David Aaron Carpenter
Encyclopedia
David Aaron Carpenter is a US-American
violist and was the first Prize Winner of the 2006 Walter E. Naumburg Viola Competition. In June 2007, David was selected as the new Music Protégé in the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, sponsored by Rolex
. As the first American and youngest protege in the Initiative’s history, he will study with world-renowned violinist, violist and conductor Pinchas Zuckerman.
became his primary instrument. He continued to pursue both instruments at the pre-college divisions of Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music
, Italy’s Accademia Chigianna, Switzerland’s International Music Academy, and the Verbier Festival
Academy, studying with world-renowned pedagogues Pinchas Zukerman
, Roberto Diaz
, Seiji Ozawa
, Robert Mann
, Nobuko Imai
, Boris Belkin
, and Yuri Bashmet
.
under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach
, who describes Carpenter’s viola playing as “breathtaking, convincing and highly charismatic.” He has been acclaimed by Die Welt as “A New Star at the Forefront of Violists”; by The Philadelphia Inquirer as "an overnight-star violist"; and by The Strad Magazine as a violist whose "soulful sound, committed playing and dazzling technique leaves little to desire." David has made his recital debuts in the United States at well-known venues including Carnegie Hall
and the Kennedy Center. This past November, he made his debut in Germany with the Dresden Staatskapelle performing the Schnittke Viola Concerto. In 2008, he was Maxim Vengerov’s last-minute replacement for performances of Benjamin Yusupov's Viola, Tango, Rock Concerto with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland. He has performed in the United States at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Chicago’s Krannert Center, and San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, among other venues. In September, David released his first recording on the Ondine label of the Elgar Cello Concerto (arr. Lionel Tertis/Carpenter) and the Schnittke Viola Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Maestro Christoph Eschenbach. The disc received international acclaim and received numerous awards such as the Editor’s Choice Award by Gramophone Magazine and Disc of the Month by The New Yorker. Most recently, David was the recipient of the prestigious 2010 Avery Fisher Career Grant.
He collaborated in recital and chamber music concerts with Emanuel Ax
, Sarah Chang
, Leonidas Kavakos
, Sol Gabetta
, Julian Rachlin
, Dmitry Sitkovetsky
, Jean-Yves Thibaudet
, and Yuja Wang
and performs regularly at the Schleswig-Holstein and Verbier Music Festivals. David was designated a Presidential Scholar and received the Presidential Gold Medal at The Kennedy Center. In addition to his musical accomplishments, David received his A.B. degree in Political Science and International Relations from Princeton University in 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
violist and was the first Prize Winner of the 2006 Walter E. Naumburg Viola Competition. In June 2007, David was selected as the new Music Protégé in the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, sponsored by Rolex
Rolex
Rolex SA is a Swiss watchmaking manufacturer of high-quality, luxury wristwatches. Rolex watches are popularly regarded as status symbols and BusinessWeek magazine ranks Rolex No.71 on its 2007 annual list of the 100 most valuable global brands...
. As the first American and youngest protege in the Initiative’s history, he will study with world-renowned violinist, violist and conductor Pinchas Zuckerman.
Early years
Born into a family of musical siblings, David began studying the violin at the age of six. At the age of 12, he embarked upon learning the viola and by age 16, the violaViola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
became his primary instrument. He continued to pursue both instruments at the pre-college divisions of Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
, Italy’s Accademia Chigianna, Switzerland’s International Music Academy, and the Verbier Festival
Verbier Festival
The Verbier Festival is an international music festival that takes place annually for two weeks in late July and early August in the mountain resort of Verbier, Switzerland.Founded by Swedish expatriate Martin T...
Academy, studying with world-renowned pedagogues Pinchas Zukerman
Pinchas Zukerman
Pinchas Zukerman is a world-renowned violinist, violist, and conductor. He is considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th and 21st centuries, and his ongoing 45-year career has seen him perform with the world's best-known orchestras and record over 100 works...
, Roberto Diaz
Roberto Diaz
Roberto Díaz was principal viola of the National Symphony under Mstislav Rostropovich, a member of the Boston Symphony under Seiji Ozawa, and a member of the Minnesota Orchestra under Neville Marriner. In 1996 he became principal violist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, a position he held until 2006...
, Seiji Ozawa
Seiji Ozawa
is a Japanese conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of large-scale late Romantic works. He is most known for his work as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and principal conductor of the Vienna State Opera.-Early years:...
, Robert Mann
Robert Mann
Robert Mann is a musician, composer, and conductor.He was a founding member and first violinist of the Juilliard String Quartet for 52 years, and mentor to younger generations of string musicians....
, Nobuko Imai
Nobuko Imai
, is a Japanese classical violist with an extensive career as soloist and chamber musician. Since 1988 she plays an Andrea Guarneri of 1690.-Biography:...
