OLIVEIRA, ELMAR (b 1950 )

The son of Portuguese immigrants, American violinist ELMAR OLIVEIRA was nine when he began studying the violin with his brother John, and he later continued his studies with Ariana Bronne and Raphael Bronstein at the Hartt College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. The only American violinist to win the gold medal at Moscow's Tchaikovsky International Competition, he was the first violinist to receive the coveted Avery Fisher Prize, and he also won first prizes at the Naumburg and Dealey competitions. He appears throughout the world and has premiered works by such composers as Charles Wuorinen, Joan Tower, Andrzej Panufnik, Benjamin Lees, Leonard Rosenman, Hugh Aitken, and Richard Yardumian, and has performed infrequently heard concertos by Alberto Ginastera, Einoujuhani Rautavaara, and Joseph Joachim. Among his many recordings is the Grammy-nominated performance of Barber's Violin Concerto with Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony. Of special significance are a CD featuring Oliveira performing on some of the world's greatest violins (fifteen by Stradivari and fifteen by Guarneri "del Gesu") and his recording of short pieces spotlighting rare violins from the Library of Congress collection.

Albums featuring this artist are available for download from ClassicsOnline.com
ACHRON: Violin Concerto No. 1 / Golem / 2 Tableaux from Belshazzar	8.559408
AITKEN: Aspen Concerto / Rameau Remembered / In Praise of Ockeghem	AR-0004-2
BEETHOVEN / MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concertos	AR-0040-2
BLOCH, E.: Violin Concerto / LEES, B.: Violin Concerto (Oliveira)	AR-0042-2
BRAHMS / SAINT-SAENS: Violin Concertos	AR-0003-2
BRAHMS: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-3	AR-0008-2
CORIGLIANO / COPLAND: Violin Sonatas / DELLO JOIO, N.: Variations and Capriccio	AR-0035-2
ELGAR: Violin Sonata, Op. 82 / FAURE: Violin Sonata, Op. 13	AR-0019-2
FAVORITE VIOLIN ENCORES	AR-0007-2
FLAGELLO: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3 / Credendum	AR-0002-2
FLAGELLO: Violin Concerto / Orchestral Songs	AR-0036-2
LEKEU: Violin Sonata / CHAUSSON: Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet	AR-0013-2
PROKOFIEF: Violin Sonata in F minor / Violin Sonata in D major / 5 Melodies	AR-0029-2
RAUTAVAARA, E.: Concertos	ODE1156-2Q
RAUTAVAARA, E.: Violin Concerto / Isle of Bliss / Angels and Visitations (Oliveira, Helsinki Philharmonic, Segerstam)	ODE881-2
RESPIGHI / PIZZETTI: Violin Sonatas	AR-0001-2
SHOSTAKOVICH: Violin Concerto No. 1 / Symphony No. 6	AR-0017-2