Celebrated Violinist and Emmy Award Winner for Best Composition Edvin Marton Plays 300-Year-Old Stradivarius Violin at Houston Premiere
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Media Contact: Lydia Baehr Public Relations [email protected] (713) 208-3421 Public Contact: Brilliant Lecture Series (713) 974-1335 [email protected] For Immediate Release: Celebrated violinist and Emmy Award winner for Best Composition Edvin Marton plays 300-year-old Stradivarius violin at Houston premiere Watch a video of Marton performing “Fanatico” at the Great Wall of China The first video shot by a violinist at this astounding location: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj-MjxPcguM Download photos securely from Dropbox at this link HOUSTON—Edvin Marton’s internationally acclaimed Stradivarius Show makes its U.S. premiere in Houston at 7:30 p.m. on September 20 at the Wortham Center Brown Theatre. Stradivarius Show is an amazing fusion of classical music and contemporary rhythms accompanied by the beautiful musicians of the Monte Carlo Orchestra. With a contemporary twist, Stradivarius Show expands the appeal of classical music. Click here to watch a brief preview of Marton performing and a glimpse of the famous violin. Listen here to his rendition of Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose” from the 2012 movie “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises.” Marton is a friend of the singer Seal and even played at his wedding to model Heidi Klum. Marton will be performing with a Stradivarius violin made in Cremona, Italy in 1697 and played by famed Italian virtuoso violinist and composer, Niccolò Paganini. The instrument is one of eight Stradivarius violins in the same condition in the world. Stradivarius instruments originate from the workshop of luthier Antonio Stradivari and are renowned for their superior sound quality. Marton is a Hungarian musician born in Ukraine in 1974 and was accepted into the Central Tchakowsky Music School in Moscow at 8 years old. Marton performed with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra when he was 12 years old. Five years later, Marton entered the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest. He went on to master his musical style and sensibility at Juilliard School of Music, where he was awarded a scholarship. While still in his 20s, Marton won the chance to play the Paganini Stradivarius violin subsequently lent to him for life. At the 2006 Winter Olympics Marton performed two original compositions, “Tosca Fantasy” and “Romeo and Juliet,” for Gold Medalist skaters Evgeni Plushenko, Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinian. He is scheduled to perform during the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. -more- Brilliant Lectures/Edvin Marton/2 That same year, Marton became the first Hungarian to receive an Emmy Award for Best Composition. He became close friends with Russian Olympic figure skater Plushenko. They collaborated again during the internationally-televised 2008 Eurovison Song Contest as part of the performance of Russian singer Dima Bilan’s first place winning song, “Believe.” He has also released five albums, which include both his performances of famous compositions and his own original compositions. Edvin Marton’s Stradivarius Show premiere is presented by Brilliant Lecture Series and title sponsor Tenenbaum & Company Classic Jewelers. For tickets, VIP reception tickets, other sponsorship opportunities and to learn more about the Brilliant Lecture Series visit www.BrilliantLectures.org or call (713) 974-1335. See ticketing policies here. About Brilliant Lecture Series: Click to watch how the Brilliant Lecture Series impacts the community. The Brilliant Lecture Series, a 501(c)(3), works to provide transformational experiences and a forum for generating new ideas through lectures, direct in-school programs and cross-cultural opportunities. The mission of the Brilliant Lecture Series is to motivate and inspire by presenting national and international leaders, role models, philanthropists, artists, humanitarians, authors, and entrepreneurs to the great city of Houston. The organization has three on-going programs to achieve this mission: Conversations with Brilliance, Brill Talks, and Brill Exchange, which have made a positive impact on more than 54,000 students and families. “Conversations with Brilliance” hosts someone ‘brilliant’ once every quarter. From international leaders, prize- winning authors and actors, to eminent scientists and business leaders – the “Conversations with Brilliance” series offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with the world’s greatest minds, inspiring leadership in Houston’s youth and their families. Each speaker will take the audience through his or her life, followed by a question and answer session. Since its inception, the Brilliant Lecture Series has presented luminaries: Betty White, Sir Sidney Poitier, former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Diana Ross, Dr. Maya Angelou, George Clooney, and President Mikhail Gorbachev to name just a few. The Brilliant Lecture Series videotapes our youth education outreach programs which are edited and distributed to schools throughout the greater Houston area for ongoing educational purposes, reaching thousands of students for years to come. ### .