VADIM REPIN 

Vadim Repin is probably the most "hyped" and popular violinist in the world today. In Russia he is known as a brilliant prodigy, one of the latest young stars of the 'collapse era' of the USSR. He began studies at music school when he was five and was giving concerts half a year after. At the age of seven, Repin studied with the well-known violin teacher Zakhar Bron. Today he represents one of a cohort of masters brought up by the famous Russian teacher. In 1982 he won the Henryk Wieniawski Lublin junior competition.  In 1989 he won the Queen Elizabeth competition for academic musicians. The Soviet school was well represented in violin and piano nominations of the Queen Elizabeth competition. Many of its winners from the Soviet Union later immigrated to Belgium.

The Western musical audience has received Vadim Repin with huge enthusiasm. The best halls and orchestras are at his service as well as an exclusive contract from a prestigious recording company and constant media attention. Among the global music community, Repin is famous for making a brilliant career without the patronage of any major sponsor.

At the present time Vadim Repin lives in France. He visits Russia occasionally, giving concerts. The famous violinist devotes a lot of time to chamber music - one of the most sophisticated areas of the performing arts. It has tremendous power to influence not only more sophisticated audiences, but the general public as well.

His partners include Yuri Bashmet, Mischa Maisky and Mikhail Pletnev and the legendary Argentinean pianist Martha Argerich. Today, the Novosibirsk born performing artist is among the five highest paid violinists in the world.

From the book LIFE MUSIC by Alexandra Kremer-Khomasuridze:

"Once I played Paganini's Concerto with Menuhin in Vienna. I was nineteen. I was frantic and terribly worried. Well, everyone knows the cadenza at the end of the Paganini concert - it's something crazy. After the cadenza, when the first part was over, Menuhin suddenly shouted out loud from the silence of the audience: "Bravo!" I was so frightened that almost dropped the violin out of sheer fright! After the concert, Menuhin explained to me that he felt himself a part of the opera and reasoned that when the tenor takes the high re or mi, the audience applauds, so why not to express his feelings when during a concert something supernatural is played?"

"I very rarely see dreams, except for musical nightmares: you get to the stage, bow, smile and shake hands with the conductor... and then you do not know what to do. I wake up in a cold sweat."