Mikhail Simonyan, violin
- (c) Mathias Bothor
Still in his twenties, Mikhail Simonyan is already recognized as one of the most celebrated talents of his generation. The New York Times has praised his, "breadth, lyricism and fleet technique," and reported that "Mr. Simonyan play[s] as if every note counted." The Miami Herald has declared, "Mikhail Simonyan . . . played with the poise, perfection and inner burning fire of a master like David Oistrakh in his prime on a good night."
The 2010-11 season saw his recital debuts at the Verbier, Aspen and Ravinia Festivals, a debut with the NHK Symphony Orchestra performing the Sibelius Violin Concerto under Sir Neville Marriner, a debut with the Dresden Philharmonic and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, and debuts with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and Iceland Symphony Orchestra. In October, he filled in last minute for Midori to make his Baltimore Symphony debut, to rave reviews.
Mr. Simonyan’s 2011-12 season highlights include an extensive tour with the Baltic Youth Philharmonic under Kristjan Järvi, a debut recital at the Kennedy Center, and a performance with the Cincinnati Symphony, also under Kristjan Järvi.
Mr. Simonyan has recently signed a multi-CD exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon, and his first recording will feature Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto, along with Barber’s Violin Concerto and Adagio, with the London Symphony Orchestra and Kristjan Järvi conducting. In addition, Mr. Simonyan's much-anticipated debut recording of the Prokofiev Sonatas for Violin and Piano, recorded with Grammy Award-winning producer Adam Abeshouse, was released in January 2009. The Strad raved, "Simonyan's tonal and intonational purity, coupled with a ravishing range of expressive colours, illuminates this extraordinary work with laser beam accuracy." Mr. Simonyan has been featured as a rising star violinist in The Strad and Strings magazine.
Mikhail has recently launched a private initiative called Beethoven Not Bullets to assist the newly founded Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) in Kabul. He is working to raise funds to sponsor students at the Institute, which is the war-torn country's only music school. ANIM's mission is to educate a new generation of musicians regardless of ethnicity or gender, revitalizing music in Afghanistan and restoring it as a cultural voice.
Mr. Simonyan plays a 2010 Christophe Landon copy of a 1734 Stradivarius.