Lewis Kaplan, Violin/Conductor 

A multi-talented, extraordinary musician, teacher, conductor and visionary. These words best describe Lewis Kaplan, who has contributed a significant amount to the classical music landscape for over 50 years. 

Considered a leading interpreter of the music of Bach, in particular the Six Solo Sonatas and Partitas, Lewis Kaplan is the founder and director of the Bach Virtuosi Festival in Portland, Maine. 

He currently serves as Senior Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at The Juilliard School. He is also the co-founder and, for 50 years, served as the Artistic Director of the Bowdoin International Music Festival, a summer music series he established in 1964. In addition, he is the founder and violinist of the Aeolian Chamber Players, Professor of Violin at the Mannes College of Music, a visiting professor at the Royal College of Music in London, and an honorary professor at the Xian Conservatory in China. He has presented master classes at most of the world’s major music centers. 

In recognition of his achievements, Lewis Kaplan was knighted in 2009 by the President of Germany. He is a recipient of the William Schuman Scholar’s Chair at Juilliard, one of the conservatory’s highest honors, and has been a member of the jury at many of the most prestigious violin competitions, including Queen Elisabeth, Tokyo, Hanover, and Fritz Kreisler. 

Lewis Kaplan’s violin students appear as soloists, in string quartets, and as concertmasters of major orchestras. His chamber students include Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Pinchas Zukerman, Kyung Wha Chung, Cho Liang Lin, and Pamela Frank.