Leonidas Kavakos

Born in Athens, violinist Leonidas Kavakos had by the age of 21 already won the 1985 Sibelius Competition and the Paganini and Naumburg competitions in 1988. This led to him making the first ever recording of the original Sibelius Violin Concerto, which won the Gramophone Concerto of the Year Award in 1991. Today he is recognised across the world as an artist of rare quality, acclaimed for his matchless technique, captivating artistry and superb musicianship, and the integrity of his playing. He is the Carnegie Hall Perspectives Artist in 2021/22 and is an exclusive recording artist with Sony Classics, who released his eagerly awaited recording of the complete set of Bach Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin. He plays the ‘Willemotte’ Stradivarius violin of 1734.