was born in 1980 into the family of a successful lawyer Georg Peter Bongartz, but later the musician took the more sonorous and easier to pronounce surname of his mother, ballet dancer Dove Garrett, as a pseudonym. The boy was only four years old when a violin appeared in the house - it was purchased for his brother, but David became interested in the instrument, and he also began to study. The successes were so great that after a year the little musician won a children's competition, at the age of seven he began studying at the conservatory in Lübeck, where he was mentored by Zakhar Bron, and at the age of ten he performed at the Hamburg Philharmonic. A year later, the young musician performed at the residence of Richard von Weizsäcker, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, after which the boy received a most valuable gift - a Stradivarius violin. At the age of twelve, Garrett began taking lessons from the famous violinist Ida.

Garrett recorded his first discs with works when he was only thirteen years old, becoming the youngest musician ever to collaborate with Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Soon the violinist performed on television. At the age of sixteen, after performing with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Garrett received an offer to perform in a show on the BBC.

In 1997, a talented seventeen-year-old young man, who already had a very solid performing experience, went to the British capital and entered the Royal College of Music. Studying at this renowned institution was short-lived - David left after the first semester. One of the reasons was frequent absences from classes due to regular performances. The young musician did not feel any particular regrets about this, perceiving what happened not so much as an expulsion, but as a mutual agreement. In his opinion, he and his college mentors followed different paths in the performing arts, and the musician’s subsequent activities confirmed this.

However, the young man feels the need to continue his musical education. Now he turns his attention to the famous Juilliard School in New York. Here the famous musician Itzhak Perlman became his mentor in the art of violin playing - Garrett was one of his first students. But David not only improves his performing skills - he also learns composition. The years of study became a difficult time for him - he had to earn a living on his own, and performing activities could not always help with this. The musician was forced to earn money not only on the concert stage, but also on... the podium as a model - fortunately, his attractive appearance predisposed him to this.

Financial difficulties did not hinder professional success. In 2003, the musician won a composition competition, creating a fugue in the style.

But now his studies are over, his independent creative path begins, and on this path Garrett sets himself a difficult goal - to instill in young people an interest in academic music. But how to do that? Of course, presenting it in combination with something that is close and understandable to young people. Concerting accompanied by a group he created, including drums, keyboards and guitar, the violinist performs both classical melodies in his own arrangements and compositions in the rock style. However, the musician does not ignore the academic direction, performing with symphony orchestras. It is noteworthy that Garrett often performs samples of rock and pop music in an academic manner. The synthesis of various directions is reflected in Garrett’s albums – “Free”, “Encore” and others.

The synthesis of academic music with such styles as rock, jazz, rhythm and blues, practiced by David Garrett, is not understood by all musicians, but the violinist considers such wariness to be unfounded. He gives examples from the history of music: Franz Liszt, Fryderyk Chopin, Niccolò Paganini - weren’t they the same amazing idols for people of the 19th century as rock stars become for modern audiences? Hasn’t the “Turkish Rondo” from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s A major sonata become as popular a “hit” as many modern pop compositions? The musician is convinced that there are no uncrossable boundaries between styles and directions.

David Garrett's versatile talents also manifested themselves in cinematography. In 2013, the musician played the main role in Bernard Rose’s film “Paganini: The Devil’s Fiddler.” The film features not only works by the great Italian violinist, but also Garrett’s own compositions.

Musical Seasons

All rights reserved. Copying prohibited.

David was born in Aachen, Germany to an American prima ballerina and a German lawyer and jurist, Georg Peter Bongartz. He adopted his mother's maiden name as his pseudonym. When David was four years old, his father bought a violin for his older brother. Young David showed an interest in music and soon learned to play. A year later he took part in the competition and won first prize. At the age of seven, he played once a week in public places. He studied violin at the Lübeck Conservatory. At the age of 12, Garrett began working with the eminent Polish-born violinist Ida Handel, often traveling to London and other European cities to meet her. Between 1997-2002, David Garrett participated in four Keshet Eilon International Violin Master's Programs, which are located in the town of Eilon, located on Israel's mountainous northern border. World-renowned teachers and artists from all over the world led this program, in particular the violinist, Ida Handel. He continued his studies at the Royal College of Music in London. In 2004, he graduated from the Juilliard School in New York and was one of the first applicants to study with Itzhak Perlman. At the moment, David is helped to gain more and more fans not only by his charming, mesmerizing game, but also by the appearance of a tall, strong blond.
A musical career at the age of 13, Garrett recorded two CDs, appeared on German and Dutch television, and gave a concert at the residence of the Federal Republic of Germany President Villa Hammerschmidt, at the personal invitation of Dr. von Weizsäcker. He was offered to play the famous Stradivarius violin “San Lorenzo”, which is one of the best instruments of the “golden period”. At the age of 14, Garrett became the youngest soloist ever to sign an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. At the age of 17, he played with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta in Delhi and Mumbai in concerts to mark the 50th anniversary of India's Independence.
Two years later, Garrett played with Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester in Berlin, under the direction of Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, and received critical acclaim. This led to an invitation to perform at the World Exhibition (2000) in Hannover. At the age of 21, he was invited to perform at a proms concert.
With his 2008 album Encore, Garrett's goal on DECCA is to arouse youth's interest in classical music. The release contains the mechanisms and compositions of his own parts and melodies that have accompanied him in his life until now. Together with his band, consisting of keyboard, guitar and drums, he performs concerts that include classical sonatas (accompanied by a piano), arrangements and compositions, as well as Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" which was performed on the Public Broadcasting (PBS) presentation David Garrett: Live in Berlin recorded January 2009.
In the fall of 2007, Garrett was selected by Montegrappa (whose articles are distributed by Montblanc worldwide), and after the launch of a new pen from the Tributo ad Antonio Stradivari collection. The event will take place in several different locations, including Rome, New York, Hong Kong, Berlin and London. For this occasion, Garrett was offered a Stradivarius violin from the Gli Archi di Palazzo Comunale collection.

