Miriam Fried

Miriam Fried, (born Tel Aviv), is an American violinist. Fried’s solo career was launched in 1968 after she was awarded First Prize in Genoa’s Paganini International Competition. Three years later she claimed top honors in the Queen Elisabeth International Competition where she gained further world attention by becoming the first woman ever to win the prestigious award. Her early childhood included lessons with Alice Fenyves in Tel Aviv, as well as the opportunity to meet and play for the many great violinists who visited Israel, including Isaac Stern, Nathan Milstein, Yehudi Menuhin, Henryk Szeryng, Zino Francescatti and Erica Morini. She came to the United States as a protegee of Isaac Stern and continued her studies with Ivan Galamian at the Juilliard School and with Joseph Gingold at Indiana University.

Fried has served on the faculty of Indiana University since 1986, where she serves as a distinguished professorcite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Miriam Fried: IU News Room: Indiana University | date=2005-02-25 | publisher= | url =http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/1922.html | work =Indiana University | pages = | accessdate = 2008-08-13 | language = ] . She is married to violinist Paul Biss and their son is the pianist Jonathan Biss.

Fried has soloed with most major orchestra in the United States and Europe and has been a frequent guest with the principal orchestras of Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as well as with the Israel Philharmonic, the London Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic and the Vienna Symphony. Recital tours have taken her to all of the major music centers in North America and to Brussels, London, Milan, Munich, Rome, Paris, Salzburg, Stockholm and Zurich cite web|url=http://www.newenglandconservatory.edu/faculty/friedM.html |title=NEC Faculty: Miriam Fried |accessdate=2008-08-13 |work=New England Conservatory ] . In recent seasons, her schedule has included orchestral engagements with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Orchestre de Paris, the Czech Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony, the Orquesta Filarmonica de Mexico, the Japan Philharmonic, the Montreal Symphony, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Milwaukee Symphony and the BBC Philharmonic.

She recently premiered a violin concerto written for her by Donald Erb with the Grand Rapids Symphony and recorded the work for Koss. Since 1993, she been chair of the faculty at The Steans Institute for Young Artists at the Ravinia Festival, one of the country’s leading summer programs for young musicians. Her involvement there has included regular performances, including recitals and concerts with the Chicago Symphony.

Fried’s recordings include the complete Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin by J.S. Bach, and a prize-winning recording of the Sibelius Concert with the Helsinki Philharmonic under the direction of Okko Kamu cite web|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/jan02/Sibelius_violin_apex.htm |title=Sibelius complete works for violin and orchestra: Miriam Fried |accessdate=2008-08-13 |last=Barnett |first=Rob |publisher=MusicWeb International ] , available on the Finlandia label, which has become a best seller.

Chamber music plays an important role in Ms. Fried’s musical life. She is a member of the Mendelssohn String Quartet cite web|url=http://www.mendelssohnquartet.com/miriam.htm |title=Mendelssohn String Quartet |accessdate=2008-08-13 |publisher=Pixicom ] and has collaborated with such distinguished artists as Isaac Stern, Pinchas Zukerman, Garrick Ohlsson, Nathaniel Rosen and her husband, violinist/violist Paul Biss. She has been featured guest artist at Chamber Music East in Boston, the La Solla Chamber Festival, the Lockenhaus Festival, and the Naantali Festival in Finland.

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