Johnny Gandelsman (born 1978) is a Russian-Israeli violinist and music producer, known for his work as a member of the American string quartet Brooklyn Rider as well as his solo work.[2][3] In 2024, he was the recipient of a MacArthur Grant.[4][5]

Johnny Gandelsman
Gandelsman in 2015
Background information
Born1978
Moscow, USSR
GenresClassical, experimental[1]
InstrumentViolin
Member ofBrooklyn Rider

Biography

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Gandelsman was born in Moscow, in the then-USSR, to a violist father and a pianist mother.[2][3] His sister is also a violinist. His family left Moscow for Israel in 1990, and Gandelsman moved to the United States at the age of 17.[3]

Career

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In 2020, Gandelsman recorded Johann Sebastian Bach's Cello Suites on the violin, in a performance The New York Times called "feather-light and rooted in dance and folk music".[6]
On November 8 and 9, 2024, the week of the 2024 United States presidential election, Gandelsman performed his piece This is America at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.[3] Initially released in 2022, This is America consists of 28 pieces Gandelsman commissioned from a variety of musicians, including Rhiannon Giddens, Angélica Negrón, and Conrad Tao.[1][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Howe, Brian (12 July 2022). "Johnny Gandelsman: This Is America". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Johnny Gandelsman". BSO. Boston Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e Hernández, Javier C. (7 November 2024). "A Violinist on a Mission to Capture America, Division and All". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  4. ^ Roberts, Roxanne (1 October 2024). "Meet the 2024 MacArthur 'genius grant' winners". The Washington Post. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  5. ^ "Johnny Gandelsman". www.macfound.org. MacArthur Foundation. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  6. ^ Barone, Joshua (1 June 2021). "Bach's Cello Suites, Now on Violin, With a Folksy Feel". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 November 2024.