The Austrian violinist Lidia Baich is considered one of the most versatile performers of our time. With her profound and expressive interpretations, she fascinates listeners around the world. Born in St. Petersburg, she received her first violin lessons from her grandfather at the age of four. She then studied with prof. Boris Kushnir in Vienna. At the age of 8 she won her first international competition, followed by numerous other first prizes. At the age of sixteen, her outstanding musical performance earned her first place in the 1998 Grand Prix d’Eurovision and the title „European Musician of the year”, presented by Lord Yehudi Menuhin. Lidia Baich plays recitals as well as as a soloist with orchestra, performing in the world’s leading concert halls. She has toured extensively in Europe, Asia, South America, the USA, South Africa, Russia and India. She played with conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Adam Fischer, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Yuri Temirkanov, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Kristjan Järvi, Bertrand de Billy or Jakov Kreizberg with world renowned orchestras like New York Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, NHK Orchestra, Berliner Symphoniker, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Orchester National de France, Orchestra Arturo Toscanini, Malaysia Philharmonic or Camerata Salzburg.
As a passionate chamber musician, Baich plays with partners such as Helmut Deutsch, Nobuko Imai, Alexander Knyazev, Aleksey Igudesman, Hyung-Ki Joo, Boris Giltburg, members of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna Brahms Trio and others. Lidia Baich has performed at festivals like the Wiener Festwochen, the Salzburg Festival, the Dubrovnik Festival, the Moritzburg Festival, the Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival, and the Johannesburg Mozart Festival.
She played at the ten-year anniversary of “Pavarotti and Friends” in Modena. At the Komische Oper-Berlin she once again showed her musical and artistic versatility in a highly successful production with the Berlin Staatsballett. Lidia Baich also regularly performs with opera singers, most recently with Elina Garanca, Erwin Schrott or her husband Andreas Schager at the Berlin State Opera and Vienna State Opera as well as at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.. CD’s by Lidia Baich have been released under the label of Deutsche Grammophon, Lidia Baich has worked as a juror in renowned violin competitions such as the Menuhin or the Eurovision Competition and holds a professorship at the Music and Art University of Vienna. She supports several Foundations for young musicians, educational programs and raises money for their scholarships.
Lidia Baich plays a violin made by Jean Baptiste Vuillaume from 1860.