David Garrett

David Garrett is a classical violinist and recording artist from Aachen, Germany. Born David Bongartz in 1980, he begins playing the violin in early childhood after his father buys one for his older brother. He takes an interest in the instrument, learns to play quickly, and wins a competition the following year. By the age of seven, he is performing in public once a week.

Early training and development

Garrett studies violin at the Lübeck Conservatoire. At 12, he starts working with the Polish violinist Ida Haendel and travels to London and other European cities to meet her. At 13, he records two CDs, appears on German and Dutch television, and gives a concert at the Villa Hammerschmidt, the official residence of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, at the personal invitation of Dr. von Weizsäcker. He is also offered the use of the Stradivarius known as “San Lorenzo,” described as one of the best instruments from the golden period.

Professional career

At 14, Garrett becomes the youngest soloist ever to sign an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. At 17, he performs with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta in Delhi and Bombay in concerts marking the 50th anniversary of India’s independence. At 19, he plays with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchster in Berlin under Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos and receives strong critical attention, which leads to an invitation to perform at Expo 2000 in Hannover.

He continues his studies at the Royal College of Music in London and is invited to perform at the BBC Proms at 21. He graduates from the Juilliard School in 2004. While studying in New York City, he is among the first students to study with Itzhak Perlman and works as a model to supplement his income.

Instruments and public profile

In December 2007, Garrett falls after a performance at Barbican Hall in London and breaks a rare violin that is first reported as a Stradivarius but later identified as a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini. He buys the instrument four years earlier for USD 1 million, and repair is estimated to cost $120,000. He is also described by fashion writers as “the David Beckham of the classical scene.”

Style

Garrett is associated with classical and classical crossover music.