Notable classical violin pieces serve as the "framework" upon which the three exceptional musicians combine instrumental mastery with impressive jazz improvisational skills.
About BENJAMIN SCHMID: After making his debut at the Salzburg Festival in 1986 as a solo partner to Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Benjamin Schmid has become one of the most important violinists of our time with his global, constantly intense concert activity, performing in around 3,000 live concerts. He has appeared on the most prestigious stages worldwide with renowned orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. His solo skills, the exceptional breadth of his repertoire, and particularly his improvisational abilities in jazz make him a violinist with an unparalleled profile. Over 50 of Benjamin Schmid's CDs have received the German Gramophone Award.
In Salzburg, Benjamin Schmid has dedicated himself as a professor and mentor to his students at the Mozarteum University, where he has been honored with the "International Art and Culture Award," among other accolades. He also conducts master classes worldwide. He is the artistic director of the ClassixKempten music festival in Germany, the Musica Vitae Chamber Orchestra in Växjö, Sweden, and the Salzburg Orchester Solisten (SAOS), with a focus on 20th-century music.
He plays the Stradivarius violin "ex Viotti 1718," loaned to him by the Austrian National Bank, as well as a modern violin made in 2015 by Wilttrud Föller.
