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Never mind his chiselled good looks and long blond locks, classical violinist David Garrett insists he isn’t just another pretty face.
So, maybe that’s why he’s not too keen to discuss his stint as a model in New York in the early 2000s.
“I’d rather not talk about that, to be honest,” the 25-year-old told TODAY over the phone from his home in New York City, even sounding slightly uneasy that the topic had been broached.
“The record company seems to like to add that bit in every time they set me on interviews.”
Garrett is in town this week to promote his debut album Free. He performed in an exclusive showcase at Oosh at Dempsey Road on Thursday and will also showcase songs from his latest album at Paragon Shopping Centre on Saturday.
Garrett insists he is the real deal. Born to an American mother and a German father in Aachen, Germany, he carries the credentials of a seasoned classical music wunderkind.
Since age 13, he has performed in solo slots alongside the London Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Russian National orchestras.
But when prodded to talk about his modelling stint, Garrett maintained that he only did it to help pay the bills.
He moved to New York City in 1999 at the age of 18 to study music at the famed Juilliard School for the performing arts.
Despite the impressive qualifications, Garrett’s poster boy good looks have attracted another set of fans who have tagged him as the “the Brad Pitt of the classical scene”.
Fan adulation is flattering, but Garrett would rather “be known for what I do best and that is play the violin.”
The self-confessed geek readily admitted that classical music for pop audiences is one of life’s greatest paradoxes.
Get it wrong and it’ll end up a pop novelty like other classical-pop hybrids such as Bond or Vanessa-Mae, he said.
Still, Garrett noted that he’s extremely proud of his first pop crossover album. “It’s a real challenge trying to update classical music into something palatable for the MTV generation,” said the violinist, who first picked up the instrument at the age of four.
These days, the pleasure comes from knowing that young people are embracing classical music with arms wide open. “Reinvention is the key,” Garrett said.
“Fusing what I do with, say, R&B really gives the music an added edge and will not alienate listeners otherwise unfamiliar with the genre.”
WHAT: DAVID GARRETT LIVE SHOWCASE
WHEN: 23 JUNE, 3.30PM
WHERE: PARAGON SHOPPING CENTRE, ATRIUM 1, ADMISSION IS FREE - TODAY/fa
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