Jaime Laredo

Jaime Laredo (born June 7, 1941 in Cochabamba, Bolivia) is a violinist and conductor. Currently the conductor and Music Director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, he began his musical career when he was five years old. In 1948 he came to North America and took lessons from Antonio DeGrass. He also studied with Frank Houser before moving to Cleveland, Ohio, to study under Josef Gingold in 1953. He studied with Ivan Galamian at the Curtis Institute of Music until his graduation. Laredo is currently a professor at the renowned Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He is also artistic advisor for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra and will guest conduct the orchestra on April 18, 2009, in a program featuring his wife, Sharon Robinson.

His Carnegie Hall recital in October 1960 was much praised, and helped to launch his career. The next year, he played at Royal Albert Hall in London. Afterwards, he has played with many major European and American orchestras, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, The Children's Orchestra Society and the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.

He also plays viola, and has recorded piano quartets with Isaac Stern, Yo-Yo Ma, and Emanuel Ax. In addition, he collaborated with pianist Glenn Gould. He is the violinist of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, whose cellist, Sharon Robinson, is his wife. He has been the conductor of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra since 1999.

Competitions, prizes, and awards

* Queen Elizabeth of Belgium Competition (1959)
* "Deutsche Schallplatten" Prize
* Gramophone Award
* Several Emmy Award nominations
*Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:
*Emanuel Ax, Jaime Laredo, Yo-Yo Ma & Isaac Stern for "Brahms: Piano Quartets (Op. 25 and 26)" (1992)