MINTZ, SHLOMO

MINTZ, SHLOMO (1957– ), Israeli violinist, violist, and conductor. Mintz was born in Moscow. The family immigrated to Israel in 1959. He was a student of Ilona Feher and gave his first recital in 1966, making his début with the Israel PO in 1968. With the support of Isaac Stern and the American Israel Cultural Foundation Mintz made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1973 and completed his training with Dorothy De-Lay in Juilliard. He made a major European tour in 1977 and appeared regularly with the most celebrated orchestras and conductors. He was also heard in recital and chamber music concerts as well as playing the viola. Mintz is esteemed for his silvery beauty of tone, his command of the standard repertory, sensitive playing, and commanding technique. He gave recitals with the pianists Itamar Golan and Georges Pludermacher, and as a member of the Golan-Mintz-Haimovitz Trio. Among his recordings are works by Bach, Ravel, Sibelius, and Paganini. He was musical director of the Israel Chamber Orchestra in 1989–93 and also conducted the Israel PO and the Rotterdam PO. In 1994 he was appointed musical director of the Limburg SO in Maastricht. Mintz held master courses in many places, and was one of the founders and supporters of the Keshet Eilon International Violin Master Course for talented young musicians. He was a member of the jury of several important international competitions, such as the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He won many music prizes, including Sienna's Premio Accademia Musicale Chigiana and three times the Grand Prix du Disque. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Grove online; Baker's Biographical Dictionary (1997). (Naama Ramot (2nd ed.)