by Len Lear

Violinist Giora Schmidt, 32, who attended Germantown Friends School from 1993 to 1996, is quickly establishing himself as a virtuoso with a worldwide reputation. He will be performing three Beethoven sonatas with his mother, Michal, a pianist, this Saturday, Feb. 27, 8 p.m., at Old Christ Church, 2nd and Market Streets.

According to a classical music critic for the Miami Herald, "Schmidt possesses ... an acutely focused, gleaming sound that recalls Perlman in his prime. Schmidt also possesses a daunting technical arsenal and sailed through the bravura passages of the outer movements with remarkably even articulation at a rapid tempo, without breaking a sweat."

Schmidt has received encomiums like this everywhere he has played. For example, the San Francisco Classical Voice wrote, “...The virtuoso Brahms Sonata was a thrill in all respects: stylish, passionate, technically on the mark and utterly convincing. The same came along with the two Sarasate pieces ... sauced with a pinch of Spanish spice that was perfect. These were confirmation of Schmidt's musicianship and prospects at full sail, music making in the grand tradition. This could be a major career."

Giora has appeared with numerous symphony orchestras around the world, including, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, New Jersey, Fort Worth, Honolulu, San Diego, Vancouver, Toronto, the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM (Mexico City), Orquesta Sinfonica de Chile, Sendai Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic. In 2003, he made his Carnegie Hall debut performing the Barber Violin Concerto with the New York Youth Symphony.

“I am still in touch with some of my friends at GFS through Facebook,” Schmidt told us in a recent interview. “Each teacher at GFS had a unique impact on me. They were all extremely dedicated, challenging and nurturing in their own way. The community/Quaker value was the common thread and one that still is a part of me today.”

How many hours did Giora practice on average when he was at GFS? “The balance of practice and school is never-ending for kids,” he said. “It was a constant struggle for me between homework and putting in the hours on the violin. I never quite managed it as well as I see some kids do today. My schoolwork usually suffered! Today I  try to do 3-4 hours every day. Sometimes more depending on upcoming programs/performances that simply demand more.”

In recital and chamber music, Giora has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and made important debuts at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Ravinia Rising Stars series in Chicago, the Louvre Museum in Paris and Tokyo's Musashino Cultural Hall. He is a regular guest at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and has collaborated with eminent musicians including Yefim Bronfman, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Lynn Harrell, Ralph Kirshbaum and Michael Tree.

Born in Philadelphia to professional musicians who had emigrated from Israel, Giora began playing the violin at the age of four. His mother, Michal Schmidt is a cellist and pianist, and his father, Dov Schmidt, is a violinist and businessman.

Giora has appeared with numerous symphony orchestras around the world and made his Carnegie Hall debut performing the Barber Violin Concerto in 2003.

Giora has studied under Patinka Kopec and Pinchas Zukerman at the Manhattan School of Music and Dorothy DeLay and Itzhak Perlman at The Juilliard School. Giora was the First Prize winner of the Philadelphia Orchestra's Greenfield Competition in 2000, the recipient of a 2003 Avery Fisher Career Grant and in 2005 won the Classical Recording Foundation's prestigious Samuel Sanders Award.

What was it like as a budding musician to study with classical music legends like Pinchas Zuckerman and Itzhak Perlman? “To say that studying with musicians of that caliber is an inspiration is an understatement. It puts your progress as a young musician in the microwave, accelerating everything. I never wanted to squander the opportunity and waste their time, so that’s when I really started to buckle down and PRACTICE. Before that, I never quite made the connection of how much work it actually takes to reach that level.”

What was Giora’s favorite performance ever? “Rarely a favorite performance,” he replied, “as I’m always thinking of how I can do things better for the next one, but certainly many special moments where the stars aligned.”

Since Giora is always on the move, performing all over the world and practicing when he is not performing, does he have time for a private life? “I really do value time away from the violin and music to clear my head and always come back refreshed. Yoga is a big part of my life. The mental and physical impact it has had has been huge, and I have my wonderful wife to thank for getting me into it almost 10 years ago!”

If Giora could meet and spend time with anyone on earth, living or dead, who would it be? “Too many to choose! But if I had to pick one, probably Beethoven.”

Not too many classical soloists get to play in concert with their mothers. What is that like? “Playing with my mom is the most natural thing for me. She was the first pianist I ever performed with as a child, and we have played together countless times since. We breathe and speak the same musical language and rarely have to discuss things verbally in rehearsal. The music does the talking.”

Tickets at the door for Saturday’s concert are $20 general admissions, $15 students and seniors. A reception will follow the performance.

More information at 215-922-1695 or www.Gioraschmidt.com