German violin virtuoso weaves classical standards with rock & pop favorites in his first U.S. concert special

“David Garrett is already the stuff of legend — in him is enshrined an entire corpus of virtuoso violin art, expounded with a fearsome beauty beyond comprehension.” — BBC Music Magazine

Known in Britain as “the David Beckham of the violin,” David Garrett has touched hearts and astounded audiences wherever he has performed. From Vivaldi to Queen to Michael Jackson, the young German violinist weaves classical standards with rock and pop favorites for a thrilling performance in his first PBS special, David Garrett: Live in Berlin – premiering nationwide May and June 2009 (check local listings).

Accompanied by a symphony orchestra and full rock band, Garrett enthralls the audience in Berlin’s stunning Tempodrom concert arena with his talent and rousing repertoire. He cleverly re-interprets Queen’s ballad, “Who Wants to Live Forever;” gives AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” a memorable new twist; and opens with the rousing “He’s a Pirate” from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Given his enduring commitment to his first musical love, Garrett also performs classical pieces, including selections from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Bizet’s Carmen. The virtuoso violinist also displays his own writing skills with “Chelsea Girl.” David Garrett: Live in Berlin is an invigorating journey from Brahms to Metallica — with music from classical to rock and back. Full program song list.

The program coincides with Garrett’s forthcoming debut U.S. album, David Garrett, which will be released in the U.S. on June 2, 2009. Already a rising star in Europe and the Far East, he is the top international musical artist in Germany, where his last album debuted at number seven on the German Billboard Charts. On the famous “Last Night of Proms” in the UK, he played to a crowd of 40,000 people and appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in an impressive six concerts in seven days.

Dubbed “the fastest violinist in the world” by German paper Kolner Stadt-Anzeigere, Garrett will be in the 2010 Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest-ever performer of the “Flight of the Bumblebee,” clocking in at a blistering 66 seconds.

Born in Aachen, Germany in 1981 to an American ballerina mother and a German lawyer father, David Garrett was a true child prodigy. By the time he was eight years old, he was being booked to play as a soloist with some of the world’s greatest orchestras; he was signed to the classical music label Deutsche Grammophon at age 13. As a teenager, he ached to escape the confines of classical music and the grueling career he felt he could no longer sustain. Without telling his parents, Garrett fled to New York to sample life as a “normal” adolescent, putting aside classical violin in favor of rock music. Eventually, his passion for the violin returned and he auditioned for the Juilliard music school. Garrett was accepted and, to his surprise, taken on by legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman. Taking odd jobs for cash, David found himself working as a busboy and later, modeling. Effortlessly, he eventually landed in the pages of Vogue, and the Fashion Week catwalks for Armani, all the while pursuing his musical dreams. With a multi-faceted international career, arresting good looks and charisma, it’s not surprising that David landed a deal as a global brand ambassador for Banana Republic, appearing in their 2009 national advertising campaign for spring/summer, “City Stories.” Lauded conductor and Kennedy Center Honoree Zubin Mehta put it best when he said, “David Garrett is surely going to have a resounding presence in the music world of the 21st century.”

Underwriters: Public Television Viewers and PBS.  A presentation of WLIW21 in association with International Media and WNET.ORG.

Executive producers: Andre Selenit, Gustavo Sagastume and Rick Blaskey. Producer/Director: Hannes Rossacher. ST and CC.