Maestro Bashmet has performed the entire viola repertoire and more — some of his performances would be called impossible; moreover, his creative work has expanded the horizons of composition: our contemporary composers have written more than 50 viola concertos and other music pieces specially for Yuri Bashmet, or dedicated their work to him. For the first time ever in the history of viola performance, Yuri Bashmet gave solo viola concerts at such venues as Carnegie Hall (New York), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Barbican (London), Berlin Philharmonic, La Scala (Milan), Champs Elysees Theatre (Paris), Concerthouse (Berlin), Hercules (Munich), Boston Symphony Hall, Santori Hall (Tokyo), Osaka Symphony Hall, Chicago Symphony Hall, Gulbekyan Center (Lisbon), and the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Mr. Bashmet has worked with many renowed conductors including R. Kubelik, M. Rostropovich, S. Ozawa, V. Gergiev, G. Rozhdestvensky, С. Davis, D. E. Gardiner, Y Menuhin, C. Dutoir, N. Marriner, P. Sacher, M. T. Thomas, K. Masur, B. Haitink, K. Nagano, S. Rattle, Y. Temirkanov, and N. Harnoncourt.
Having started his conducting career in 1985, Yuri Bashmet continued serving music faithfully in this capacity as well, earning the reputation of a bold, astute, and very contemporary music artist. As a soloist and conductor, Yuri Bashmet has performed with the best symphony orchestras in the world: Вегlin Рhilharmonic, Вегlin Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Вауrische Rundfunk, San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Wiener Philharmonic, and Orchestra Radio France. Yuri Bashmet is the founder of the Moscow International Viola Competition, first and only such event in Russia.
Maestro Bashmet's work has always been in the focus of the international music community. His creative projects have won multiple awards at home and abroad. Mr. Bashmet holds the following honorary titles: Distinguished Artist of the RSFSR (1983), People's Artist of the USSR (1991), Winner of the USSR State Prize (1986), Winner of Russian State Prizes (1994, 1996, 2001), Award-1993 to the Best Music Instrument Performer of the Year (the title comparable to an Oscar in film). Y. Bashmet has been elected an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Arts. In 1995, he won one of the most prestigious prizes in the world, Sonnings Musikfond Prize. In 1999, Yuri Bashmet was made Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters, and in 2003 — Commander of the Order of the Legion of Honor (France). He was awarded the highest order of the Republic of Lithuania; in 2000 received the Order "Commendatore republica Italiano" from the President of Italy, and in 2002 — the Order of Merit III Class from the President of Russia. In 2013, Maestro Bashmet was aeared the Order of Merit IV Class. Yuri Bashmet has been serving as the artistic director of 15 festivals in 8 countries of the world.
In 2012, Yuri Bashmet founded the All-Russian Youth Symphony Orchestra, which has successfully performed in Russia and abroad. Since 1978, Yuri Bashmet has served as Associate Professor and Full Professor and Chairman of the Department of Viola Performance of Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory.
