Yuri Savkin

Yuri Savkin, also known as Jurijs Savkins, is a virtuoso violinist who joined Camenae de Cymru in 2022 and has been the ensemble's lead violinist since then. Since 1997, he has been the concertmaster of the first violins at the Latvian National Opera and Ballet Theatre. Yuri is a well-known musician in Latvia.

 

Yuri started his musical education in his hometown, Liepaja, Latvia, in the class of Ludmila Skinch, a remarkable violinist and music teacher. Later, he graduated from the Latvian Music Academy in Riga (the class of Professor Voldemārs Šeļegovs).

 

Yuri's active performance career started in 1995 when he joined the Riga String Quartet and played the second violin. He has also performed solo with other chamber instrumental ensembles.

In 2000, Yuri founded the string quartet Riga Viva, where he played the first violin. Since 2003, he has also joined the Riga Klezmer Band, which was founded by Zeev Shulman, the cantor of the Riga Choral Synagogue. 

In his career, he has performed with many famous European musicians, including François Benda (clarinet, professor at the "Universität der Künste Berlin", Germany), pianist Antoine Bouvy (Paris, France), pianist Peter Laul (St. Petersburg, Russia), and pianist Ieva Osha (Austria), as well as with many leading Latvian musicians. He also performed solo programmes with all orchestras in Latvia.

Yuri's career has been greatly influenced by his collaboration with leading Latvian composers such as Atis Stepiņš, Pēteris Vasks, Anitra Tumševica, Platon Buravicky, Marina Gribinchik, whose works were played at concert premieres.

Yuri has performed recital and chamber music programmes in many European cities, including Paris, Berlin, London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and St. Petersburg. 

Yuri has released several discs with the Riga String Quartet, the Riga Klezmer Band ensemble, French pianist Antoine Bouvy and Latvian organist and composer Atis Stepiņš.

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