Odin Rathnam
Violin
Since his critically acclaimed Lincoln Center debut in 1993, the American violinist
Odin Rathnam has established himself as one of the most passionate and
versatile artists of his generation. He has received unanimous praise from critics
and audiences for his "captivating temperament," "brilliant technique" and
“recalling the legendary violinists of the past”. A veteran performer at many
major European and American festivals including the Algarve International Music
Festival in Portugal, Denmark's Tivoli and Vendsyssel Festivals, Deia International
Festival in Mallorca, Boswil Festival in Switzerland, Aspen, Caramoor and Endless
Mountain Music Festivals. He has also appeared in recital on the Market Square
Concerts series, Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Recital Hall, where
Rathnam first appeared at the age of 15. As a soloist, he has performed with
the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, the Colombian National Symphony, the
Harrisburg Symphony, the Lancaster Symphony, the York Symphony, the EMMF
Orchestra, The New Amsterdam Symphony and the Randers Chamber Orchestra,
to name a few.
Recent seasons have included performances of concerti of Bernstein, Mozart and
Bach with the Philadelphia Virtuosi, and multiple engagements with conductor
Stephen Gunzenhauser and the EMMF Orchestra, performing Mozart #3,
Sarasate “Zigeunerweisen”, Wieniawski “Legende”, Lalo “Symphony Espagnole”,
and Brahms Violin Concerto, as well as 9 performances of Sarasate “Carmen
Fantasy” and Beethoven Romance in F, with the Harrisburg Symphony. In 2007,
he made his Tivoli Festival debut playing Prokofiev Sonata for Two Violins with
Nikolai Znaider. The Danish newspaper, Kristelig Dagblad, hailed the
“outstanding, full-blooded romantic violin playing by both players.”
Upcoming performances include a three concert series at The Forum in
Harrisburg, chamber music with the Phillips Camerata in Washington, DC,
Beethoven Violin Concerto, Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, the Four Seasons of
Piazzolla, as well as return engagements with the Randers Chamber Orchestra
and various festivals in Scandinavia and Portugal, performing 5 chamber music
programs and concerti of Mozart and Kreisler.
Mr. Rathnam is extremely committed to the development of young musicians and
his numerous students have been accepted at major conservatories throughout
the United States and abroad, several going on to win prizes in national and
international competitions. He has served as a performing faculty member at
Anker Buch’s Danish Summer School for Strings on the island of Mors, Danish
Strings led by Lars Bjornkjaer, and the Nordic Music Academy led by Nicolai
Znaider in Denmark. In 2012, Mr. Rathnam accepted a five year appointment as
artistic director of the Academia de Verao in Lagos, Portugal. He then
Profile 2
Odin Rathnam (Violin)
collaborated with Danish conductor, Christian Horbov-Meier on master classes in
Silkeborg, Denmark. Odin Rathnam is also the founder and artistic director of the
West Branch International Music Festival and Academy.
As a chamber musician, Odin Rathnam has collaborated (violin/viola) with
leading artists of his generation including: violinists Nikolai Znaider, Gil Shaham,
Adele Anthony and Kurt Nikkanen; pianists Rohan De Silva, Albert Tiu, Robert
Koenig and Anton Nel; and cellists Matt Haimowitz, Bion Tsang, Sara
Sant’Ambrogio, Wendy Warner, and Daniel Gaisford, Concertante (which he
founded in 1995), the Rafael Trio, the Ying Quartet and the Fry Street Quartet.
Mr. Rathnam received his early training at Juilliard Pre-College and Mannes
College of Music with Sally Thomas, returning to the Juilliard School as a
scholarship student of Dorothy DeLay and Masao Kawasaki. He studied chamber
music with Julius Levine, Felix Galimir, Joel Smirnoff, and Josef Gingold. He also
worked closely with the Danish violinist and pedagogue Anker Buch, who is
credited by many for bringing Ivan Galamian’s teachings to Denmark.
Odin Rathnam performs on a late 19th century violin crafted by an unknown
maker, in the manner of Guarnerius Del Gesu’s middle period, and on an Italian
violin by Batolomeo Calvarola, built in 1755.