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 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. An exclusive recording artist with Sony Classics, his successes with the label include Echo Klassik Instrumentalist of the Year in 2007 for his recording of the complete Beethoven Sonatas with Enrico Pace, and Gramophone Artist of the Year in 2014. He plays the ‘Willemotte’ Stradivarius violin of 1734 and owns modern violins made by F. Leonhard, S.P. Greiner, E. Haahti and D. Bagué.