Yuri Bashmet
Born: 24th January 1953, Rostov-on-Don
Nationality: Russian
The Russian viola-player and conductor Yuri Bashmet was born in 1953 and trained at the Moscow Conservatory with Vadim Borisovsky and Fyodor Druzhinin; by the mid-1980s he had established himself as one of the world’s leading solo violists, and began a parallel as a conductor in 1985, founding the Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra the following year. His recording of Stravinsky and Prokofiev with the group on Onyx won a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Recording in 2007.