(David Garrett)

David Garrett is a world-famous violin virtuoso of German origin.

David was born on September 4, 1980 in Germany, his mother was an American ballerina, and his father was a German lawyer named Bongartz.

Garrett later chose his mother's surname as more sonorous and suitable for his career. According to legend, when the boy was 4 years old, his father bought a violin for his older brother, but David became very interested in music and soon began to play too. Then he began to take part in competitions, win, and studied at the Conservatory and the Royal College of Music in London.

At age 11, David received a Stradivarius violin as a gift as a sign of respect from the President of Germany for his performances.

At the age of 13, Garrett recorded two CDs and was first shown on German federal television.

At the age of 19, David Garrett moved to live in New York, and in 2003 he won the Juilliard School composers' competition, writing a fugue in the style of Johann Sebastian Bach, and in 2004 he received a diploma.

While studying, he occasionally worked as a fashion model.

David has taken part in top music concerts and festivals around the world, played other rare Stradivarius violins and received awards and prizes.

With his work, Garrett, according to him, wants to arouse the interest of young people in classical music. He includes his own arrangements in his albums, adds rock and jazz to the classics, and with his musical group he gives concerts at which, along with classical sonatas accompanied by a piano, arrangements and compositions, rock songs and musical themes from films are performed.

The film “Paganini: The Devil's Violinist” brought enormous success to David, where he played the famous maestro. Garrett also acted here as a composer, and also created an original arrangement specifically for the film. This film debuted in October 2013.

Since then, David has been traveling around the world even more, his schedule is packed for years to come, and he also attended a concert in Moscow in March 2015.

Little is known about the musician’s personal life; there are a couple of famous models, such as Alena Gerber, Tatjana Gellert, Jana Flötotto, all the romances did not last long and, in the words of the star, “Sometimes I’m away from home for five, six, seven, eight weeks. Then you don't see the person for five, six, seven, eight weeks. Not every couple can withstand such a test...”

As for his fans, they surround him everywhere. Moreover, according to David himself, he has no preference for a girl’s appearance, but he likes women with their own style and core inside.

Tall, stately, confident blond with a radiant smile, violinist David Garrett chooses loneliness in his personal life. Can you really believe this? Minsk residents still know little about the world-famous virtuoso, so in anticipation of it we are sharing the most interesting stories from interviews over the years.

“I didn’t see how ordinary families live”

Little David Garrett very rarely communicated with his peers: “My parents took me out of primary school when I was eight or nine years old and I was educated at home until I was 17. I spent most of my time traveling and flying, visiting foreign teachers or giving concerts ( David played his first “adult” concert with a symphony orchestra at the age of 11). So I had no friends at all. I didn’t see how ordinary families live, and I had nothing to compare with.”

“I felt like my father hated me when I didn’t live up to his expectations.”

The father recognized his son's talent very early and did everything to ensure that little David had the best tools and the best teachers. In addition, he personally studied music with him every day: “Ever since I was a child, my father put a lot of pressure on me. There were times when I felt his love, but at the same time... hatred. This may sound strange. I felt like he hated me when he was unhappy with me, when I didn't live up to his expectations. There were times when he was angry with me, and obviously, as a child, you don’t understand these emotions and take them for hatred. But it was very difficult."

“It’s good that everything worked out in the end, otherwise my childhood would have been even more depressing: it had everything: a lot of suffering, tears, rehearsals until the morning.”

David was only thirteen when his parents signed a contract on his behalf with the prestigious record label Deutschen Grammophon. “I remember how my father came to a meeting at Deutschen Grammophon and offered to record a disc - all twenty-four caprices of Paganini. It was his ambitious idea; no one consulted me either on the repertoire or on other terms of the contract. I sit there and think: not a bad idea, but I only know two caprices... We recorded everything, but at that time it was the most powerful pressure I had ever experienced.

“It’s terrible when something you love causes pain”

“I didn’t even want to talk about it. It seemed to me that these were all my problems and I had to keep the secret. I now understand that it was stupid. When you have problems, you need to talk about them. But then I was very afraid. For three years I gave concerts and rehearsed, experiencing unbearable pain in my arm. And it’s terrible when what you love causes pain. I felt like I couldn’t find a way out, that everything was collapsing around me.”

"The biggest compliment of my entire life"

“My teacher Isaac Stern was always very hard on me when I was thirteen or fourteen years old. I couldn't figure out if he liked me as a performer or if he thought I wasn't good enough for him. I somehow made up my mind and asked him after the lesson: why do you always criticize me so harshly? You are the sweetest person with others... He replied: “I don’t care about others.” It was the biggest compliment I've ever received in my entire life."

