biography 


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Born in Brussels in 1978, Eliot Lawson is of Belgian and Luso-American nationality. He started studying the violin in 1985, and was chosen by Yehudi Menuhin in 1989 to pursue his studies in London. It was, however, in Belgium, with Leon Souroujon, that he continued his studies, subsequently completing them with H. Krebbers, I. Oistrakh, I. Grubert, J.J. Kantorow, P. Vernikov and N. Shkolnikova. He has master's degrees in music, awarded "with greatest distinction" by the conservatories of Brussels and Rotterdam, as well as an "Artist Diploma" of Indiana University in Bloomington and a soloist's diploma from the Fiesole Music School in Italy.

During his studies he benefited from many scholarships and grants, including those of the Dexia Bank, the Fondation Belge de la Vocation, Indiana University, Belgian Foundation for young soloists, the Flemish Community of Belgium and the Belgian-American Educational Foundation.

A laureate and finalist of several national and international competitions (including Brahms, de Beriot, Premio Jovens, Mozart, Proce Vitate, Vieuxtemps, Maasmond, Lantier, Krebbers, Premio Vittorio Gui, Tibor Varga, Cardona competitions), Eliot Lawson has given many concerts in Europe and the United States, appearing on numerous important stages and invited by many radios and television companies in Portugal and in Belgium. He has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra, the Sofia Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonie, Porto Symphony Orchestra, the Simfonieorkest van Vlaanderen, the Belgian National Orchestra, The Bonn Symphony Orchestra, The Orchestra of the Gulbenkian Foundation, The Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra in concerthalls including the Singel, the Doelen, Bozar, Concertgebouw Brugge, Elisabeth hall, centro cultural de Belem, Concertgebouw Tilburg. He performed during festivals such as Festival van Vlaanderen, Ars Musica, Festival de Wallonie, Festival de Bretagne, Festival Tibor Varga, Festival Roussel, Brugge cultural capital of Europe and played the opening concerts of halls such as AMUZ and Les Brigitinnes.

As a chamber musician, Eliot Lawson is a member of the ensembles Hermes, One-Off, Enigma and Joseph Jongen. He forms a regular duo with David Cohen (principal cellist of the Philharmonia Orchestra) and with his sister, the pianist Jill Lawson. He was concert master of the Rotterdam Young Philharmonic and the Prima la Musica Flanders chamber orchestra. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses in Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Portugal and the United States. Since September 2006 he is professor in the Amsterdam Conservatory. He recorded several CD's for labels such as Cypres and Fuga Libera receiving excellent reviews in magazines such as the Strad, Diapason (5/5), Crescendo (Joker). He will be recording the complete Hindemith sonatas, de Castera sonatas, Victor Vreuls and complete solo works by L. Souroujon.