Born in Haifa, Israel, Ivry Gitlis received his first violin at the age of five and performed his first concert at the age of ten in his own school. He was only nine years old when the illustrious violinist Bronislaw Huberman heard him play for the first time and agreed to organise a fund-raising campaign so that Ivry Gitlis could be sent to Europe to continue his studies. Aged 10, the young boy headed to Paris with his mother to enter the National Music Conservatory, where he won a first prize two years later. After graduating from there, he studied with Georges Enesco, Jacques Thibaud and Carl Flesch. His international career really began to take off in earnest in the wake of a memorable performance he gave during the 1951 Jacques Thibaud Competition. He performed in the United States for the first time in 1955. He has made an increasing number of world tours, performing with the finest orchestras: philharmonic orchestras in New York, Berlin, Vienna, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Israel, Paris... under the baton of illustrious directors, such as George Szell, Zubin Mehta, Charles Dutoit, Eugene Ormany, Antal Dorati, Claudio Scimone, Michael TilsonThomas, Hans Rosbaud, Emmanuel Krivine... Ivry Gitlis’ recording of Bartok’s violin concerto number two and sonata for solo violin received the “Best Record of the Year” award from the New York Herald Tribune. An enthusiast for all kinds of music, Ivry Gitlis is the founder and organiser of the Vence, Saint André de Cubzac, Alfortville and Bonifacio Music Festivals. For several years now, these events have provided him with an opportunity to achieve what for him is the essence of life: a musical encounter between the performers and the members of the audience. It is impossible to claim you really know Ivry Gitlis unless you have attended one of his master classes... Thanks to his strong character, his warm personality, his outstanding charisma and willingness to get to the heart of the matter Ivry Gitlis is able to forge an immediate bond with people, turning each one of his concerts and television appearances into an unforgettable event.