“We won’t sell even five copies.”

“A lot of people said it would never work. The head of Universal Germany was damn hard to convince, he said: “We have no idea where to put this. This is completely unclaimed, we won’t sell even five copies, I guarantee it.” And this is just one example out of ten thousand where people told me it wouldn't work! Including my parents, who kept saying: it’s a waste of time, a waste of energy, you’ll ruin your classical music career.”

The pursuit of perfection forces David Garrett to rehearse and hone his technique constantly, not only for classical concerts: “My playing at any crossover tour concert is based on the classics. And I'm not cheating: one would think that I only play easy material, because the Beethoven concerto is beyond my strength. Everything I play in a crossover concert is on the same technical level as a Beethoven concerto. So I keep myself in shape."

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“If I didn’t feel lonely, I wouldn’t be a good musician.”

Thousands of fans look at him with loving eyes. Was David himself truly in love? Did anyone break his heart? “Of course, many times,” the violinist answers. “But it’s very difficult to find true love when I’m always on the go.”

“I think the feeling of loneliness is one of the most beautiful. Especially when the profession allows you to use this emotion. If I didn't feel lonely, I wouldn't be a good musician. I live music even in my dreams.”

Producer Peter Schwenkow, an organizer of crossover tours, confirms Garrett's idea: “I think it’s important that people like him. Women love him, men tolerate him. I think you would never be jealous if your wife loved David Garrett. You can live with it easily."

So what is the price of success, public delight, admiration and love of the audience? “It’s continuous work every day, dedication, sacrifice and a little luck,” says David Garrett himself. “But you know, it’s very little, just a couple of percent, the remaining ninety-eight is hard work.”

David Garrett will perform in Minsk with the album Explosive on December 11 at the Palace of the Republic. Starts at 20.00.

You can buy tickets on the website.

Ticket prices: 65−200 (650,000−2,000,000 non-denominated) rubles.

Infoline: +375−29−716−11−77, +375−29−106−000−2.

The fastest violin virtuoso, listed in the Guinness Book of Records, David Garrett

David Garrett is a legendary, world-famous contemporary American violinist of German origin. David is called one of the most successful artists of classical music.

David Garrett loves the music of Mozart and Marilyn Manson, and masterfully performs Metallica songs and classical concertos (from Beethoven to Tchaikovsky) on his violin. David Garrett is considered a classic rock star. Long blond hair, three-day stubble, faded jeans, a loose jacket, a T-shirt with a skull underneath and a favorite toy - an ancient Stradivarius violin, which is almost 300 years old. Such contrasts are the world of David Garrett. Thanks to his unconventional image and extraordinary skill, the 32-year-old violinist plays to packed houses all over the world.

He doesn’t care whether he stands on the street in torn jeans and a simple T-shirt and delights the ears of people passing by with the sounds of his Stradivarius (which costs a million euros), or on the stage of London’s Royal Albert Hall - he is a musician without a “pose” and feels comfortable anywhere. Plays classics and rock.

It’s worth telling a little about the origins of the “young talent.” So, David Garrett - the biography begins:

He was born in 1980 in the city of Aachen (Germany) in the family of a German lawyer and an American ballerina. According to his passport, his name is David Bongarts. Only after starting his stage career did he choose his mother’s maiden name as a pseudonym.
Garrett is a child of European culture: in numerous interviews, the young violinist talks about the pleasure he took with his parents to go to philharmonic concerts in Cologne, neighboring Aachen, and how he went to opera houses as often as is possible only in Germany with its incredible intensity of cultural life.
At the age of four, David received his first violin as a gift.
When the capable boy was ten years old, he was found the best possible teacher - a professor at the Cologne Conservatory, the legendary violin teacher Zakhar Nukhimovich Bron.
At the age of thirteen, David had his first contract with the recording company Deutsche Grammophon and a career as a child prodigy in his pocket.
He studied music with distinguished teachers: Zakhar Bron, Isak Stern, Dorothy Delay, Itzak Perlman;
David Garrett recorded his first CD, or rather two CDs, at the age of 13, at the same time he began appearing on television in Germany and Holland, performed for the President of the Federal Republic of Germany at the invitation of von Weizsäcker, the concert was played at the Villa Hammerschmidt, David played the violin "San Lorenzo" by Stradivari;
Exclusive contract signed with Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft (14 years);

On the advice of smart people, primarily teachers and parents, David, however, abandoned his early fame in time and focused on his education. The future violinist received his education at the Conservatory (Lubeck), later at the Royal College of Music (London), and the Juilliard School (New York); By the way, it is the latter school that is considered the most famous school of music in the USA;
At the age of 17, after graduating from the Juilliard School, David began touring with concerts around the world.

At the age of 19 he played with the Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra in Berlin, under the direction of Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, and was received very positively by music critics. After that, he was invited to perform at the world famous exhibition - Expo 2000 in Hannover.

Only after graduating from the conservatory did the young musician begin to give concerts again with increasing success.
In 2007, the young musician released the album “Virtuoso”, which contains his interpretations of classical works, lyrical melodies from films, and the music of his favorite rock band Metallica. The project is risky, but successful!

