Happy 90th Birthday, Donald Scotts!

March 25, 2017, 1:07 PM · On March 18 my Australian teacher for 12 years, violinist Donald Scotts, celebrated his 90th birthday, so the previous day I made this video recording of three of his favourite Kreisler pieces in tribute to him, with Katya Apekisheva on piano:

In addition to his extraordinary gifts as a teacher, Don Scotts came to prominence as a musician of prodigious natural talent - a player of effortless charm with a warm, golden sound, and a performer of artfully understated elegance and nobility. For several years Don lead the Melbourne String Quartet and was Associate Concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

But I've known him best as a teacher and mentor - a true gentleman, a man of limitless warmth and humour, an inspiring love for his art and genuine care for his students.

I know there will be many other former colleagues and students who'll want to wish him a very happy birthday!

The three pieces recorded are Tempo di Minuetto, Serenade Espangole (Chaminade/Kreisler) and Caprice Viennois. The violin is by Shan Jiang (2011, New York). For those who would like to learn more about Scotts, his recording of quartets and violin sonata by Moeran is also available on iTunes: Moeran: String Quartet No. 1, Fantasy Quartet & Violin Sonata In E Minor by John Talbot, Melbourne Quartet & Sarah Francis.