Ilya Kaler, the only violinist to win gold medals at all three of the Tchaikovsky (1986), Sibelius (1985), and Paganini (1981) competitions, tours internationally as a soloist and with the Tempest Trio. Born in Moscow, he studied with Zinaida Gilels, Yuri Yankelevich, Leonid Kogan, and Viktor Tretiakov. Kaler has recorded extensively, with over a dozen CDs on the Naxos label. Currently a Professor of Violin at DePaul University, Chicago, Kaler has performed and recorded on a Joseph Curtin violin since 1997.
