Uto Ughi is an
Italian violinist, teacher, writer, and conductor born (in Busto Arsizio) on
January 21, 1944. His name has been
closely associated with the National Academy of Saint Cecilia (in Rome) for
many years. He is a high-profile
promoter of musical culture all over the world, but especially in Italy, as is
Vladimir Spivakov in Russia. Ughi has
founded several music festivals along the way.
His discography covers most of the standard violin repertoire. Because he came of age in the 1960s, he has had
a chance to work with some of the legendary names in the conducting world (who
are for the most part now dead) as well as the most current luminaries of the
baton. He began his lessons at age 4. His father was an amateur violinist but his
first formal teacher was a nameless violinist from the opera orchestra of La
Scala. At age 7, Ughi gave his first
recital in Milan. Though it’s hard to
believe, according to one source, he played some Paganini Caprices as well as
the ubiquitous Bach Chaconne at that recital.
Ughi studied for ten years at the Chigiana Music Academy in Siena
(Tuscany.) He also took lessons from
George Enesco for a time. He began his
uninterrupted concertizing career in 1959 – he was 15 years old. Among his pupils are Augustin Hadelich and
Sayaka Shoji. Ughi’s recording of
Paganini’s fourth concerto is my favorite recording of that particular concerto. Here is a YouTube video of one of his
performances. He has also recorded a
seldom-played work – the Schumann concerto.
Here is the first movement from that recording - the second and third
movements are here. Between 1987 and
1992, he was the principal conductor of the Orchestra of the St Cecilia
Academy. Ughi has owned or played the
Kreutzer Stradivarius (the one from 1701 – there are 4 Strads named Kreutzer),
the General Kyd, the Ole Bull, and a Guarneri from 1744.
