Vadim Gluzman & His Famous Violin

The Israeli violinist, Vadim Gluzman, brings to life the glorious violinistic tradition of the 19th and 20th centuries. Born in the former Soviet Union in 1973, Gluzman began violin studies at age 7. Vadim Gluzman didn’t have much choice about the instrument he plays, but given that instrument was the 1690 ‘Auer’ Stradivari, this is not an issue. The violin was given to him on loan years ago by the Stradivari Society. Mary Galvin and Geoff Fushi, the founders of the Stradivari Society, attended Gluzman’s recital debut at the Ravinia Festival. They must have liked what they heard, because when he returned from a tour a month later, he had a message on his answering machine inviting him to come to Chicago and pick up a violin that had just became available. Gluzman went the very next day, and was handed the violin. He says he had a distinct feeling of someone staring at him from behind, so turned around and there was an enormous portrait of Leopold Auer looking at him from the wall of the Bein & Fushi shop!

The violin takes its name from Leopold Auer (1845-1930) one of the greatest and most influential violin pedagogues of all times, and the founder of the great `Russian violin tradition. Built in 1690, the `Auer´ has a beautiful, noble voice. Its luscious low register, penetrating E string, immensely wide color-palette, and power of projection have mesmerized audiences everywhere it has been heard.

In an interview with The Chicago Tribune Magazine, Vadim Gluzman said: “Words cannot describe how wonderful this instrument is. It makes me run 15 times faster, dive 15 times deeper. When I first picked up this violin and notes emanated from my bow, I understood that my life had changed.” For Gluzman, the choice of bow is even more important than that of the instrument. He has two he plays equally, according to how he feels – a Peccatte once played by Ysaÿe and Szeryng, and one made specially for him by his friend Daniel Schmidt, who comes from a long line of bow makers in Dresden.