On the Friday before midterms week, the Schreiber auditorium was filled with the powerful sound of euphonious music that left students in awe.  World famous violinist Shlomo Mintz visited Schreiber on Jan. 19 to perform  for music students in the afternoon.  

“I remember walking by the auditorium and hearing the music penetrating through the walls that day,” said sophomore Cheryl Chang.  “It sounded so intensely good.”  

Mintz is a Russian-Israeli violinist who is distinguished by the grace and emotion he brings to every performance. At the age of 2, Mintz emigrated from Russia with his parents, and he began studying the violin just a year later. He thrived under the tutelage of the legendary violinist Isaac Stern and eventually studied at Juilliard with some of the top violin players of our time.  Today, Mintz appears in dozens of chamber music concerts and recitals all around the globe.

“The way he strikes the strings with his bow really shows how he has mastered playing the violin,” said sophomore Tiffany Guo.  

During his performance at Schreiber, he played the violin and was accompanied by four musicians, one of them being clarinetist Ms. Levana Cohen, who is the wife of band and music theory teacher Mr. Aaron Prindle.  Schreiber alumnus Andrew Lu was also among the musicians onstage.  As it was a chamber orchestra, there was one player for each instrument with the exception of Andrew Lu, who, like Mintz, played the violin.  

“The techniques he used were amazing along with the gracefulness of emotions represented through every note and bow stroke,” said sophomore Stacey Kim.  

One of the most memorable moments of Mintz’s performance was when he and the accompanying musicians began to play a waltz.  The performers swayed and forth as they continued to play the music. Mintz later commented that the reason for doing so was to keep the beat going.  Students were taken by surprise when the music made them want to want to jump out of their seats and start to dance.  Audience members thoroughly enjoyed the scene as well as the music that swelled throughout the auditorium.  

“It was really cool to see someone as talented and well-known as he is performing right in front of our eyes at such a personal level,” said sophomore Emily Appel.  “You could see he was really passionate about the music, and I thought that was really inspiring.”  

Mintz also had another performance at the Sands Point Preserve on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 8 p.m.  Joining him were the same four Long Island musicians who had accompanied him at Schreiber the day before.  The concert featured Levana Cohen on the clarinet, Kimberly Foster on the viola, Alison Rowe on the cello, and Andrew Lu and Shlomo Mintz on the violin.  Tickets were $55 for Conservancy members and $65 for non-members.  

The quintet performed inside the grand, historic rooms of Hempstead House at the preserve. Mintz first played solo, with his interpretation of “Fritz Kreisler,” a sonata designed for a solo violinist, by Eugène Ysayë.  This was then followed by a performance by all the musicians, who played Brahms’ “Opus 115.”  The performers provided the audience with a taste of high-quality music and a night of pure joy.  Guests were invited to have dessert with the artists following the performance to reflect on the delightful events of the evening.  

Some of the teachers from the Schreiber music department attended the concert.  Among the attendees was band and music theory teacher Mr. Aaron Prindle, who was there to witness Mintz’s talent and to support his wife who played alongside him.  

“He demonstrates mastery of his instrument and total control,” said Mr. Prindle.  “He plays with a raw power that is rarely seen.”