"lvry Gitiis, born in Haifa as son of Russian immigrants on 22nd August 1922, is often referred to as ""the great free spirit"" among the violin virtuosi of the 20th century. At the Paris Conservatory he won the first prize at the age of only 13 years. His incipient career was interrupted by the Second World W ar, which Gitlis spent in England. His first post-war concert with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, which was enthusiastically received by the public, was soon followed by further ones, until his winning of the international Jacques Thibaud Competition in 1951 opened Gitiis the door to a long-lasting world wide career. His concert program mes were often chalIenging for the audience - among them the latest musical creations of Maderna und Xenakis . Nevertheless, when Gitlis played the great concertos whose timeless worth still dominates today's concert programmes, his own, sometimes idiosyncratic interpretation is audible, challenging the listener to more intensive engagement with that which is already well-known. In 1988, UNESCO appointed lvry Gitlis as its special ambassador, and the French State Conservatory in Paris granted him a professorship in 1995."