Lajos Garam
Encyclopedia
Lajos Garam, D.Mus.
, (born June 10, 1939 in Eger, Hungary
) is a Hungarian
-born Finnish classical
violin
ist and pedagogue
.
and then moved to Eger, Hungary in the 1930s. Garam's father worked as a vicar and his mother taught classical piano at the Eger Music Institute. In the mid-1940s, the Garam family moved back to Finland. Garam is the oldest of five children.
under the guidance of Anja Ignatius from 1959 through 1965, when he earned his violin diploma. He then continued his studies at the Cologne University of Music
(Max Rostal
), Franz Liszt Academy of Music
(Dénes Kovács), and the Brussels Royal Conservatory of Music
(André Gertler
). Additionally, Garam also took part in various master class
es, taught by Mark Lubotsky, Igor Bezrodny, Yehudi Menuhin
and Dorothy DeLay
.
as well. As an orchestral musician, Garam has worked in the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
, in addition to being concertmaster
of Finnish city orchestras such as the Sinfonia Finlandia
.
Garam worked as a lecturer at the Turku Conservatory in Finland from 1970 through 1973, the Grieg Academy
in Norway
from 1973 through 1975, and the Sibelius Academy in Finland from 1979 through 2004, serving also as Leader of the Department of Soloists during the 1990s. After working at the Sibelius Academy for over 30 years, Garam was officially retired in 2004. However, he continues to teach the violin at the Academy today, having four students at the time.
Over the years, Garam has held seminars and lectures in various conservatories and universities in Finland, Norway, Estonia
, Russia
and the USA, including the Boston Conservatory
.
Garam's autobiography Cantabile - Viulistin elämää (Cantabile - The Life of a Violinist) was published in Finland in 2007.
Medal by the Sibelius Academy for his work as a lecturer at the university for over 30 years, and the Order of the White Rose by the President of Finland
.
Doctor of Music
The Doctor of Music degree , like other doctorates, is an academic degree of the highest level. The D.Mus. is intended for musicians and composers who wish to combine the highest attainments in their area of specialization with doctoral-level academic study in music...
, (born June 10, 1939 in Eger, Hungary
Eger
Eger is the second largest city in Northern Hungary, the county seat of Heves, east of the Mátra Mountains. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, historic buildings , and red and white wines.- Name :...
) is a Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
-born Finnish classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist and pedagogue
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
.
Background
Garam was born to a Hungarian father and a Finnish mother, after they had met and married in FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and then moved to Eger, Hungary in the 1930s. Garam's father worked as a vicar and his mother taught classical piano at the Eger Music Institute. In the mid-1940s, the Garam family moved back to Finland. Garam is the oldest of five children.
Education
Garam studied at the Sibelius AcademySibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy is a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities...
under the guidance of Anja Ignatius from 1959 through 1965, when he earned his violin diploma. He then continued his studies at the Cologne University of Music
Hochschule für Musik Köln
The Cologne University of Music is a music college in Cologne, and Germany's largest academy of music.-History:The academy was founded by Ferdinand Hiller in 1850 as Conservatorium der Musik in Coeln...
(Max Rostal
Max Rostal
Max Rostal was a violinist and a viola player. He was Austrian-born, but later took British citizenship.-Biography:Max Rostal was born in Cieszyn and studied with Carl Flesch. He won the Mendelssohn Scholarship in 1925...
), Franz Liszt Academy of Music
Franz Liszt Academy of Music
The Franz Liszt Academy of Music is a concert hall and music conservatory in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875...
(Dénes Kovács), and the Brussels Royal Conservatory of Music
Koninklijk Conservatorium (Brussels)
The Royal Conservatory of Brussels is a drama and music college in Brussels, Belgium. An academy for acting and the arts, it has been attended by many of the top actors and actresses in Belgium such as Josse De Pauw, Luk van Mello and Luk De Konink....
(André Gertler
André Gertler
André Gertler was a classical violinist and teacher.Born in Budapest, Hungary, he fled the country under the Nazis. He was a teacher at the Royal Conservatory of Music, in Brussels, Belgium....
). Additionally, Garam also took part in various master class
Master class
A master class is a class given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also painting, drama, or any of the arts....
es, taught by Mark Lubotsky, Igor Bezrodny, Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...
and Dorothy DeLay
Dorothy DeLay
Dorothy DeLay was an American violin instructor, primarily at the Juilliard School.She was born in Medicine Lodge, Kansas.-Career and education:...
.
Career
Since his debut concert in 1966, Garam has given recitals all around Europe and released three solo recordings, including Chanson Sans Paroles (1977), Cantabile (1980) and A Little Evening Music (1985). He has also made many solo orchestral appearances with Finnish city orchestras, performing with the Bergen Philharmonic OrchestraBergen Philharmonic Orchestra
The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the world's oldest orchestral institutions. It performs some 110 concerts a year, and is based at the 1,500-seat Grieg Hall in Bergen, Norway.-History:...
as well. As an orchestral musician, Garam has worked in the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra is a Finnish orchestra based in Helsinki, and is the chief radio orchestra of the Finnish Broadcasting Company . The orchestra primarily gives concerts at the Helsinki Music Centre...
, in addition to being concertmaster
Concertmaster
The concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
of Finnish city orchestras such as the Sinfonia Finlandia
Sinfonia Finlandia
The Sinfonia Finlandia is an orchestra in Finland. Its current music director is Patrick Gallois. Sinfonia Finlandia was the first to record Einojuhani Rautavaara's Aleksis Kivi. Their first recording for Naxos Records was the first-five numbered symphonies by Joseph Haydn.-External links:* in...
.
Garam worked as a lecturer at the Turku Conservatory in Finland from 1970 through 1973, the Grieg Academy
Griegakademiet
The Grieg Academy is a name currently shared by music programs at two higher education institutions in Bergen, Norway. One prominent institution, which until recently has referred to itself in English as the "Grieg Institute" is the music conservatory in Bergen, Norway and a department of the...
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
from 1973 through 1975, and the Sibelius Academy in Finland from 1979 through 2004, serving also as Leader of the Department of Soloists during the 1990s. After working at the Sibelius Academy for over 30 years, Garam was officially retired in 2004. However, he continues to teach the violin at the Academy today, having four students at the time.
Over the years, Garam has held seminars and lectures in various conservatories and universities in Finland, Norway, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the USA, including the Boston Conservatory
Boston Conservatory
The Boston Conservatory is a performing arts conservatory located in the Fenway-Kenmore region of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in music, dance and musical theater...
.
Author
Garam has authored several books and various articles on violin pedagogy, including his doctoral thesis The Influence of the Spatial-Temporal Structure of Movement on Intonation during Changes of Position in Violin Playing (1990) and The Upbringing of a Talented Violinist (2001), which has been sold to some 30 countries worldwide.Garam's autobiography Cantabile - Viulistin elämää (Cantabile - The Life of a Violinist) was published in Finland in 2007.
Accolades
Among other accolades, Garam has been awarded the Martin WegeliusMartin Wegelius
Martin Wegelius was a Finnish composer and musicologist, primarily remembered as the founder, in 1882, of the Helsinki Music Institute, now known as the Sibelius Academy.Wegelius studied in Leipzig, Vienna and Munich...
Medal by the Sibelius Academy for his work as a lecturer at the university for over 30 years, and the Order of the White Rose by the President of Finland
Tarja Halonen
Tarja Kaarina Halonen is the incumbent President of Finland. The first female to hold the office, Halonen had previously been a member of the parliament from 1979 to 2000 when she resigned after her election to the presidency...
.