ON THIS DAY

Happy Birthday, Violinist Miriam Fried!

September 9, 2024

2 MIN READ

Miriam Fried is currently a teacher at the New England Conservatory in Boston

In her early childhood, Miriam Fried studied with Alice Fenyves in Tel Aviv and had the chance to perform for many of the world's renowned violinists who visited Israel, such as Isaac Stern, Nathan Milstein, Yehudi Menuhin, Henryk Szeryng, Zino Francescatti, and Erica Morini. She later moved to the United States under Isaac Stern’s mentorship and continued her studies with Ivan Galamian at the Juilliard School and Joseph Gingold at Indiana University.

Fried's solo career took off in 1968 when she won the First Prize at the Paganini International Competition in Genoa. Three years later she won the Queen Elisabeth International Competition -- the first woman to win this competition.

She has performed with nearly every major orchestra in the United States and Europe, frequently guesting with leading ensembles such as those in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, as well as with the Israel Philharmonic, London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, and Vienna Symphony.

Chamber music is also a significant part of Fried’s musical career. She was the first violinist of the Mendelssohn String Quartet until the group disbanded 30 years later. She has worked and performed with notable artists including Isaac Stern, Pinchas Zukerman, Garrick Ohlsson, Nathaniel Rosen, her son pianist Jonathan Biss, and her husband, violinist/violist Paul Biss.

She currently holds a teaching Professorship at the New England Conservatory. Previously she served as Professor of Violin at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Her famed students include VC Artists InMo Yang, Yoojin Jang, Tessa Lark, and SooBeen Lee.

Friend served as Artist Director of the Ravinia Festival for over 30 years, passing on the role to Midori last year.