The Russian-born musician discusses shaking up his creative approach and learning to conduct.
It takes blood, sweat and air miles to be a world-famous violinist. When I meet Maxim Vengerov, he has flown into London for just one day to give interviews. Ours has been scheduled right at the end, in a bar so noisy that I can barely hear him. But if Vengerov is worn out, he doesn’t show it. Leading me to the bar, he asks if I’m a musician. When I tell him I play the violin, he laughs. “Nobody’s perfect.” Even the possibility of missing his return flight fails to wipe away his smile.
