MISHA VITENSON began violin studies with his father, Yuri Vitenson, in his native city of Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He is a winner of top prizes in international violin competitions, including Premio Paganini (Italy, 1998) and Pablo de Sarasate (Spain, 1997) and First Prize in the 1998 Città d’Andria International Violin Competition (Italy). Mr. Vitenson was the winner of the 1999 Aspen Music Festival Concerto Competition and First Prizewinner at the 2000 National Society of Arts and Letters Violin Competition and is also both a two-time winner of the Harid Conservatory Concerto Competition and a two-time recipient of the Harid Conservatory’s Joseph Gingold Award for Excellence (1998 & 2000). He has appeared as a soloist with all the major orchestras in Israel, including the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta, and Israel Chamber Orchestra as well as with Padova e Venetto Orchestra on tour in Brazil, the National Uzbekistan Orchestra, the Aspen Music Festival Symphonia Orchestra, Miami Symphony, the Harid Philharmonia, and the Harid Chamber Strings. Mr. Vitenson has given recitals and chamber music concerts throughout Israel, the United States, Canada, South America, and Europe. He has also performed recitals at Carnegie Hall. He has joined the Amernet String Quartet as first violinist in 2002 and has served as violin faculty of Florida International University since 2004.