In 2008, his name was included in the Guinness Book of Records. He was able to play “Flight of the Bumblebee” (comp. Rimsky-Korsakov) in 66.5 seconds, and two months later he broke his own record, playing “Bumblebee” in exactly 65 seconds.

David Garrett is a brilliant violinist admired by the whole world.

Music critics call David Garrett a “fashionable pop violinist,” although this is only partly true, since the musician himself really likes to play rock.

The most beloved classics are Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff; in their works, as Garrett himself claims, one can feel life and passion.

Some writers in well-known glamor magazines described him as "the David Beckham of the classic stage."

David plays two violins: Antonio Stradivari 1716 (4.5 million euros) and Giovanni Battista Guadagnini 1772. (acquired in 2003 for $1 million).
Garrett is considered one of the most successful classical music stars in the world, having released 10 albums and sold 2 million CDs on "Encore" alone. David has several awards, including: Gold Camera, Gold and Platinum Plates.

Csardas Monty, Garrett

Today he is 31, he proved everything to everyone a long time ago and now he simply does what he loves, receiving enormous pleasure from it (and this is obvious!).
“I don’t pretend - on stage I am the same as in life.” That’s right - mischievous, sunny, charming, he is a charmer both on stage and in interviews.
He lives between Germany and New York, spends two or three months a year in Yabloko, but has no intention of giving up an apartment there. He tours constantly, his schedule is simply crazy, scheduled for a year in advance (seriously, until the end of 2012), and Scandinavia will begin at the end of November, a new city every day (tickets from 50 euros, quite affordable).
How much strength do you have? “Oh, I really like to do nothing sometimes. But basically one day is enough for me to take a good rest.”

David Garrett - Schubert Serenade und Paul McCartney

I like the fact that young people come to the classics and, with their presentation, introduce young people to a wonderful heritage. David plays with the best orchestras in the World. His manner of presenting himself is democratic and youthful. He does not wear a tailcoat or even a suit - jeans, his hair is tied in a ponytail, he can walk around the hall, play, sitting on the steps. This is captivating. In this way it is modern and understandable to young people, attracting their attention.
He is of little interest in what anyone thinks about his free behavior on stage or his rapper outfit. He breaks stereotypes that have developed over many centuries!
The violin is like a yellow bird
Sings on the violinist's chest;
She wants to move, fight,
Toss and turn at the shoulder.

The violinist doesn't hear her screams,
With silent pushes of the bow
He fiddles higher and higher

Throws into the clouds.
And in this sky-high heights
Its natural climate
Her feelings and thoughts -
Her earthly existence.

Tall, stately, confident blond with a radiant smile, violinist David Garrett chooses loneliness in his personal life. Can you really believe this? Minsk residents still know little about the world-famous virtuoso, so on the eve of his concert in Minsk on December 11, we are sharing the most interesting stories from interviews over the years.

“I didn’t see how ordinary families live”

Little David Garrett very rarely interacted with his peers: “My parents took me out of primary school when I was eight or nine years old and until I was 17 I studied at home. I spent most of my time traveling and flying, visiting foreign teachers or giving concerts - David played his first “adult” concert with a symphony orchestra at the age of 11. “So I had no friends at all.” I didn’t see how ordinary families live and I had nothing to compare with.”

“I felt like my father hated me when I didn’t live up to his expectations.”

The father recognized his son's talent very early and did everything to ensure that little David had the best tools and the best teachers. In addition, he personally taught him music every day: “Ever since I was a child, my father put a lot of pressure on me. There were times when I felt his love, but at the same time... hatred. This may sound strange. I felt like he hated me when he was unhappy with me, when I didn't live up to his expectations. There were times when he was angry with me, and obviously, as a child, you don’t understand these emotions and take them for hatred. But it was very difficult.

It’s good that everything worked out in the end, otherwise my childhood would have been even more depressing: it had everything, a lot of suffering, tears, rehearsals until the morning.”

David was only thirteen when his parents signed a contract on his behalf with the prestigious record label Deutschen Grammophon. “I remember how my father came to a meeting at Deutschen Grammophon and offered to record a disc - all twenty-four caprices of Paganini. It was his ambitious idea; no one consulted me either on the repertoire or on other terms of the contract. I sit there and think: not a bad idea, but I only know two caprices... We recorded everything, but at that time it was the most powerful pressure I had ever experienced.

“It’s terrible when something you love causes pain”

Hard work and perseverance backfired tragically: due to intense rehearsals until late at night, or even until the morning, obligations to the recording studio, pressure from his father and his own desire to play everything as best as possible, he “outplayed” his hand at the age of fifteen and suffered from pain for several years .

“I didn’t even want to talk about it. It seemed to me that these were all my problems and I had to keep the secret. I now understand that it was stupid. When you have problems, you need to talk about them. But then I was very afraid. For three years I gave concerts and rehearsed, experiencing unbearable pain in my arm. And it’s terrible when what you love causes pain. I felt like I couldn’t find a way out, that everything was collapsing around me.”

"The biggest compliment of my entire life"

“My teacher Isaac Stern was always very hard on me when I was thirteen or fourteen years old. I couldn't figure out if he liked me as a performer or if he thought I wasn't good enough for him. I somehow made up my mind and asked him after the lesson: why do you always criticize me so harshly? You are the sweetest person with others... He replied: “I don’t care about others.” It was the biggest compliment I've ever received in my entire life."

