Internationally known and highly lauded violinist Zvi Zeitlin will be performing at Eastman Tuesday, Feb. 6.
He won?t have to travel far to get there.
It seems a huge understatement to refer to violin professor Zeitlin, a member of Eastman?s faculty for 34 years, simply as Professor.
If you want to be technical, you should refer to him as Kilbourn Professor Zeitlin ? in 1974, Zeitlin became the first Eastman professor ever to receive this honorary title.
Of course, if you wanted to be really technical, you?d call him Distinguished Kilbourn Professor Zeitlin because he was also the first faculty member to be named a distinguished professor of violin.
Born in Russia and raised in Israel, Zeitlin studied extensively in the U.S. He attended the Juilliard School on scholarship ? Zeitlin was only eleven and at the time the youngest scholarship recipient ever to pass through the school?s doors. While there, big-name musicians Sascha Jacobsen, Ivan Galamian and Louis Persinger were his teachers.
According to the web site for the Music Academy of the West, where Zeitlin has been a faculty member since 1973, the violinist has performed the entire violin repertoire with most of the great orchestras of the world.
He?s also performed with legendary conductors. Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, James Levine and Igor Stravinsky are among the greats who have raised a baton to him.
Zeitlin has toured Europe extensively. He?s also played in Australia and New Zealand and has shared his music in Central and South America over a dozen times.
In 1994, Zeitlin was chosen to perform the Chinese premiere of contemporary composer Alban Berg?s violin concerto with the Shanghai Symphony.
He has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Vox, CRI and the Music Heritage Society. In addition, the violinist has recorded all of Stravinsky?s violin works for Pantheon Records.
He has judged many competitions and taught internationally, along with being a founding member of the acclaimed Eastman Trio.
On Tuesday, Zeitlin will play two pieces from composers who lived during the 20th Century along with several blasts from the past.
The program will begin with a fugue from Guiseppe Tartini and continue with a posthumously published Schubert violin and piano duo.
Also planned are Grieg?s c-minor sonata, op. 45, a Klezmer suite by Joseph Achron and the Fantasie Brilliante of H.W. Ernst.
?I am extremely excited about Professor Zeitlin?s recital,? said violin performance major David Kim. ?As my teacher, he has given me much inspiration.? Kim, a double degree student and River Campus sophomore, is halfway through his first year of study with Zeitlin.
Zeitlin?s accompanist, piano professor Barry Snyder, is also a widely acclaimed musician of international renown.
Kilbourn Hall will be hosting this free, must-see concert at 8 p.m.
