Yuri Bashmet

Yuri Bashmet is a Russian violist and conductor who transformed the viola into a leading solo instrument, commissioning dozens of new concertos and works from composers such as Schnittke and Gubaidulina. He founded the Moscow Soloists chamber orchestra and is among the most decorated musicians of his generation. He was born into a Jewish family and is described as a patrilineal descendant of the Baal Shem Tov.