Gordan Nikolitch
Encyclopedia
Gordan Nikolitch is a Serbia
n violin
ist. He is the leader
of the London Symphony Orchestra
.
Gordan Nikolitch began playing the violin when he was seven. He studied at the Musikhochschule (music conservatory) in Basel
, Switzerland
, where he studied with Jean-Jacques Kantorow
. He also worked with the composers Witold Lutosławski and György Kurtág
, cultivating an interest in contemporary music. He also became interested in Baroque music
.
Gordan has been the leader of the Orchestre d’Auvergne and the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne
before becoming the leader of the London Symphony Orchestra. He has made many recordings, especially of violin music which is not well known. He often plays chamber music
, in the Razumovsky Ensemble
.
Since 2001 he has been Prince Consort Professor at the Royal College of Music
, and also teaches at the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music. In 2004 he was named artistic director of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
.
He plays a violin made by Giuseppe Guarneri
.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist. He is the leader
Concertmaster
The concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
of the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
.
Gordan Nikolitch began playing the violin when he was seven. He studied at the Musikhochschule (music conservatory) in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he studied with Jean-Jacques Kantorow
Jean-Jacques Kantorow
Jean-Jacques Kantorow is a French violin virtuoso and conductor.-Biography:Kantorow was born in Cannes, France. From the age of 13 he studied at the Paris Conservatoire with René Benedetti, and in 1960 won the first violin prize...
. He also worked with the composers Witold Lutosławski and György Kurtág
György Kurtág
György Kurtág is a Hungarian composer of contemporary music.- Biography :György Kurtág was born in Lugoj in the Banat region, Romania.In 1946, he began his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he met his wife, Márta, and also György Ligeti, who became a close friend...
, cultivating an interest in contemporary music. He also became interested in Baroque music
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
.
Gordan has been the leader of the Orchestre d’Auvergne and the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne
Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne
The Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne is a Swiss chamber orchestra based in Lausanne, Switzerland.The violinist and conductor Victor Desarzens founded the orchestra in 1942, and served as its first artistic director for 30 years...
before becoming the leader of the London Symphony Orchestra. He has made many recordings, especially of violin music which is not well known. He often plays chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
, in the Razumovsky Ensemble
Razumovsky Ensemble
The Razumovsky Ensemble founded by the award-winning Russian cellist, Oleg Kogan, is a chamber ensemble that features prominent international players, some of whom are soloists, others of whom are orchestral principals...
.
Since 2001 he has been Prince Consort Professor at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, and also teaches at the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music. In 2004 he was named artistic director of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra is a chamber orchestra based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The NKO is part of the Stichting Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest , along with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra . The core of the NKO is a group of at least 20 string instrumentalists...
.
He plays a violin made by Giuseppe Guarneri
Giuseppe Guarneri
Bartolomeo Giuseppe Antonio Guarneri, del Gesù was an Italian luthier from the Guarneri house of Cremona. He rivals Antonio Stradivari with regard to the respect and reverence accorded his instruments, and he has been called the finest violin maker of the Amati line...
.