Gil Shaham on the Sibelius Violin Concerto, David Oistrakh and Michael Tilson Thomas

Superstar violinist and friend of the LA Phil Gil Shaham has a history with not only Sibelius' haunting, brooding Violin Concerto, but also with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. When this video was originally filmed, Shaham was preparing to perform with Michael Tilson Thomas and the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl during their 2013 season.

But in December 2015, you can hear Gil Shaham perform works by Bach and Mendelssohn with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall! Visit http://www.laphil.com/tickets/calendar-fullseason/2015 for more information.

"Sibelius Violin Concerto ... I remember when I was maybe 12 years old and I had a recording at home of David Oistrakh. ... And I remember just listening to the opening of that concerto over and over and over again, hundreds of times, just being completely haunted by that beginning," Shaham shares.

"There's a little bit of history with that piece with Michael Tilson Thomas," Shaham continues. "When I was a junior in high school, I kind of had a very lucky break in the music world where the London Symphony was scheduled to play the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the great violinist Itzhak Perlman, who canceled. The very desperate orchestra — having been refused by 100 violinists first — ended up calling me."

"I got to fly on the Concorde because it was short notice. I arrived there and there was Michael Tilson Thomas. It was my first time meeting him and working with him and he was — like he still is — just all about the music and so incredibly encouraging and helpful. And that was maybe one of the very first Sibelius concertos I ever played."

Learn more about violinist Gil Shaham from his LA Phil profile at http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/gil-shaham.

Видео Gil Shaham on the Sibelius Violin Concerto, David Oistrakh and Michael Tilson Thomas канала LA Phil