“We won’t sell even five copies.”

Now that David Garrett's crossover concerts attract crowds of hundreds of thousands, it's hard to believe that at first no one supported his stylistic idea:

“A lot of people said it would never work. The head of Universal Germany was damn hard to convince, he said: “We have no idea where to put it. There’s absolutely no demand for it, we won’t sell even five copies, I guarantee it.” And this is just one example out of ten thousand where people told me it wouldn't work! Including my parents, who kept saying: it’s a waste of time, a waste of energy, you’ll ruin your classical music career.”

The pursuit of perfection forces David Garrett to rehearse and hone his technique constantly, not only for classical concerts: “My playing at any concert on a crossover tour is based on the basis of classics. And I'm not cheating: one would think that I only play easy material, because the Beethoven concerto is beyond my strength. Everything I play in a crossover concert is on the same technical level as a Beethoven concerto. So I keep myself in shape."

“If I didn’t feel lonely, I wouldn’t be a good musician.”

Thousands of fans look at him with loving eyes. Was David himself truly in love? Did anyone break his heart? “Of course, many times,” the violinist answers. “But it’s very difficult to find true love when I’m always on the go.”

“I think that the feeling of loneliness is one of the most beautiful. Especially when the profession allows you to use this emotion. If I didn't feel lonely, I wouldn't be a good musician. I live music even in my dreams.”

Producer Peter Schwenkow, who organizes crossover tours, echoes Garrett's point: “I think it's important that people like him. Women love him, men tolerate him. I think you would never be jealous if your wife loved David Garrett. You can live with it easily."

So what is the price of success, public delight, admiration and love of the audience? “It’s continuous work every day, dedication, sacrifice and a little luck,” says David Garrett himself. “But you know, it’s very little, just a couple of percent, the remaining ninety-eight is hard work.”

David Garrett will perform in Minsk with the album “Explosive” on December 11 at the Palace of the Republic. Starts at 20.00.

Ticket prices: 65 – 200 (650,000 – 2,000,000 non-denominated) rubles.

Infoline: +37529 716 11 77, +375 29 106 000 2.

You can buy tickets on the website of the event organizer - the concert agency "Atom Entertainment" www.atomenter.by (no commission), on the websites of ticket operators, as well as at the city box office.

An incredible guy, crazy energy, hurricane charisma and an abyss of charm. I’ll warn you right away: you need to see it in action, photos are half the battle. I’m posting the minimum (so as not to clutter), don’t be lazy, go to YouTube!

David Garrett (according to documents - David Bongartz, pseudonym - mother's maiden name) was born on September 4, 1980 in Aachen (Germany). Mother is an American ballerina, father is a lawyer and auctioneer, he was engaged in the sale of violins (which explains a lot)). According to a widespread legend, the father gave the violin to his eldest son, but four-year-old David clung to the instrument and has not let it out of his hands to this day.

Apparently, the morals in the family were harsh. Conversations were about music and business, the element of humanity was somehow missed (David is determined to take mistakes into account. However, now his relationship with his parents is warm). My father was very authoritarian. (David: “I think I will be a pretty anti-authoritarian father and give my children complete freedom. Basically the exact opposite of what I learned in my upbringing. But that’s how it goes most of the time.”) The mother taught the children to be orderly, David is still very strict in this regard - “he learned housekeeping early”, does not like chaos in the house and cleans (washes the floors!) if there is time (by the way, quoting Eric from Trueblood - “ I’m a Virgo by horoscope. I’m obsessed with cleanliness.” It’s also worth considering that David is a Virgo)). As he himself says, “my mother raised me very well. Cleaning feels meditative to me. While cleaning, you can think about a lot and let your thoughts “scroll” in your head. If I'm at home, I mostly prepare for concerts. And I just need a certain order around me, otherwise it’s hard for me to concentrate.”

Childhood was unique. For the first 17 years of his life, he lived practically in a bubble - he did not go to school, studied with tutors, did not communicate with his peers, only with his brother and sister, and worked, worked, worked. When the capable boy was ten years old, he was found the best possible teacher - a professor at the Cologne Conservatory, the legendary violin teacher Zakhar Nukhimovich Bron. Already at the age of eight he played with world-famous symphony orchestras, at 13 he performed with Yehudi Menuhin (who, for a moment, called him the greatest violinist of his generation).

He appeared on German and Dutch television, gave a concert at the residence of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany at the Villa Hammerschmidt at the personal invitation of Richard von Weizsäcker (1984-1994 - Federal President of Germany). The President of Germany gave him the first Stradivarius violin (since then there have been several unique violins, as David himself says, he likes to change instruments, since each has its own soul and its own voice. Now he plays a Stradivarius of 1703). At the age of 14, he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft as the youngest soloist in the company's history. At 17 he played with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta in Delhi and Bombay in concerts on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Indian independence. At 19 he played with the Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra in Berlin, under the direction of Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, and was very positively received by music critics. After that, he was invited to perform at the world famous exhibition - Expo 2000 in Hannover.

Pop and rock music were not welcome in the house; David grew up listening to Bach, Beethoven and Shostakovich. Then he discovered AC/DC, Metallica and Queen. The first non-classical album he bought was A Night at the Opera, Queen, he said.

From the interview:
- On your first album, recorded at the age of thirteen, you are standing in a black suit, a kind of good boy. It really doesn't seem like you're very happy with life.
- Then others made decisions for me. Today I am the master of my own destiny, and I am very happy with it.

It was hardly a rebellion in the full sense, but at 17, David made his first independent decision, which determined his entire life - he went to New York, to the Juilliard School, the most famous conservatory in the world. Against the wishes of the parents, breaking all contracts. The teacher :) paid for it himself - “grabbing at any job.” The list is still there: promotion in clubs, women's clothing department, toilet cleaner... He also worked part-time as a model, he was described as “David Beckham of the classical stage.” (He still looks more like a rock star than a classical musician. As David himself says, “why not. It would be nice if someone looked at the photo and said, “Oh, he’s cute!”)

Today he is 31, he proved everything to everyone a long time ago and now he simply does what he loves, receiving enormous pleasure from it (and this is obvious!). “I don’t pretend - on stage I am the same as in life.” That’s right - mischievous, sunny, charming, he is a charmer both on stage and in interviews. Tattered jeans, heavy boots (always open, by the way), a velvet tuxedo and hair carelessly tied with almost a pharmaceutical elastic band - who else could look so natural in this wild outfit! He doesn’t worry about clothes at all, he wears what’s comfortable and what “his mom sends for Christmas.” He lives between Germany and New York, spends two or three months a year in Yabloko, but has no intention of giving up an apartment there. He tours constantly, his schedule is simply crazy, scheduled for a year in advance (seriously, until the end of 2012), and Scandinavia will begin at the end of November, a new city every day (tickets from 50 euros, quite affordable). How much strength do you have? “Oh, I really like to do nothing sometimes. But basically one day is enough for me to take a good rest.”

From the interview:
Aachen, New York, Berlin - and in addition to these there are also hotels. Where do you feel at home?
It’s difficult to answer, because there really was no such thing as HOME in my life. I started traveling a lot early. I almost never had this feeling that “this is my place, this is my school, and here are my friends and my family.” But I will still say that New York has become my permanent place of residence. And I am very proud that I was able to create my own circle of friends over time in many cities. Therefore, such traveling is not stressful for me)

As you can see, he is by no means a fierce ascetic, a martyr of the idea. And certainly not a fanatical missionary))

David, in your programs you try to combine classical music with pop and crossover numbers. Do you see your “mission” as attracting young people to concert halls?
Well, “mission” is a bit of an exaggeration. But I think that classical music today is paying for the fact that for many decades it led an elitist existence and lost contact with real life. Therefore, today young people need first attract them to the concert hall, convince them that classical music doesn’t hurt.

Nevertheless, he practices “about 4-5 hours a day, but I don’t look at the clock. Of course, there are days so full of different meetings that there is no time left for studying, but then this makes itself felt. If I don't exercise for 24 hours, I get antsy. Fortunately, this rarely happens. And when there are days where I have nothing to do, then I make up for lost time.”

And at the same time, he is not alien to anything human... He tells how one day he “drank a lot of strong alcohol))... that night it wasn’t bad, on the contrary, it was tasty and fun, but the next day... it was really bad)))... spent the night with a friend, drove home, stopped halfway, had to get out of the car.... Well, you can guess what happened next")))...

At concerts he constantly tells stories, people laugh, and I terribly regret that I don’t know German... For example. “This story happened in an old English hotel. As always, I didn't have time to study during the day (I'm preparing to release a new CLASSIC album), so I had to do it in my room quite late in the evening. After some time, I heard quiet applause from the next room, and I thought that in this way true English gentlemen were hinting to me that it was already two o’clock in the morning and it was time to finish... ok, I stopped playing... half a minute later I heard A LOUD knock from the same room and a cry: “Play again!” Well, I don’t need to be persuaded twice to do this, and I lost until dawn.”

She is also a wonderful conversationalist and simply smart. Sometimes he says very deep things, and sometimes something simple, but so close and humane. Quotes.

Fear is when you feel unsure of yourself, do not trust others, thereby limiting your own freedom...
Angst hat viel damit zu tun, dass man sich etwas nic ht zutraut, anderen nicht vertraut und dabei auf die eigene Freiheit verzichtet

My life is fantastically beautiful, and I want to live it in reality. I think it's more pleasant than dreaming...
Mein Leben ist traumhaft schön, und ich will es wach erleben. Das finde ich angenehmer als zu träumen.

My only desire is to maintain my irrationality. This is very important for my creativity and with it (irrationality) I don’t get bored...
Mein einziger Wunsch ist, dass ich meine Unvernunft behalte. Die ist für meine Kreativität sehr wichtig und mit ihr langweile ich mich auch nicht.

Music is what brings the soul into balance...
Musik ist etwas, das die Seele wieder ausgleicht.

You need to look for your own qualities. I don't think you can be different just because you WANT to be different. You just need to be yourself, both in music and in life...
Man muss nach den eigenen Qualitäten suchen. Ich glaube nicht, dass man anders sein kann, nur weil man anders sein will. Man muss einfach man selbst sein, in der Musik wie im Leben.

