Callum Smart

Callum Smart attracted wide public attention at the age of thirteen having won the strings category of the 2010 BBC Young Musicians Competition performing Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Vasily Petrenko and broadcast on BBC 2 and BBC Radio 3. 

Also in 2010, Callum became the top European prize-winner  in the Menuhin Competition in Oslo with his performance of Ravel"s Tzigane. He has since appeared at a number of European festivals including Les Sommets Musicaux in Gstaad with pianist Gordon Back, Mecklenburg Vorpommern with The Polish Chamber Orchestra, the Malmö International String Festival with Jonas Vitaud, the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad and the Dvorak Festival in Prague. UK recitals include the Cheltenham Festival, the International Lake District Summer Music Festival, Glasgow, Leamington Spa, Leeds, Manchester, Newport, Perth and London's Wigmore Hall. 

Highlights of last season include his North American debut with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Grant Llewellyn, a performance of Tchaikovsky"s Concerto with the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera and an invitation from Vasily Petrenko to play Prokofiev"s Violin Concerto No.2 in Liverpool. 

Callum"s concerto appearances include venues such as Cadogan Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall, London and performances of the Glazunov Concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Grant Llewellyn, Mozart"s Violin Concerto No.5 with the European Union Chamber Orchestra, and Britten"s Violin Concerto with Chethams Symphony Orchestra at Lichfield and Cheltenham Festivals and the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. This season sees him perform Mozart"s Violin Concerto No.5 with the Northern Chamber Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.  

Early 2014 sees Callum release his first recital disc on the recording label, Orchid Classics. Accompanied by Gordon Back, he performs Grieg Violin Sonata No.2 in G Major, Chausson Poeme and Franck Violin Sonata in A major

Callum began violin studies at the age of six and at nine became a student of Maciej Rakowski whose tutelage has continued alongside his studies at Chetham"s School of Music.

Callum plays on a 1698 Antonio Stradivari violin generously loaned by J & A Beare Ltd. 

http://www.callumsmart.com/