Our guest on 02.11.2008

He was just four years old when he first picked up a violin. By the time he was ten, David Garrett was labeled a musical prodigy. Today, the German-born virtuoso with a penchant for modern cover versions is one of the most successful violinists in the world.

Even though Garrett is a world-renowned classical musician, he's also acheived pop star status - his stylish jeans and hoodies are a something of a trademark. His modelling exploits have earned him the label "the David Beckham of the classical scene". He plays Mozart, Michael Jackson and Metallica and plays concert halls and rock venues.

David Garrett learned to play violin aged 4 and he talent was quickly recognised and nurtured. At 13, he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon and spent much of his teenage years playing with the world's finest orchestras. Yehudi Menuhin described him as the best violinist of his generation.

At the age of 18, burnout hit. David Garrett broke off with his parents, who had closely managed his career - and life - and went to study at the renowned Juilliard School in New York. He was one of the first students to study with Itzhak Perlman, Garrett supplemented his income by working as a model and began to experiment with pop and rock music. He graduated from Juillard in 2004 and two years later scored a commercial comeback with an album combining well-known classical and rock music.