Tribute to Ivry Gitlis — With Martha Argerich, Quatuor Ébène, Renaud Capuçon…

On December 24, 2020, the legendary violinist Ivry Gitlis passed away in Paris. "A perpetual inspiration" (Hervé Boissière) and a student of three of the greatest violin titans of the early 20th century (Jacques Thibaud, Carl Flesch and Georges Enesco), Gitlis (b. 1922) gave concerts for Allied soldiers and in factories during wartime before embarking on an international career that saw him perform in acclaimed recitals all over Europe, North America, and Asia, over the course of more than seven decades. In 2019, some of his closest friends and collaborators reunited at the Philharmonie de Paris to pay homage to Gitlis, still a star even in his late nineties.

Disciples, colleagues and beloved friends like Martha Argerich, Iddo Bar-Shai, Itamar Golan, Nicholas Angelich, Vahan Mardirossian, and the Quatuor Ébène share the stage for this sensational program that includes Romantic masterpieces (like Chausson’s Concert for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet with its mesmerising "Sicilienne," played by Renaud Capuçon as soloist), sublime piano moments (Debussy's En blanc et noir), and folk-inspired classical works (Bartók's explosive set of Romanian folk dances with the David Oistrakh Quartet). The festivities conclude with delightful klezmer music performed by the Sirba Octet, reflecting the unique spirit and unconventional style that characterized the legendary Ivry Gitlis.

Renaud Capuçon, Nicholas Angelich, and the Quatuor Ébène appear courtesy of Erato/Warner Classics