Ilya Grubert, born in Riga, began studying at the E. Darzin. Considered an exceptionally talented student, he made his debut at the age of fourteen, continuing his studies with such famous Russian teachers as Yuri Yankelevich and Zinaida Gilels, later perfecting his skills with the renowned violinist Leonid Kogan at the Moscow Conservatory. Ilya Grubert enjoyed his first international success at the Sibelius Prize in Helsinki in 1975. He later won first prize at two prestigious international competitions: the Paganini in Genoa and the Tchaikovsky in Moscow in 1978. From that moment he began a brilliant career that led him to perform as a soloist with major orchestras, such as the Moscow Philharmonic, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Russian State Orchestra, the Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra, the Rotterdam and Helsinki Philharmonic, collaborating with conductors such as Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Maxim Shostakovic, Yoel Levi, Voldemar Nelsson, and Mariss Jansons. His first recital in New York was hailed by the professional press (New York Times) as an exceptional event, “Ilya Grubert, in the tradition of great virtuosi possesses extraordinary technique and a bright, assertive sound.” His recent concerts include tours in the United States, Canada, Australia, and throughout Europe.
Ilya Grubert boasts recordings with Harmonia Mundi, Russian Disc, Melodia, Ondine and Dynamic. His discography includes concertos by Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and Bruch, and also a CD with all Prokofiev`s compositions for violin. In January `96 he won the Diapason d`Or for his recordings of the Sibelius and Bruch concertos. He has recently made recordings with the Chandos label of Paganini`s two concertos, the Arutunian concerto and Prokofiev`s first, which were followed by recordings of concertos by Berg, Weinberg, Ernst, Dvorak and Prokofiev`s second. Ilya Grubert currently resides in the Netherlands, where he is a professor at the Amsterdam Conservatory of Music. In May 2004 he made his debut at the very prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York with two concerts, then performed at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, then with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Lecce, with the Orchestra del Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza and in the summer of 2004 in Florence.
Ilya Grubert plays a 1740 Pietro Guarnieri violin from Venice, ex Wieniawski.