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Vita
James Creitz, born in 1957 in Madison, USA, is considered one of the leading violists of his generation. He gave his first concert at the age of five. As Rudolf Kolisch's godchild, he was a listener at rehearsals and concerts of the Pro Arte string quartet from a very early age. His first chamber music teachers and later partners were members of the Guarneri Quartet, the Vegh Quartet and the Beaux Arts Trio. He studied with Bruno Giuranna and at Yale University.
A prizewinner in numerous competitions, he has performed as a soloist in almost all the major cities of North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and the Far East, including La Scala Milan, the Sydney Opera House, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Suntory Hall. Recordings have been made by all major broadcasters in America and Europe. His more than 20 records have been released by MHS (USA), Dynamic, Claves (Switzerland), Nuova Era (Italy), Decca and UNICEF. James Creitz is a frequent guest at important festivals such as the South Bank Festival (London), where he performed with Yo Yo Ma, the International Chamber Music Weeks Naples, the Salzburg Festival, the Berlin Festival Weeks or the Chamber Music Festival in Waasa/Finland. He has frequently performed as a chamber musician with such renowned musicians as Bylsma, Petracchi, Kogan, Pergamenschikow, Canino, Sitkovetsky, Goritzki, Rostropowitsch and Rampal. From 1983 to 1993 he was a member of the Academia Quartet.
In 2000 he received the UNESCO prize in Trapani (Italy). In 2004, together with Federico Agostini, Yosuke Kawasaki and Sadao Harada, he founded the D'Amici String Quartet, which already enjoys an international reputation.
James Creitz teaches viola and chamber music in numerous courses in Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland and the USA and is frequently invited to international competitions as a jury member. Since 1991 he has been professor for viola at the Hochschule für Musik in Trossingen. James Creitz plays a Granciano viola from 1695.