profile

    Ivry Gitlis

    1922-08-22 (102 years old) in Haifa, Palestine [now Israel]

    Ivry Gitlis (25 August 1922 – 24 December 2020) was an Israeli virtuoso violinist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. He performed with the world's top orchestras, including the London Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Yitzhak-Meir (Isaac) Gitlis was born on 25 August 1922 in Haifa, Israel to Jewish parents, who emigrated in 1921 from Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine. Gitlis acquired his first violin when he was five years old and started lessons under Mme Velikovsky together with his friend Zvi Zeitlin. He then studied privately with Mira Ben-Ami, a pupil of Joseph Szigeti. When he was eight, she arranged for him to play for Bronisław Huberman, which prompted a fundraising campaign to allow him to study in France. In 1933, he arrived with his mother in Paris and started to take lessons with Marcel Chailley, husband of the pianist Céliny Chailley-Richez. Being very close to their family, he was introduced to George Enescu and Jacques Thibaud. In that period, he decided to change his birth name (Isaac) to Ivry. At 11, Gitlis (Jitlis) entered the Conservatoire de Paris in the class of Jules Boucherit, and graduated in 1935. In 1938–1940, his teachers included George Enescu and Jacques Thibaud in Paris and Carl Flesch in Spa, Belgium and later in London. In 1940, during World War II, he went to London where he first worked for two years in a war factory and was then assigned to the artists branch of the British Army. He gave numerous concerts for the Allied soldiers and in war factories. After the war he made his successful debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and subsequently played with the BBC and all other principal orchestras of Great Britain. In 1951, as suggested by his teacher Alice Pashkus, he participated in the Long-Thibaud Competition in Paris, where he took fifth place. During the preliminary stages of the competition, a rumor circulated that he had stolen a Stradivarius violin during the war, which caused a scandal on the day of the final. Six years after the fall of Hitler, being a Jew in France was still causing debate. In the same year, Gitlis made his debut in Paris, playing in a recital at the Salle Gaveau, sponsored by the music manager Marcel de Valmalète (9 July 1951). In the 1950s, he moved to the United States where he met Jascha Heifetz. There he made several tours, managed by Sol Hurok, including those conducted by Eugene Ormandy (Tchaikovsky, in Philadelphia) and George Szell (Sibelius, on 15,16 and 18 December 1955 in New York). Back in Europe, between 1954 and 1955, he recorded for the Vox label concertos by Berg (Violin Concerto "To the memory of an angel", coupled with "Chamber Concerto" -Vox PL 8660- which was awarded a "Grand Prix du Disque" in 1954), Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Stravinsky (Violin Concerto, coupled with "Duo Concertant") and with the conductor Jascha Horenstein, Bartók, Bruch and Sibelius. His recording of Bartók's 2nd Violin Concerto and Solo Violin Sonata -Vox PL 9020- received the "Best Record of the Year" award from the New York Herald Tribune in 1955. ... Source: Article "Ivry Gitlis" from Wikipedia in english, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

    Movies

    poster
    It Happened in Saint-Tropez
    53.87 %|Jan 13, 2013
    Comedy, Drama
    poster
    Sansa
    66 %|Jan 29, 2004
    Romance, Thriller
    poster
    The Freelancers
    45 %|Mar 24, 1999
    Comedy, Drama
    poster
    Dernier amour
    0 %|Apr 18, 1984
    Comedy, Romance
    poster
    The Story of Adele H.
    69 %|Oct 8, 1975
    Drama, History, Romance
    actor
    Stayover in Tirol
    0 %|Oct 8, 1974
    Drama

    Series

    poster
    Vivement dimanche
    32 %|Sep 20, 1998
    Talk
    poster
    Le monde est à vous
    0 %|Sep 13, 1987
    Talk
    poster
    Champs-Elysées
    62 %|Jan 16, 1982
    Talk
    poster
    Fan School
    65 %|Jan 30, 1977
    Talk, Kids
    poster
    30 millions d'amis
    58 %|Jan 6, 1976
    Documentary
    actor
    Numéro un
    60 %|Apr 5, 1975
    Reality
    actor
    Système 2
    0 %|Jan 19, 1975
    Reality
    actor
    Midi trente
    60 %|Mar 6, 1972
    Reality
    poster
    Le Grand Échiquier
    80 %|Jan 12, 1972
    Reality
    poster
    Le Grand Échiquier
    80 %|Jan 12, 1972
    Reality
    poster
    Great Performances
    49 %|Jan 28, 1971
    Comedy, Documentary, Drama
    actor
    Samedi soir
    60 %|Jan 9, 1971
    Talk
    poster
    The Ed Sullivan Show
    65.28999999999999 %|Jun 20, 1948
    Comedy, Talk