Ion Scripcaru

Ion Scripcaru is a conductor and violinist with a special focus on the Viennese tradition of the “Stehgeiger”—as embodied by Johann Strauss—the art of conducting while simultaneously performing on the violin.

In the historical Viennese “Stehgeiger” tradition he directs part of the programme from the first violin desk: the musical direction grows out of the playing itself, the pulse comes from the bow. This practice shaped Viennese musical life from Johann Strauss onwards and remains a hallmark of the Viennese concert repertoire to this day.

He has been particularly inspired by the historical recordings of conductor Willy Bokovsky, whose approach to sound, style, and body language deeply sensitized him to the art of the performing conductor within the Viennese repertoire. His repertoire focuses on Viennese music, in particular works by Johann and Josef Strauss, Franz Schubert, Joseph Lanner, and the Viennese Classical period.

He made his conducting debut in 2012 at the Wiener Konzerthaus, performing Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons as both soloist and leader of the Metropolitan Kammerorchester Wien. Since then, he has combined violinistic virtuosity with stylistically conscious ensemble leadership, spanning both Baroque repertoire and the classical, dance-oriented Viennese idiom.

Personal artistic guidance from Guido Mancusi and profound influence from Julian Rachlin decisively shaped his approach to conducting, particularly concerning musical dramaturgy and sound design.

As a violinist, he received his training in Linz, Graz, and Vienna under Aradij Winokurow, Vesna Stankovic, Boris Brovtsyn, Pavel Vernikov, and Julian Rachlin. Masterclasses with, among others, Midori Goto, Krzysztof Węgrzyn, Yair Kless, and Grigory Kalinovsky complemented his education.

Concert tours have taken him to renowned venues such as the Musikverein Wien, the Wiener Konzerthaus, the Stockholmer Konserthus, Tokyo Opera City, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo.