awesome violinists

[Hemi-Cuda]

now normally i hate reality tv, can't stand american idol, but america's got talent has become a guilty pleasure of mine due to the variety of the acts they put on and it's guys like this that make me keep watching. probably the best violinists i've ever seen

EDIT: the forum removes the letters Q F T if they're placed together in a link, so here's their performance, first link on that list

[redforever]

Lots of theatrics, perhaps good entertainment, but very little actual playing of the violin to see if they have any talent for that instrument.

Vanessa Mae combines theatrics, sexuality and big talent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zmyW...eature=related

And it is obvious she has had classical training as well which would give her the ability to play just about anything

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg8Fa...eature=related (playing her electric violin)

On the strictly classical side, Joshua Bell makes the violin sing.

He is the most recent winner of the Avery Fisher prize and is a Grammy award winner too. You can hear him play here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuRdE...eature=related

And read about the Avery Fisher prize here.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Musi...her/index.html

And while I can't find a clip of Bell playing "The Swan" by Camille Saint-Saens which is simply divine, I did find one of Yo-Yo Ma playing it on a cousin of the violin, the cello

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgRAA...eature=related

One of the greatest of our times, Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman playing a violin duet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuvIyfZ7xEA&feature=related

The great Itzhak Perlman – giving a master’s class

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZs-4ASTitg

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

now normally i hate reality tv, can't stand american idol, but america's got talent has become a guilty pleasure of mine due to the variety of the acts they put on and it's guys like this that make me keep watching. probably the best violinists i've ever seen

EDIT: the forum removes the letters Q F T if they're placed together in a link, so here's their performance, first link on that list

That show is very entertaining in comparison to the other shows like idol, just for the fact you can see any time of entertainment and often you get some unusual ones.

I found these 2 very entertaining, anything that gets hip hop kids to appreciate the violin gets my vote.

[SeeGeeWhy]

awesome links redforever!

I also vote for Joshua Bell.

I randomly saw him playing on Conan a few years back when he released his "Romance of the Violin" album. My girlfriend at the time (who is now my wife) and I were mesermized when he was playing "O Mio Babbino Caro" (Puccini). It was such a beautiful performance that it has stayed in my mind forever. I actually sought out two performers to play it on harp and violin at our wedding!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CCSK57YN4k

[octothorp]

Itzhak Perlman and Joshua Bell are both great; though my own personal favorite is the Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer. That's largely because I like east-european (Particularly Baltic, Polish, Hungarian and Czech) classical music, which Kremer tends to champion. But I think he definitely holds his own with Perlman and Bell and others of that calibre.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

awesome links redforever!

I also vote for Joshua Bell.

I randomly saw him playing on Conan a few years back when he released his "Romance of the Violin" album. My girlfriend at the time (who is now my wife) and I were mesermized when he was playing "O Mio Babbino Caro" (Puccini). It was such a beautiful performance that it has stayed in my mind forever. I actually sought out two performers to play it on harp and violin at our wedding!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CCSK57YN4k

I am very familiar with that piece of music. The only thing that could have made your day more special is to have Kiri te Kanawa or Kathleen Battle sing to the accompaniment of the harp and violin. Very different styles and temperament but they both "command" the stage and are very deserving of their international reputation. I have been to both of their concerts when they have been through Calgary, divine sopranos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3oRh...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmpU4y9fzRs

And you don't want to know how many Joshua Bell CD's I have))

Did you buy Joshua Bell's CD, "Romance of the Violin" ? It is that CD that "the Swan" is on, such a beautiful piece of music.