Photo: Guus Krol / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Gidon Kremer is one of those rare musicians who seems genuinely allergic to playing it safe, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Born in Riga in 1947 and trained at the Moscow Conservatory under David Oistrakh, he came up in the Soviet system yet carved out a fiercely independent artistic identity — championing contemporary composers like Arvo Pärt and Astor Piazzolla back when that was decidedly not the career-safe move for a classical violinist. He founded Kremerata Baltica to spotlight Baltic musical voices, which tells you a lot about where his heart is. The awards — Praemium Imperiale, Pour le Mérite, Léonie Sonning — are prestigious as it gets, but what sticks with me is the sheer restlessness of the guy. He never seemed content just being the best at the standard repertoire; he kept pushing into weirder, more interesting corners of music, and it shows in every recording.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Gidon Kremer
- Name (Japanese)
- ギドン・クレーメル
- Reading
- ぎどん・くれーめる
- Born
- February 27, 1947 (age 79)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Boar
- Origin
- Riga, Latvia
- Occupation
- conductor / violinist / actor / musician
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 1989 Léonie Sonning Music Prize
- Order of the Three Stars, 4th Class
- Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 4th Class
- 2008 Rolf Schock Prize in Musical Arts
- 2016 Praemium Imperiale
- 2016 Pour le Mérite
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Gidon Kremer born?
Born February 27, 1947 (age 79).
Where is Gidon Kremer from?
Gidon Kremer is from Riga, Latvia.
What does Gidon Kremer do?
Gidon Kremer works as conductor, violinist, actor, musician.
Conductor — see all → · Violinist — see all → · More people from Latvia →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.