Violinist and Artistic Director: Gil Morgenstern

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Acclaimed for his artistry and technical brilliance, Gil Morgenstern is devoted to exploring and expanding inventive programming possibilities. His vision is to unlock the mystery surrounding classical music by presenting the audience with a more complete concert experience, meticulously curated from start to finish, placing music in a historical and artistic context and organically integrating music with other artistic disciplines in innovative and unexpected ways. The New York Times describes Morgenstern as a “brilliant and musically curious artist.”

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As artistic director of Reflections Series International, which presents performances throughout the United States and Europe, Morgenstern creates original programs combining music, dance, visual art, poetry and prose in ways that invite the audience to reflect on the relationships between works of art, and to reflect anew on universal themes. After Reflections Series International’s tremendously successful inaugural season at Avenues: The World School, Morgenstern was named Artist-in-Residence for Interdisciplinary Studies beginning with the 2014-2015 season. This unique yearlong residency, in which Morgenstern worked with students and faculty of all academic subjects, furthers a key part of the school's mission to “graduate students who are artists no matter their field.” Morgenstern is also the co-founder of Nine Circles Chamber Theatre, a creative organization dedicated to exploring the collaborative nature of inter-disciplinary performance, and of the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble, a diverse chamber group specializing in Classical, Romantic and contemporary works of mixed instrumentation.

 

A violinist with a long history of performing in the world’s great concert halls, Morgenstern’s career has taken him to international venues including Wigmore Hall, London; Cultural Center Concert Hall, Hong Kong; the American Academy, Rome; Salone dei Cinquecento, Florence; El Teatro Sucre, Quito; and Arts Centre and State Theatre, Melbourne, Australia. He has also toured the U.S. extensively, performing in recitals and as guest soloist with many leading orchestras including the symphonies of St. Louis, Baltimore, Louisville, Indianapolis, Denver, Milwaukee, New Jersey and North Carolina. The New York Times has hailed his playing as, “a perfect demonstration of supreme ability;” “a rare poet of the violin” reported The South China Morning Post; and “Morgenstern played a program that tested every part of a violinist’s equipment and he did it all beautifully,” wrote The Washington Post.

 

Gil Morgenstern has also shared the stage with such eminent musicians as Lynn Harrell, Philippe Entremont, André-Michel Schub, Jeffrey Kahane, Sharon Isbin, and Heinz Holliger, and has collaborated with United States Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa, the actress Claire Bloome, and performance artist Laurie Anderson.

 

Morgenstern’s discography includes works by Beethoven, Fauré, Copland, Ravel, Kodaly, Sessions and the award-winning American composer George Tsontakis. His latest recording, 20th Century Duos for Violin and Cello, was the No. 1 classical CD for over a month on eMusic, the largest online store for independent music in the world, and was one of the top ten best selling classical music albums on Amazon. Of the album, The New York Times raved, “the music is terrific and the performances compelling on this surprisingly exciting and excellently engineered recording.” Morgenstern records for the MMC, Engine Company and Koch International Classics labels, and can regularly be heard on National Public Radio and classical music radio stations across the country.

 

Gil Morgenstern’s many honors include a command performance at the White House when he was just 21 years old, a performance at the inaugural festivities for President Clinton, and a citation from the floor of the House of Representatives entered in the Congressional Record for outstanding service in the arts.

 

Highlights of Gil Morgenstern’s recent and upcoming seasons include interdisciplinary performances at Lincoln Center, New York City’s 92nd Street Y, and Harvard University, as well as performances in Rome, Florence, Venice, Capri, Toronto, London, and Alaska. Gil Morgenstern lives in New York City.

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