Born in Russia, Boris Garlitsky began studying the violin at the age of six with his father at the Special Music School of Moscow. He gave his first concert with an orchestra at the age of thirteen and three years later obtained a special award at the National Competition in Moscow. He was a pupil of Yuri Yankelevich at the Moscow Conservatory. After winning the Paganini Competition in Italy in 1982, he toured as a leader and soloist with the Moscow Virtuosi ensemble throughout the world.

As a soloist, he has performed at the Musikverein in Vienna, at the Avery Fisher Hall in New York and at the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow under conductors such as Semkov, Steinberg, Krivine and Jurowski. He has been invited to festivals such as the Schleswig-Holstein in Germany, the Pablo Casals in France, the Mostly Mozart in New York, and the Proms in London. As a chamber musician he has collaborated with Gidon Kremer, Truls Mørk, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Maria João Pires, Antonio Menesses and Pinchas Zukerman, amongst others. In 2000 he formed the Garlitsky Trio with Elena Garlitsky (piano) and Alexander Hülshoff (cello).

Since 1990, Boris Garlitsky has lived in France and from 1991 to 1999 was Concertmaster of the Orchestre National de Lyon. He has made guest appearances as the leader of major orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Opera House Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and ‘Super World’ Orchestra. He is a Professor at the Paris Conservatory and is often invited to give master-classes throughout the world. Since 2001 he has been Artistic Director of the Summer Academy of Violin in Troyes in France. For RCA he has recorded Mozart’s Concertone for two violins (with Vladimir Spivakov) and several Bach Concertos.

Boris Garlitsky became Leader of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in September 2003.
 

‘Rozhdestvensky’s beat was being filtered through the expressive body language of the orchestral leader, Boris Garlitsky. How beautifully he played his numerous solos in this piece.’
IVAN HEWETT, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, 14 DEC 2007

‘The London Philharmonic Orchestra, impeccably beautiful throughout, was led with sublime distinction by Boris Garlitsky.’
TOM SUTCLIFFE, THE TIMES, 18 MAY 2004