Rob Landes: Mormon Violinist
Rob Landes is a violinist whose YouTube video went viral. He is also a violinist with the Orchestra at Temple Square. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
As a child taking violin lessons, he didn’t particularly enjoy practicing. At the age of eleven, when he started studying with Vesna Stefanovich Gruppman, his attitude about practicing changed. She taught him how to practice and use his time effectively. Under her mentoring, he practiced three hours a day, six days a week, and began winning competitions and soloing with orchestras. He grew to love playing the violin and started teaching students at the age of 13.
Landes earned his bachelor’s degree in music performance from Brigham Young University and his master’s degree in music performance from Rice University. He performed in the Disney Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra in Los Angeles, played at the summer festivals in Colorado and toured in Europe with the Brigham Young University chamber orchestra.
In 2015, he found a niche as a crossover performer. He learned how to use a looper pedal to build on the music of his violin. His video of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” brought him more than three million views. He has made several videos since, including one with the song “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons. Aaron Karr of ARK Studios Media Group is his manager.
