* En anglais uniquement
Elmar Oliveira is considered one of the leading American violinists of his generation. Over the years he has developed a broad repertory that encompasses works by composers from
J.S. Bach to
Einojuhani Rautavaara. His performances, both in concert and on recordings, have garnered high praise from critics and audiences alike, and he has made numerous television appearances on popular programs like the Today Show, Good Morning America, and CBS Sunday Morning.
Oliveira was born on June 28, 1950, near Waterbury, CT. At the age of 9 he took his first lessons on the violin from his older brother
John. His advanced studies were at Hartt College of Music (University of Hartford) and the Manhattan School of Music. His principal teachers at Manhattan included Rafael Bronstein and
Ariana Bronne.
With first prizes at the Naumburg International and G.B. Dealey Competitions early in his career,
Oliveira seemed poised for a promising career. In 1978 he more than fulfilled that promise when he captured the Gold Medal in violin performance (with Latvian
Ilya Grubert) at the Sixth
Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow. The victory for
Oliveira was reminiscent of
Van Cliburn's 20 years earlier.
Prestigious concerts and recording opportunities followed quickly, as well as numerous offers to appear on television. For a time
Oliveira was nearly the celebrity
Cliburn was. But like
Cliburn, the young violinist found that the limelight faded rather quickly. Still, since that triumph in Moscow,
Oliveira has remained active, achieving consistent success in his appearances with major symphony orchestras, including the American "big five" (New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Boston), as well as notable ensembles from abroad, such as the
Leipzig Gewandhaus, the
London Philharmonic, Zurich Tonhalle, and
Helsinki Philharmonic orchestras.
Oliveira has been successful in the recording studio, too, garnering kudos for his 1990 recording of the
Barber Violin Concerto on
EMI and for his 1997 CD of the
Rautavaara Violin Concerto on the Ondine label. His 2006 release on Artek of
Prokofiev's Violin Sonatas and Five Melodies was his second recording of the works -- the first, on Vox Allegretto, dated to 1991. This later effort demonstrated his continued command of these challenging works. His 2006 concert schedule included appearances in May with the
Utah Symphony Orchestra in the
Bruch Scottish Fantasy, and in Kiev in June with the
National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine in the
Flagello Violin Concerto. His recording of violin concertos by
Ernest Bloch and Benjamin Lees was nominated in 2009 for a Grammy.