Soviet Born Violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky

In the 1970s, both Sitkovetsky and his mother emigrated to the U.S. In 1988, he became the first post-war Soviet emigre musician to be invited back to USSR to perform. He comes from a family of accomplished musicians; his mother is pianist Bella Davidovich, and his father is Julian Sitkovetsky.

Before Ponty came to the States, he already had his concept. Fresh Air critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the digital reissue of Sunday Walk.

He began studying violin at the age of four and later attended the Moscow Conservatory. Over the years he has won the most prestigious violinist prizes, including the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and the Paganini Competition in Genoa. His repertoire is extensive, including the standard classical and Romantic violin works as well as works by Arvo Part, John Adams and Astor Piazzolla. He has more than 100 recordings to his credit, including Happy Birthday, his most recent.