The Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos (*1967) is appreciated for his virtuosity as well as for his musical flair. At just 21 years of age, he has already won three prestigious music competitions (International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, Premio Paganini, Naumburg Competition). His very first CD recording, Sibelius’ Violin Concerto of 1903/04, earned the exceptional artist several awards, including Gramophone’s "Record of the Year".
His tours take the native Athenian to the major classical and festival stages worldwide. He has performed with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre, among others.
In addition to his soloist activities, Leonidas Kavakos sometimes takes on the position of conductor, for example in collaboration with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, the Filarmonica Teatro La Fenice, the L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France or the Camerata Salzburg, which he artistically directed from 2007 to 2009.
Kavakos has been playing the "Willemotte" Stradivarius from 1734 since 2017.