Yuri Revich plays a Stradivarius. He also produces electronic music, writes film scores, designs eyewear exhibited at Sotheby’s, and serves as a UNICEF ambassador. The violin has been in his family since the 19th century — his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father all played it.
He had, as he notes, not much choice. He is not complaining. Lara Palmer spoke with him about instruments, inspiration, and the idea of the Renaissance musician.
The Stradivarius is a diva. It responds to temperature and humidity in ways that make touring in South Asia or Latin America an adventure in improvisation. In Mexico, the instrument once became unplayable mid-preparation for a live television concert.
Revich put it in a room at plus ten degrees behind the stage until it cooled down, then ran out and performed Paganini. The mysticism around Stradivarius violins is real and persistent — no one has fully replicated the sound despite exhaustive chemical analysis of the varnish and glue. About 200 remain of those Stradivari personally made in the 18th century.
Revich plays one. On the question of inspiration: the Muse does not obey deadlines. When a violin concerto was commissioned in Salzburg, most of the work arrived in five hours on a Friday morning.
When inspiration comes, it comes fast and complete. What creates the right conditions is not effort but harmony — being in dialogue with yourself, in balance with your own energy. Competitions create stress and harm, he believes.
There is no equivalent in music to sport. His approach is the Renaissance one: a musician can compose, write poetry, paint, invent. The 20th century divided all creative fields into separate disciplines.
Now those divisions are dissolving again. That is where he wants to work.