Elmar Oliveira

Elmar Oliveira is a Portuguese (some would say American) concert violinist and teacher born (in Connecticut) on June 28, 1950 (Heifetz was 49 years old.) He began studying the violin at age 9 and later continued his studies at the Hartt College of Music (part of the University of Hartford) and at the Manhattan School of Music. He won the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition (Moscow) in 1978 and the Avery Fischer Prize in 1983. His discography on several labels (Vox, Delos, Sony, Artek, Naxos, Melodiya, etc.) is very extensive though YouTube has precious few videos of his playing. We know he has appeared with every major (and some minor) American orchestras, but his website does not say whether he has played with any of the great European orchestras – Vienna, Berlin, Concertgebouw, Paris Conservatoire, or Royal Philharmonic (London.) Perhaps we should assume he has. Oliveira has over fifty concertos in his repertoire – including the Stravinsky but, oddly, not the Prokofiev no.1 - and innumerable recital works. He currently teaches at Lynn University Conservatory of Music in Florida, where he is artist-in-residence. Oliveira plays the Stretton Guarnerius (made on or about 1729.)