Remembering the Legendary Ivan Galamian – 111 Years Old Today

Iranian-born Armenian violinist Ivan Galamian was born on this day in 1903 – 111 years ago.

A student of French pedagogue Lucien Capet, Mr Galamian is remembered as one of the most influential violin teachers of the 20th Century.

Ivan Galamian Masterclass | Joshua Bell | Rode | Etude No. 15 Op. 37 | 1980

He served long term teaching positions at the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music - his famed students including Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Michael Rabin, Ruggiero Ricci, Dorothy DeLay, Kyung-wha Chung, Charles Castleman, Glenn Dicterow, Eugene Fodor, Miriam Fried, Erick Friedman, Dong-Suk Kang, Ani & Ida Kavafian, Chin Kim, Jaime Laredo, Fredell Lack, Sergiu Luca, Berl Senofsky, Arnold Steinhardt, Sally Thomas, Donald Weilerstein and Carmel Kaine.

Mr Galamian wrote two violin method books, 'Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching' (1962) and 'Contemporary Violin Technique' (1962), incorporating aspects of both the Russian and French schools – and was the founder of the summer program Meadowmount School of Music.

He died in 1981 – aged 78.