Portland welcomes violin virtuoso

Published 4:00 am Friday, January 14, 2011

Violinist David Garrett will bring his blend of classical, rhythm and blues, pop and rock music Feb. 2 to the Aladdin Theater in Portland.

It’s not often you hear Metallica, Michael Jackson and Mozart in the same concert. For fiddle phenom David Garrett, that’s the norm.

Using elements of classical, rhythm and blues, rock and pop music, Garrett will perform Feb. 2 at the Aladdin Theater in Portland.

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Born in Aachen, Germany, Garrett received his first violin at the age of 4, according to his website. A child prodigy, he was already soloing with prestigious orchestras — including the London Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Russian National Orchestra — at the age of 8.

According to the German newspaper Kolner Stadt-Anzeigere, Garrett is considered one of the “fastest violinists in the world.” Until recently, he held the Guinness Book of World Records time for fastest performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee.” Garrett performed the song, which normally takes 1 minute and 20 seconds, in a blistering 66 seconds — equally about 13 notes per second.

With an eclectic repertoire, Garrett hopes to introduce young audiences to the classics. “In my eye, the Paganinis, Liszts and Chopins of the 19th century were the world’s first rock stars,” said Garrett in his biography.

His repertoire includes “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Walk This Way,” “Smooth Criminal,” “The 5th” (a variation on Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5), “Vivaldi vs. Vertigo,” “Master of Puppets” and “Kashmir.”

Tickets are $39.50 in advance (plus service fees) and $42 day of show. To purchase tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com or contact 800-745-3000.

For more information on Garrett, visit www.david-garrett.com.

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