Music is an expression of life. Music can never be HATE. Music is always POSITIVE EMOTIONS. They may be sad, but they are always HOPE. Music changes thoughts for the BETTER...
Musik ist ein Ausdruck von Liebe. Musik kann nie Hass sein. Musik ist immer eine Positive Emotion. Sie kann traurig sein, aber sie ist immer die Hoffnung. Musik kann Gedanken zum Guten verändern.

You must always be in search of the GOOD and in search of what does not yet exist - in general, in search of YOURSELF)))...
Man muss suchen, was gut ist und was noch nicht da ist - also nach sich selbst.

Talent helps, but only diligence and work lead you to your goal...
Talent hilft, aber nur Arbeit bringt dich ans Ziel.

If there is no desire to become better and better, then you automatically become worse. It is necessary to develop further. If you don’t develop and don’t move on, then you’re dead. Maybe sometimes you reach your limit, but you don't need to know about it...
Wenn man nicht die Inspiration hat besser zu werden, wird man automatisch schlechter. Es muss immer weiter gehen. Wenn es nicht weitergeht, dann bis Du tot. Vielleicht kommt man mal an sein eigenens Limit, aber man sollte es nicht wissen.

You need to be able to accept compliments! People who don't love themselves don't love others...
Man muss sich auch Komplimente geben können. Leute, die sich selbst nicht mögen, mögen auch Andere nicht.

Character should not change with age (unless it was a BAD character)
Alter sollte den Charakter nicht verändern, es sei denn man hat einen schlechten.

Life is not given in order to SIMPLIFY something, but in order to do it RIGHT...
Das Leben ist nicht dafür da, es einfach zu haben, sondern ist dafür da, etwas richtig zu machen!

The most beautiful moments (events) of life need to be shared with someone, otherwise they are not so valuable.
Die schönsten Sachen im Leben muss man mit jemandem teilen, sonst sind sie nichts wert!

An artist has no right to rely on his past achievements. Nobody cares how you played YESTERDAY. What matters is TODAY. And if you played poorly TODAY, then it doesn’t matter that in the past you played great at least 500 times - you can throw today in the trash!
Als Künstler darf man sich nicht auf die Vergangenheit berufen. Keinen interessiert"s, wie Du gestern gespielt hast. Heute ist eigentlich der wichtigste Tag, und wenn Du heute schlecht spielst, dann ist es egal, ob Du 500 mal grandios gespielt hast - der heutige Tag ist Müll. Kannst Du wegschmeissen

In art, it is important not to please someone, but to express your own beliefs...
In der Kunst ist es ganz wichtig, nicht zu gefallen, sondern seine eigene Überzeugung auszudrücken

Albums
Free (2007)
Virtuoso (2007)
Encore (2008)
David Garrett (2009)
Classic Romance (2009)
Rock Symphonies (2010)

The latter is a crossover format (a musical style that connects different directions), an arrangement of classic rock “for violin and orchestra.”

About your album Rock Symphonies you said that this is your best work of all your previous ones. Do you set a specific goal - with the release of each new album to eclipse the success of the previous one?
I meant crossover projects. And Rock Symphonies is truly my best work in this direction. This is closely related to the fact that the older you get, the better you understand this material and the better you know what can be “pulled out” of the instrument and what cannot. This is the only way to explore your limits. A very important point in such a project is not to be afraid to do what you have in mind, but to try to define new scales for yourself. I worked on this album for a very long time and took a lot of risks, but also experienced a lot of joy - and I think it can be heard. I'm really very proud of the result.

You "transposed" such modern songs as Master of Puppets (Metallica), Vertigo (U2), Smells like Teen Spirit (Nirvana) onto the violin and partially "diluted" them with classical elements. How did these rock bands react?
To begin with: in the musical world it is so customary that you do not have the right to arbitrarily dispose of the creations of others. That's why I asked permission. There were no problems with Metallica. I already “processed” their stuff once, and they wrote to me that my interpretation of Master of Puppets is super! Of course I was very happy about this. I also received permission from Bono personally. And for the fact that I had the right to interpret Smells like Teen Spirit, I thank Courtney Love. I'm especially proud of this because it's a classic...

How long did it take you to complete these pieces?
I can not say exactly. Because there are many different factors brought together. The arrangement itself, that is, how to “transpose” vocals and guitars onto the violin, is a rather boring process. and then, you don’t sit in the studio for a whole week and then the thing is ready. The latest album contains the work of two years, during which I was busy with various works and experimenting all the time.

Plus David writes his own music(but rarely performs it at concerts, which is a pity...)
80's Anthem
Chelsea Girl
Rock Prelude
Eliza's Song
New Day (!!!)
Rock Toccata

Well, for those who think that he is too good - please, the opinion of a professional:
- Let's be honest: people come not for the music, but for the star.
- Not a single decent conductor, not a single good orchestra will agree to play with you just because you are popular or good looking. In music there is a concept of quality.

Oh, yes... personal life... Here “everything is covered in unknown darkness.” David does not create fog, he simply does not specify, reasoning abstractly.

I can be romantic. But I'm not one of those people who is attracted to a picnic in the park. The best thing is a good restaurant or the Eiffel Tower. These were my most beautiful dates. Yes, it's a cliché, but it was great.

