Russian violinist Ilya Kaler has been compared to masters such as Itzhak Perlman and Jascha Heifetz. He has the distinction of being the only violinist to win gold medals in three of the most prestigious international competitions: the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (1986), the Sibelius Competition in Helsinki (1985), and the Paganini Competition in Genoa (1981). He has had a distinguished career as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and educator.
Kaler was born into a musical family in Moscow in 1963, and attended the Central Music School for Esp...