Biography

"a very high-class youth string orchestra“ - The Strad Magazine

 

The award-winning string ensemble LGT Young Soloists (sponsored by LGT Private Banking) is made up of highly talented young soloists between the ages of 13 and 23 from over 20 nations. Since its founding in 2013 by violinist and pedagogue Alexander Gilman, the LGT Young Soloists have established themselves as one of the leading and most touring youth orchestras worldwide. This is primarily due to their unique concept: exceptional young musicians perform as soloists with their own orchestra, accompany each other, and share their passion for music. "Those who do not know that these are very young teenagers playing would think they are in the midst of a top ensemble" (the orchestra, 2017).

After an 18-month Covid hiatus, the LGT Young Soloists celebrated a unique comeback. Philip Glass composed a string symphony for the young musicians, which premiered in London and Vienna. In 2022, they opened the Heidelberg Spring Festival and the Merano Festival, and performed at venues such as the Berlin Konzerthaus, the Vienna Musikverein, the Mozarteum Salzburg, and the Victoria Hall Singapore.

To mark their 10th anniversary, they played a sold-out concert at the Elbphilharmonie's Great Hall in 2023, followed by their US debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington. In the current season, the ensemble will be heard at venues such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Tonhalle Zurich, Philharmonie Luxembourg, as well as on tours of Australia, Asia, and South Africa.

Guest soloists have included well-known personalities such as Alma Deutscher, Juliane Banse, Amihai Gross, Stephan Moccio, Esther Yoo, and Martin James Bartlett.

Just two years after its founding, the LGT Young Soloists became the first youth orchestra in the world to release its first album on Sony Music/RCA Red Seal. Six CDs have been recorded since then, including the first recording of Philip Glass's 14th Symphony. On the occasion of Beethoven's 250th birthday, the LGT Young Soloists released their album "Beethoven RECOMPOSED" (Naxos). The CD reached number one on the Apple Music Video Classical Charts in more than 40 countries and received excellent reviews from international music journalists.

Further released albums include "Souvenir" (2019), which is dedicated to virtuoso pieces by composers such as Piazzolla, Kreisler, and Massenet. "Nordic Dream" (2018) presents works by Scandinavian composers and was nominated for the Opus Klassik in three categories. "This is an ensemble, mostly made up of teenagers, that outperforms seasoned professionals" (BR-Klassik, 2018). The albums "Russian Soul" (2017), "Italian Journey" (2015), and a live DVD concert recording on C Major Entertainment (2017) complete the ensemble's discography.

“The mutual musical accompaniment, where every musician performs both as a soloist and an orchestra member, results in an exceptional connection that can only be expressed through music.”

Alexander Gilman