Variations on an Original Theme by Henryk Wieniawski

Teo Gertler

Hearing this young man play, one cannot but wonder if we are witnessing the greatest violinist of the 21^st century. Maestro Placido Domingo thinks so.

Teo Gertler, who is now 17 years old, is a Slovak “wunderkind” who has played the violin since age 4 and has impressed international audiences and conductors ever since. The precision and authenticity of tone are breathtaking.

Our Music of the Week shows Teo playing at the Virtuosos contest, a classical music talent show of the Visegrád countries that fosters music artists from a very early age. Teo came out in first place several times, the first time when he was just 8.

The Internet allows us to follow Teo’s evolution over the years, but his concentration and absorption into the music have always been apparent on his face.

Watch him here, age 11, playing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto:

Or here, age 13, playing “Ziegeunerweisen” by Pablo de Sarasate in Moscow:

What a gift.