The World's most beautiful music: Mendlssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, 1st movement

So we start November off with a passionate offering. My new blog friend, Jasper suggested that I watch this performance of the Mendlssohn E minor Violin Concerto and I liked it so much that I deemed it worthy of sharing with you.  I've always loved this concerto, and this particular performance by Russian/Israeli violinist, Shlomo Mintz now ranks among my favorites!

Critics, colleagues and audiences regard Shlomo Mintz as one of the foremost violinists of our time, esteemed for his impeccable musicianship, stylistic versatility and commanding technique alike.

Mr. Mintz regularly appears with the most celebrated orchestras and conductors on the international scene and is heard in recitals and chamber music concerts all around the world. He also frequently performs as a violist with leading chamber ensembles as well as in recitals.

Mintz is the recipient of several prestigious music prizes including the Premio Accademia Musicale Chigiana, the Diapason D’Or, the Grand Prix du Disque, the Gramophone Award and the Edison Award. Since 2004 he is recording for AVIE Records, London.

Born in Moscow in 1957, he emigrated with his family two years later to Israel, where he studied with the renowned Ilona Feher. At age eleven, he made his concerto debut with the Israel Philharmonic. He made his Carnegie Hall debut at age sixteen in a concert with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and subsequently began his studies with Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School of Music. At age eighteen, he added the role of conductor to his artistic endeavours; since then he has conducted acclaimed orchestras worldwide, and became Music Advisor of the Israel Chamber Orchestra and Artistic Advisor and Principal Guest Conductor of the Maastricht Symphony.

Shlomo Mintz has been appointed as Principal Guest Conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. He will take this role beside his busy soloist schedule from the season 2008/2009 on for 4 years. He is patron and one of the founders of the Keshet Eilon International Violin Mastercourse in Israel, and gives master classes worldwide.

He has been a jury member of several important international competitions including the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition in Brussels. He was President of the Jury of the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition in Poznan, Poland, and is since 2002 President of the Jury of the Sion Valais International Violin Competition in Switzerland.