Leopold Auer

Leopold Auer (June 7, 1845 – July 15, 1930) was a Hungarian violinist, teacher, conductor and composer.

Related Topics:
June 7 - 1845 - July 15 - 1930 - Hungarian - Violinist - Conductor - Composer

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Auer was born in Veszprém and first studied violin with a local concertmaster. He later continued his studies with Ridley Kohné in Budapest, Jacques Dont in Vienna and finally Joseph Joachim in Hanover. He settled in St. Petersburg and taught at the conservatoire there from 1868 to 1917. In 1918 he moved to the United States of America, eventually teaching at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Related Topics:
Veszprém - Ridley Kohné - Budapest - Jacques Dont - Vienna - Joseph Joachim - Hanover - St. Petersburg - Conservatoire - United States of America - Curtis Institute of Music - Philadelphia

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Auer is remembered as one of the most important violin pedagogues. He taught many violinists who would later become famous, including Efrem Zimbalist, Nathan Milstein, Mischa Elman and Jascha Heifetz. A number of composers dedicated pieces to him, though he initially refused to play Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, despite being the dedicatee, because he regarded the work as unplayable. He did played the work later in his career, however, with alterations in certain passages. Performances of the Tchaikovsky concerto by his students (with the exception of Nathan Milstein's) were also based on Auer's edition.

Related Topics:
Efrem Zimbalist - Nathan Milstein - Mischa Elman - Jascha Heifetz - Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto

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Auer wrote a small number of works for his instrument, including the Rhapsodie hongroise for violin and piano. He also wrote a number of cadenzas for other composers' violin concertos including those by Beethoven and Brahms (see Violin Concerto (Beethoven) and Violin Concerto (Brahms)). He also wrote two books: Violin Playing as I Teach It (1920), and My Long Life in Music (1923).

Related Topics:
Cadenza - Violin concerto - Beethoven - Brahms - Violin Concerto (Beethoven) - Violin Concerto (Brahms)

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Auer died in Loschwitz, a suburb of Dresden, Germany and was interred in the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.

Related Topics:
Loschwitz - Dresden - Germany - Ferncliff Cemetery - Hartsdale, New York

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The jazz vibraphonist, Vera Auer, is a niece of Leopold. Actor Mischa Auer (born Mischa Ounskowsky) was his grandson.

Related Topics:
Vera Auer - Mischa Auer

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