In my current life situation, it is very difficult to build a serious relationship, because I tour a lot. Too long distances over a long period of time are destructive to love.

Reportedly, he had something in common with the German model Tatjana Gellert. At least in 2009, she participated in a show at New York Fashion Week, he came backstage, they held hands very touchingly, fell together and generally looked like natural doves. And silence…

Again, it seems that he met with Jana Fletotto, a German model. Well, I don’t know - maybe harmful lies.

I myself periodically said, “single.” I haven't heard anything for a long time, though. God forbid...

And yes! Recently (10/26/11) I presented my David Garrett perfume for man and for woman in Berlin.

Well, here is a selection of photos, including those of children and teenagers, where he has a haircut) A completely different person. I don’t know if he himself thought of growing his hair or who advised it, but it was brilliant))

The real name of the young virtuoso is David Christian Bongarz. He was born on September 4, 1980 in Aachen (Germany) in the family of lawyer Georg Peter Bongarz and American ballerina Dove Garrett; The violinist adopted his mother’s surname as his stage name. The boy first picked up a violin at the age of four - although this instrument was not intended for him, but for his older brother. But a year later, David performed at a children's music competition and received his first prize, and at the age of seven he began studying at the Lubeck Conservatory. At the age of 10, he participated in a concert of the Hamburg Philharmonic, and a year after the concert for the President of Germany, he received a Stradivarius violin as a gift. In 2000, David began taking lessons from the famous violinist Ida Handel, coming to London and other European cities to study. At the age of 13, David Garrett became the youngest performer to sign a contract with the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft studio, which released his first CDs with classical works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Paganini. In 1997, David moved to London and entered the Royal College of Music, but stopped studying after the first semester. According to the violinist, the reason for this was a difference in views on performing skills between him and his mentors, as well as absences from classes, which he explained by the need to undergo additional musical practice. David Garrett resumed his studies a year later, already at the New York Juilliard School, where he began to study musicology and composition, and also improve his performing skills with the famous violinist Itzhak Perlman. During his studies, David, like many students, worked part-time - but not on the stage, but on the catwalk, acting as a model. However, this did not stop him from winning a student composers' competition in 2003, composing a fugue written in the style of Bach. In 2004, Garrett received a diploma from the Juilliard School and recorded his first album, Nokia Night of the Proms. He led an extensive concert activity - he performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, at London's Albert Hall, and at other prestigious events.

In 2007, David Garrett accepted an offer from the Italian company Montegrappa to become the face of the Tributo ad Antonio Stradivari collection of luxury fountain pens. According to the terms of the contract, the presentation of the collection was carried out in New York, Hong Kong, Rome and other cities and included in its program Garrett’s playing on the Stradivarius violin “Gli Archi di Palazzo Comunale”. In the same year, the violinist released two albums, “Free” and “Virtuoso,” which became events in the music world. The albums featured Garrett's own compositions, including classic tunes, notably Paganini's Caprice No. 24, and rock songs (Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters"). According to the violinist, his goal was to awaken interest in classical music among young people, and for this he used a synthesis of classics with the styles of pop, rock and rhythm and blues. In addition, Garrett argues that Liszt, Paganini and Chopin in the 19th century were the same as rock stars today, and that pop music of the time can be found in the works of Vivaldi and Mozart (for example, the "Turkish March"). Of course, this concept of the author has caused a discussion in the music world, however, both supporters and critics of Garrett cannot deny that his compositions and performance style are impeccable and arouse great interest, and his albums are at the top of the charts. The next album, entitled "Encore", was even more successful than the previous ones, and was awarded the ECHO Classic - 2008 award in the category "Classics without Borders". In the same year, David Garrett was recognized as "Person of the Year" in the "Music" category according to the magazine "Gentlemen's Quarterly". In 2009, the violinist released the album "David Garrett", which firmly took a leading position in the US charts. In the fall of the same In 2010, another album, “Classic Romance,” was released, created in a classical manner and based on Mendelssohn’s violin concerto. It brought its creator another ECHO Classic award, this time in the “Best Seller of the Year” category. 2010 became a new step in Garrett’s work. The concert in Berlin's Wuhlheide Park, the program of which combined classical works of several eras - from Bach to Nirvana - became an unusual and ambitious project. The album "Rock Symphonies", created on the basis of the compositions of this concert, brought the author an ECHO award in the "Best" categories. DVD product" and "Best Rock/Pop Performer", as well as being included in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's fastest violinist. After the success of "Rock Symphonies" and a tour, Garrett returned to the classics and released the album "Legacy" in 2011 with works by Beethoven and Kreisler, which received gold status in several countries. In December of the same year, at the Royal Concert in London, the virtuoso presented his cover version of Nirvana's cult composition "Smells Like Teen Spirit", combining rock and classics. Another highlight was Garrett and opera singer Jonas Kaufmann's performance of a cover version of the UEFA Champions League anthem at the UEFA Championship final match in May 2012. In 2013, another unusual album “Music” was released, which included various rock and pop compositions in symphonic performance. Garrett's latest album, "Caprice", created together with guitarist Sithven Morse, tenor Andrea Bocelli and pop singer Nicole Scherzinger, was released in 2014. The violinist’s busy tour schedule is scheduled for two years in advance. His performances in Moscow and St. Petersburg are planned for early September 205.