Shlomo Mintz : Violist, Conductor & Artistic Director

Violist

Shlomo-Mintz Shlomo Mintz became interested in the viola after hearing this instrument magnificently played by Pinchas Zukerman. Being part of a quartet made him want to embrace the sound of a lower string instrument. It turned out to be fairly easy for him to master the techniques of the viola, to study it and to decide what sound he wanted. Now Shlomo Mintz’s musical concept of playing the viola can be heard regularly in concerts and on CD. He plays with Itamar Golan in the Brahms Sonatas on Avie records and with Hagai Shaham and the English Chamber Orchestra playing Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante.

Conductor and Artistic Director

Shlomo-Mintz-conductor At the age of eighteen, Shlomo Mintz added the role of conductor to his artistic endeavors. Since then, he has conducted acclaimed orchestras worldwide.

"I started conducting, because my teacher Dorothy Delay, gave me a long speech about ‘knowing what other instruments play when you play your concertos’. She was an eloquent pianist herself and was able to accompany her students on several occasions. After I had a few years of piano playing, my interests turned immediately to conducting..."

As Artistic Director, Shlomo Mintz feels that his services contribute directly to the community :
"When an orchestra has a clear direction, it serves as an example for the community and its music education."

Artistic Director of the International Music Festival Sion Valais, 2002 – present
Principal guest conductor of Zagreb Philharmonic, 2008-2010
Arena di Verona, 1999-2000
Artistic Advisor and Principal Guest Conductor of the Maastricht Symphony Orchestra (LSO, The Netherlands), 1994-1998. With this orchestra Shlomo Mintz played Paganini’s 1st Violin Concerto using 'Il Cannone', the famous violin of Niccòlo Paganini. This amazing project was realized in a concert under the baton of Yoel Levi.