Remus Azoitei is a violin professor at the Royal Academy of Music. Appointed in 2002, he became the youngest violin professor in the history of the institution, and in 2004 was awarded the title of Associate of the Royal Academy of Music for his professional achievements. He also taught violin at the Bucharest Conservatoire between 1993 and 1998.
Much in demand for his unique approach in terms of technique and musicality, Remus has a vast knowledge of the repertoire and literature on the instrument, as well as the ability to vary his teaching according to the needs of each student. A successful violinist himself, Remus is the result of an exciting blend of the world's major violin schools. Having been raised in the Romanian violin school, which presents a unique combination of French and Russian traditions, he then studied in the West, absorbing the values of the American school.
Remus studied with Daniel Podlovsky at the Bucharest Conservatoire, where he obtained his Bachelor Degree, as well as a Post Graduate Diploma dedicated exclusively to analysing and performing Bach's solo violin works. After graduating he was immediately invited to join the violin faculty of the Conservatoire. In 1998 he moved to New York to study with Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School under a 3 year full scholarship. A Master Degree recipient, he was also a student of Masao Kawasaki and, at DeLay's personal recommendation he received lessons from the legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman.
In 2001 Remus returned to Europe, having been offered a scholarship by the Royal Academy of Music in London to study with Maurice Hasson. Over time, Remus has benefited from the guidance of such musicians as Ivry Gitlis, Sigmund Nissel (Amadeus Quartet), Zakhar Bron, Eugen Sarbu, Mihai Constantinescu, and members of the Voces Quartet, all of these fine artists shaping him not just as a musician, but also as a pedagogue.
A sought after teacher, Remus Azoitei has been invited to give Master Classes in London, Brussels, Mannheim, Bucharest, and most recently in Berlin, at the Academy of Arts. His pupils have won prizes in international violin competitions such as the Wieniawski and Jeunesses Musicales, as well as praise for their debut concerts in London, Paris, Berlin, Bucharest and Tokyo, among others. Many of his former students are now part of professional London and European orchestras, enjoy solo careers, or perform in leading chamber ensembles.
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About Remus Azoitei
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Described in The Strad as “an uninhibited virtuoso, with soul and fabulous technique”, the Romanian-born violinist Remus Azoitei graduated from the Juilliard School in New York in 2001, and has since been a featured soloist of prestigious European ensembles including the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de Belgique and Deutsche Kammer Orchester. He has performed concertos under conductors such as Lawrence Foster, Dimitri Kitaenko, Michael Sanderling, and Gabriel Chmura.
Remus Azoitei’s recent engagements have taken him to venues around the world including Carnegie Hall / Weill Recital Hall and Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center in New York, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Salle Cortot Paris, Konzerthaus Berlin, St-Martin-in-the-Fields and Wigmore Hall in London, Auditorio Nacional Madrid, Konzerthaus Vienna, Palais de Beaux Arts and Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, and National Concert Hall in Dublin. “Azoitei played with a fluid melodic sensibility and sparkling technique” wrote The Washington Post, commenting on his Washington DC debut at the Terrace Theatre of Kennedy Center, in December 2009.
A regular guest of the Enescu Festival in Bucharest, the Bourglinster Festival in Luxemburg and Berlin International Music Festival in Berlin, Remus Azoitei has worked with artists such as cellists David Geringas and Adrian Brendel, violist Gerard Caussé, and pianists Nicola Eimer and Konstantin Lifshitz. After his London Wigmore Hall debut in 2004, the Sunday Express wrote that "he delivered a memorable programme in front of a packed Wigmore Hall, and had the crowd cheering. He is one fine musician." In 2005, he performed Bach’s Double concerto with Nigel Kennedy, a concert broadcast on 19 Radio and TV stations across Europe and North America, including Arte and Mezzo. He has recorded for the Electrecord, Radio Bremen, Hänssler Classic, and Plush Music labels. In 2005 he received "The Cultural Order", a decoration offered to him for his achievements by the Romanian President.
Over the years, Remus Azoitei has developed a successful artistic partnership with pianist Eduard Stan. Apart from a very large number of performances they have given as a duo, the two artists recorded together the first ever entire repertoire for violin and piano by George Enescu. Launched by Hänssler Classics on 2 CDs in 2007, this collection immediately attracted international acclaim, such as: "Azoitei has all the requirements: marked sensitivity, a sweetness of tone (but not over-succulence) and an impressive emotional and dynamic range..." - The Strad, or "...the refined but vibrant performing style of Remus Azoitei... a distinctive player who combines temperament, mastery of idiom and executive elegance in a very special way" - The Gramophone.
Remus Azoitei studied with Itzhak Perlman and Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School in New York, where he was awarded a scholarship to study for his Master’s Degree. He then travelled to London to work with Maurice Hasson at the Royal Academy of Music.
He is a prize-winner of international violin competitions in Bucharest, Milan, Weimar and Wellington, NZ.
In 2001, Remus Azoitei was appointed violin professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London, at the time becoming the youngest ever violin professor in the history of this institution. He is the Artistic Director of the Enescu Society in London, also being one of its founding members. He lives in London, and performs on a violin made by Niccolo Gagliano in 1735, from the Royal Academy of Music’s collection.