Yuval Waldman
Russian–Israeli violinist and conductor Yuval Waldman died on 1 February at the age of 74. An enterprising musician, tutor and co-founder of numerous festivals, he was noted for rediscovering neglected works, often composed under oppressive circumstances. In 2004 he founded Music Bridges International, which promoted concerts and educational programmes including music from different cultures. He also performed and conducted programmes such as ‘Music of Oppression and Liberation’, featuring composers persecuted for their beliefs, and ‘Music Forgotten and Remembered’, featuring works by Eastern European Jews.
Born Vladimir Waldman in 1946 in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, Waldman began playing the violin at the age of four, and performed on Soviet National Radio aged seven. His family emigrated to Israel, via Poland, Austria and Italy, in 1957. He changed his name to Yuval in honour of the Biblical forefather of musicians. In 1961 he graduated from Te