HARD-LIVING VIOLINIST

“Death is a recurring theme in a Ivry Gitlis interview because, well, other people just keep bringing up the subject. ‘Maestro rages against dying of the light’ screamed one review headline after Gitlis made his Australian debut at the 1998 Huntington Festival. Across the globe, music writers never tire of surmising whether the astonishing performance they’ve just witnessed might very well be the violinist’s last.” – Sydney Morning Herald