, Boris Belkin
Boris Belkin
-Early years:As a child prodigy began studying the violin at the age of six, and made his first public appearance with Kirill Kondrašin when he was seven...
, and Yuri Bashmet
Yuri Bashmet
Yuri Abramovich Bashmet is a Russian conductor and violist.Direct patrilineal descendant of Besht.-Biography:Yuri Bashmet was born on 24 January 1953 in Rostov-on-Don in the family of Abram Borisovich Bashmet and Maya Zinovyeva Bashmet . "Father's mother, Tsilya Efimovna, studied singing at the...
.
2003 - Present Day
Since 2003 David has been performing with leading musicians and orchestras in the United States and Europe. As the First Prize winner of the 2005 Philadelphia Orchestra Young Artists Competition, David performed the Walton Viola Concerto with the Philadelphia OrchestraPhiladelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach
Christoph Eschenbach
Christoph Eschenbach , born February 20, 1940, Breslau, Germany is a German-born pianist and conductor. He currently holds positions in Washington, D.C. as music director of the National Symphony Orchestra and music director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.-Early...
, who describes Carpenter’s viola playing as “breathtaking, convincing and highly charismatic.” He has been acclaimed by Die Welt as “A New Star at the Forefront of Violists”; by The Philadelphia Inquirer as "an overnight-star violist"; and by The Strad Magazine as a violist whose "soulful sound, committed playing and dazzling technique leaves little to desire." David has made his recital debuts in the United States at well-known venues including Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
and the Kennedy Center. This past November, he made his debut in Germany with the Dresden Staatskapelle performing the Schnittke Viola Concerto. In 2008, he was Maxim Vengerov’s last-minute replacement for performances of Benjamin Yusupov's Viola, Tango, Rock Concerto with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland. He has performed in the United States at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Chicago’s Krannert Center, and San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, among other venues. In September, David released his first recording on the Ondine label of the Elgar Cello Concerto (arr. Lionel Tertis/Carpenter) and the Schnittke Viola Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Maestro Christoph Eschenbach. The disc received international acclaim and received numerous awards such as the Editor’s Choice Award by Gramophone Magazine and Disc of the Month by The New Yorker. Most recently, David was the recipient of the prestigious 2010 Avery Fisher Career Grant.
He collaborated in recital and chamber music concerts with Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax is a Grammy-winning American classical pianist. He is currently a teacher on the faculty of the Juilliard School. He is considered one of the best known concert pianists of the 21st century.-Early life:...
, Sarah Chang
Sarah Chang
Sarah Chang is a Korean American violinist. Her debut came in 1989 with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Shortly thereafter, Chang was recognized as a child prodigy. She enrolled at Juilliard School to study music, graduating in 1999 and continuing university studies...
, Leonidas Kavakos
Leonidas Kavakos
Leonidas Kavakos is a Greek virtuoso violinist .-Beginnings:Born in Athens into a musical family, Kavakos began studying violin at five years old and continued his studies at the Hellenic Conservatory with Stelios Kafantaris. An Onassis Foundation scholarship enabled him to attend master classes...
, Sol Gabetta
Sol Gabetta
Sol Gabetta is an Argentine cellist of French and Russian descent, now settled in Switzerland.- Biography :...
, Julian Rachlin
Julian Rachlin
Julian Rachlin is a Lithuanian-born violinist and violist.-Background and early life:Born in Vilnius, he emigrated in 1978 with his musician parents to Austria. In 1983, he entered the Konservatorium Wien and studied violin in the Soviet tradition with Boris Kuschnir, while also receiving private...
, Dmitry Sitkovetsky
Dmitry Sitkovetsky
Dmitry Sitkovetsky is a Russian violinist and conductor.- Early life :Dmitry Sitkovetsky was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, to violinist Julian Sitkovetsky and pianist Bella Davidovich. His father died in 1958, when Sitkovetsky was just three years old and the family moved to Moscow where Dmitry...
, Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Jean-Yves Thibaudet
-Early life:Jean-Yves Thibaudet was born in Lyon, France, to non-professional musical parents. His father played the violin, and his mother, of German origin and a somewhat accomplished pianist herself, introduced the instrument to Jean-Yves....
, and Yuja Wang
Yuja Wang
Yuja Wang is a Chinese classical pianist. She was born in Beijing, began studying piano there at age six, and went on to study at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.-Early life:...
and performs regularly at the Schleswig-Holstein and Verbier Music Festivals. David was designated a Presidential Scholar and received the Presidential Gold Medal at The Kennedy Center. In addition to his musical accomplishments, David received his A.B. degree in Political Science and International Relations from Princeton University in 2008.