Israeli-French Ivri Gitlis is considered one of the great violinists of the 20th century • Played with Yitzhak Perlman, Yasha Hefetz, John Lennon and Eric Clapton • 98 years old at the time of his death
Hebrew Gitlis, 1922-2020
Photography:
Photo: AFP
There will surely be those who compete for the title to be attached to his name, as the great violinist of the 20th century, a virtuoso, the prodigy of the Hebrew settlement, a legend in his lifetime, a pilgrimage center for thousands of violinists and who played with the best and most important musicians in classical music.
Gitlis was born in Haifa in 1922 as Yitzhak Meir Gitlis to Russian-born parents.
When he was about 8 years old he played for Bronislaw Huberman, the founder of the Philharmonic Orchestra who made him his foster son and recommended that he study at the Conservatory of Paris.
In 1934 Gitlis traveled to France and studied with teachers such as Carl Flesh, Jel Bushery, Georgia Unesco and Jacques Thibaut.
In 1940 he escaped the terror of the Nazis from occupied France to England, on a ship with his mother.
As he feared that the Germans would invade England as well, he was offered to change his name to a non-Jewish-sounding name, and he chose the name "Hebrew" in order to maintain his Hebrew-Israeli connection.
During his long career he has played with the best orchestras and great musicians including Yasha Hefetz, David Ostrach, Yitzhak Perlman and pianist Arthur Rubinstein, but not only in classical music, Gitlis has also played with pop pop icons including John Lennon and Eric Clapton.
"I was at a party and we became friends. We later improvised together, and this lunatic, his wife Yoko Ono, came in the middle with her screams," he said in one of the interviews about his acquaintance with Lennon.
Although all the years since 1960, he has lived in France, he has maintained a warm and close relationship with Israel and performed a lot in the concert halls in the country and is one of the darlings of "Keshet Ayalon"
Gitlis' recordings are considered classics.
He played ancient Stradivarius violins.
In 1968 he participated in John Lennon's Dirty Mac project and starred in the film "Adela's Story" by renowned director Francois Truffaut.
In 1988, Gitlis was appointed Ambassador of Goodwill on behalf of UNESCO with his stated goal of "supporting the education and culture of peace and tolerance."
Eleven years ago, a film about his life was released in France.
In a telephone conversation with the music sound man Baruch Askrov four months ago, Gitlis told him from his bed in a sanatorium in Paris that he still continues to play.
