He is a German violinist who worked from 1958 to 1963 as a concertmaster with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. He then performed under the leadership of conductors such as Herbert von Karajan and Lorin Maazel as concertmaster with the Berlin Philharmonic from 1963 to 1993.
In 2004 he led the Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria in Mexico City and in 2008 acted on the Artistic Advisory Council for the Youth Orchestra of America along with other acclaimed performers that include Martha Argerich, Placido Domingo, Paquito D’Rivera, Yo-Yo Ma, Christina Ortiz and Leonard Slatkin.
He has also given individual tuition and held masterclasses worldwide for hundreds of students that include members of the University of Miami Symphony Orchestra for their 1995 Bachfest, Kirsten Gibson of the Aurora Strings and the Danish musician Line Most.
He has appeared on many recordings such as Albinoni: Adagio, Bach: St. Matthew’s Passion, Ludwig Van Beethoven Premium Edition, Adagio: Karajan, Karajan Forever: The Greatest Classical Hits, A Mozart Serenades Weekend, Mozart: Wind Concertos, Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Rimsky Korsakov Greatest Hits and The Glory of Rostropovich.
In recognition for his contribution to music he was given the German Music Critic’s Prize for “versatility and interpretation of different musical styles” in 1969.
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra recordings
Adagio in G (Tomaso Albinoni/Remo Giazotto)
Deutsche Grammophon DG. 445 282-2 (CD: Adagio – Karajan)
Conductor – Herbert von Karajan
Organ – David Bell
Violin – Leon Spierer
Sources:
- http://www.music.miami.edu/news/score/page11.html
- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1769423
- http://www.youthorchestraoftheamericas.org/
- http://www.myspace.com/aurorastrings
- http://www.music.miami.edu/news/score/page14.html
- http://www.youthorchestraoftheamericas.org/tabid/303/uid/128/cat/Faculty/Default.aspx
- http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.asp?CTR=54083