Charlie Siem
| Charlie Siem | |
|---|---|
 Charlie Siem at Wigmore Hall (2012) | |
| Background information | |
| Born |
14 January 1986 (age 30) London, England |
| Genres | Classical, |
| Occupation(s) | Violinist |
| Instruments | Violin |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | Sony Music |
| Website |
www |
| Notable instruments | |
|
Violin 1735 Guarneri del Gesu d’Egville | |
Charles Maximilian "Charlie" Siem[1] (born 14 January 1986) is an English contemporary classical violinist as well as a model.
Life
Charlie Siem was born in London, England, to billionaire Kristian Siem, a Norwegian businessman, and his South-African born wife Karen Ann, née Moross.[1][2][3] His sister is Sasha Siem, a musician.
Siem began the study of violin at age three when his interest piqued upon hearing the cassettes his mother would play. He went on to study at Eton College and Girton College, Cambridge, and continued his violin studies with Itzhak Rashkovsky and Shlomo Mintz. He performed his first concerto with an orchestra at age 15, and played with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at age 18.[4] He has gained recognition in the past few years by playing alongside artists such as The Who and Miley Cyrus. Among his fans include Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Siem also professionally models having been the face of Dunhill London and Hugo Boss.
Siem is distantly related to Norwegian violin virtuoso and composer Ole Bull.[5]
He plays a violin made by Guarneri del Gesu from 1735, also known as the d’Egville. The violin was previously owned by Yehudi Menuhin.[4]
Reviews
- "Siem also had the deep heart and soul required to make the music sing, in a great romantic combination of drama, passion and tenderness."[6]
- "Under the Stars" Album of the week on Classic FM "A very attractive selection of favourites, performed with the violinist's trademark grace and intimacy."[7]
- Siem has received negative criticism in The New York Times, " there was a dumbfounding gap between his retro suavity and the ineptitude of his playing (...) His intonation, passagework and tone were simply ugly".[8]
- Gramophone, "Charlie Siem, allowing his tone to soar in a great arch, creates a memorable high-point."[9]
- "These performances show that his music-making is more than capable of speaking for itself without any kind of special pleading." The Guardian[10]
- "...Charlie Siem completely broke people's prejudices with his performance, proving himself through his music and demonstrating the charm of 'the most exciting young violinist in the contemporary music world' on the stage of Beijing Concert Hall. Charlie presented the Beijing audience with masterpieces and sonatas such as Violin Sonata No. 9 "Kreutzer” by Beethoven, Violin Sonata No. 3 by Grieg, Zigeunerweisen by Sarasate and more....His performance was a consummate display of skill. He captivated the audience with his extremely impressive playing, calm stage presence, handsome appearance and astonishing technique." China Art News [11]
Discography
Siem has released CDs including:
- Charlie Siem - Elgar & Grieg (Sonatas for Violin and Piano)
- Charlie Siem - Violin Virtuoso
- Charlie Siem - Bruch, Wieniawski, Ole Bull - The London Symphony Orchestra - Andrew Gourlay
- Charlie Siem - Under The Stars - Münchner Rundfunkorchester - Paul Goodwin - Sony Classical
References
- 1 2 http://www.ancestry.com
- ↑ http://www.port-magazine.com/feature/charlie-siem/
- ↑ http://www.channel24.co.za/News/Local/Celebs-you-didnt-know-had-SA-roots-20130726
- 1 2 "So Charlie Siem is Amazing". 19 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ↑ "About". Retrieved 30 October 2011.
- ↑ Superb opening of season by Albert Storace, Times of Malta, 8 October 2014
- ↑ John Suchet, Classic FM 22 September 2014
- ↑ Woolfe, Zachary. "Impeccably Dressed, With His Violin at the Ready". New York Times. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ↑ "Elgar, Grieg". Gramophone. August 2008: 66.
- ↑ Clements, Andrew (29 May 2008). "Music Elgar: Violin Sonata Op 82; Grieg: Violin Sonata Op 45 No 3; etc, Siem/ Korobeinikov". Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- ↑ Zhang, Yue (14 September 2016). "Classical Idol at Beijing Concert Hall".
External links
- Charlie Siem Official Website
- Charlie Siem Unofficial Website, launched in January 2016
- Charlie Siem plays with Roger Daltrey & Pete Townshend on YouTube
- Charlie Siem plays with Bryan Adams on YouTube
- Charlie Siem at Le Poisson Rouge on YouTube
- Charlie Siem plays Sonata No. 3 'Ballade' by Eugène Ysaÿe on YouTube