Music Festival-PrizeSAECULUM-Award-Winner 2007: Gidon Kremer
On the evening of June 1, 2007, already for the fourth time the SAECULUM – Glashütte Original-Music Festival-Prize was awarded within the line of a concert of the Dresden Music Festival in the famous Semper Opera House. This year’s SAECULUM goes to an international artist whose musical work has inspired people all over the world: Gidon Kremer.
He is known as a violinist, yet a star-violinist – he is admired and celebrated as an excellent violin-virtuoso. But he is far more than that – a brigdebuilder for example. He has created connections between East and West in a quarter of a century. He has linked classic and modernity. He has broad and still brings this kind of art closer to a manifold audience.
He is truly a master – nothing more, nothing less. Descended from a German musician family from Latvian Riga, he devoted himself early to music particularly the violin. In young ages he was a master-student of David Oistrach. Shortly after, high acceptance and various awards were the earnings for his hard work and talent. Until today the earned encomium of the exceptional violinist continues. Brilliant musical and artistical achievements made the Latvian artists to a highly accepted musician personality – yet to a star.
However, Gidon Kremer has never forgotten his heritage. More than 10 years ago he founded the Kremerata Baltica. With this orchestra he links the Northeast of Europe with the rest of the world. He builds bridges away generations and styles. Today’s concert underlines how Gidon Kremer is dedicated to the promotion of young artists and how much he has the musical work of the past centuries and the present in mind. It is an expression of renewal and continuity.
His audience appreciates his high degree of individuality and his search for possibilities away from conventional ways of interpretation. With Gidon Kremer a personality is been honoured whose work touches and moves.