Happy Birthday, Gilles Apap!

Today is the French violinist 61st birthday!

Distinguished French violinist Gilles Apap was born on this day in 1963.

Hailing from Béjaïa, Algeria, he was brought up in Nice, France. In 1985, he won the contemporary music division at the esteemed Yehudi Menuhin Competition. His tenure as concertmaster with the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra spanned a decade, following which he built a flourishing career as a soloist. Gilles has performed with orchestras such as Leipzig Gewandhaus, San Francisco and Vancouver Symphony, Hamburg Philharmonic, Boston Philharmonic, Berliner Symphoniker, Russian National Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, often play directing as well as performing an extensive list of violin concertos.

Renowned for his virtuosity and versatility on the violin, Gilles has earned acclaim for his renditions of diverse musical traditions, ranging from the melodies of Eastern Europe to the heartland tunes of America, including gypsy, Irish, swing, and bluegrass.

During the 1990s, he crafted three albums under the banner of Sony Classical Records before establishing his own venture, Apapaziz Productions. Since 1999, the imprint has borne witness to the release of eight Gilles Apap albums.

GILLES APAP | MOZART | VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 3 | 3RD MOVEMENT CADENZA