Biography

Still in her mid-twenties, over recent seasons Baiba Skride has appeared with the Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunk, Munich Philharmonic, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Tonhalle Orchester, Orchestre de Paris, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony, Residentie Orkest and the US orchestras of Philadelphia, Houston, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Detroit. Skride’s work includes collaborations with Herbert Blomstedt, Paavo and Neeme Järvi, Sir Neville Marriner, Peter Oundjian and Mikhail Pletnev, as well as with her peers, Olari Elts, Mikko Franck, Andris Nelsons and Kirill Petrenko.

In 2008/09 she will tour with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Charles Dutoit starting in Munich. Followed by two Tchaikovsky concerto performances with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and her fellow Latvian Andris Nelsons, with whom she recorded a Tchaikovsky CD for Sony with great acclaim (released in January 08). The International Record Review recently noted: “Skride’s playing is unfailingly intelligent, her virtuosity is allied to a sure sense of the work’s emotional range. Her tone is full but beautifully controlled, and her phrasing throughout has a natural flair that is compelling…clear-headed, thoughtful and convincing.”

This season also sees Skride return to Japan with Nagoya Philharmonic/ Thierry Fischer, Stockholm Philharmonic/ Sakari Oramo, Malmö Symphony Orchestra/ Pietari Inkinen and returning to her native Latvian National Symphony Orchestra.

In the USA her returns are always eagerly anticipated. After her success in Spring 2008 with Minnesota Orchestra and Osmo Vänska, she will return to perform with the Symphony Orchestra’s of Oregon, Detroit, Charlotte, Utah and Kansas City.

Focusing on the forthcoming Mendelssohn anniversary year, Skride plays the Double Concerto with her long-established duo partner and sister, Lauma Skride with Tapiola Sinfonietta, Norrköping Symphony and Viva Sinfonia under Andre de Ridder as well as with the Zurich Chamber Ochestra including a performance at the Züricher Festspiele and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe at Leipzig’s Bachfest. Recital appearances include a return to the Rheingau Musikfestival, Dortmund’s Konzerthaus and London’s Wigmore Hall. Joined by cellist Sol Gabetta, this dynamic ensemble performs at the Schubertiade in Hohenems, Graz, Bayreuth and Salzburg’s Mozarteum amongst others.

Skride has been recording for Sony Classical since 2004. Her highly praised CDs include a first duo CD with her sister (Schubert, Beethoven, Ravel) as well a solo violin disc (Ysaye, Bartok, Bach) a two concerto discs (Mozart, Schubert, Michael Haydn and Shostakovich, Janacek).

Baiba Skride was born into a musical Latvian family in Riga where she began her studies, transferring in 1995 to the Conservatory of Music and Theatre in Rostock. In 2001 she won the 1st prize of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Baiba Skride plays the Stradivarius "Wilhelmj" violin (1725), which is generously on loan to her from the Nippon Music Foundation.