Saul Bitran was born in Mexico City, to Chilean parents. He began his violin studies in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, continuing them at the National Conservatory of Chile and at the National Conservatory of Mexico, studying under Profs. Vladimir Vulfman and Gela Dubrova. 

From 1980 until 1986, Saul Bitran studied at the Rubin Academy of Tel Aviv, Israel, under Prof. Yair Kless, graduating cum laude. During his stay in Israel, Saul played in the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and was concertmaster and frequent soloist of the Young Israeli Philharmonic, Herzlia Chamber Orchestra and the Rubin Academy Orchestras. He performed in master classes for Isaac Stern, Joseph Gingold, the Amadeus Quartet and André Gertler. As first violinist of the Rubin Academy String Quartet, Saul performed throughout Israel and Europe.

In 1986 he joined the Grammy-nominated Cuarteto Latinoamericano as first violinist, group with which he has recorded extensively and toured worldwide.

The Cuarteto Latinoamericano was Quartet in Residence at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh between 1987 and 2008, where Saul was Associate Professor and Artist in Residence at CMU’s School of Music.

The Cuarteto heads now the Latin American Academy for String Quartets, in Caracas, Venezuela, under the auspices of the Sistema.

Saul Bitran has played as soloist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Seattle Symphony, the San Antonio Symphony, the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa among many other orchestras, under conductors Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gerard Schwarz, Eduardo Mata, Keith Lockhart, Carlos Miguel Prieto and Kery Lynn Wilson, among others.

Saul Bitran lives in Brookline, MA and Mexico City.

“Bitran's staggering virtuosity in the live violin part was jaw-dropping”

Florida Sun-Sentinel