Felix Galimir
Encyclopedia
Felix Galimir was an Austria
n-born American-Jewish violin
ist and music teacher.
He studied with Adolf Bak and Simon Pullman
at the Vienna Conservatory
from the age of twelve and graduated in 1928. With his three sisters he founded the Galimir Quartet in 1927 to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the death of Ludwig van Beethoven
. During the early 1930s Galimir studied with Carl Flesch
in Berlin
and in 1936, he joined the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, however he was later expelled due to his Jewish background. He then immigrated
to Palestine
to join the newly founded Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
.
"My mother was Austria
n, but as my father was Romania
n, we were considered enemy aliens and lived in fear of internment," he said of his family's plight in World War I
.
In 1938 Galimir moved to New York
, where he founded another quartet and served as concertmaster of the NBC Symphony Orchestra
from 1939 to 1956. In the 1950s he began acquiring a reputation as a good music teacher and began teaching at The Juilliard School in New York in 1962 and from 1972 at the Curtis Institute of Music
in Philadelphia. In 1976 he began teaching at Mannes College of Music
in New York.
Galimir died on November 10, 1999 of natural causes
and has since been honoured with numerous memorial concerts and competitions made in his name.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n-born American-Jewish violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist and music teacher.
He studied with Adolf Bak and Simon Pullman
Simon Pullman
Simon Pullman was a violinist, conductor, music teacher and founder and Director of the Pullman Ensemble and Orchestra, and a seminal figure in the evolution of chamber music performance....
at the Vienna Conservatory
Neues Wiener Konservatorium
The Neues Wiener Konservatorium was a music school established in Vienna by Theobald Kretschmann in 1909. In 1929 it had the largest number of enrolled students during its lifetime....
from the age of twelve and graduated in 1928. With his three sisters he founded the Galimir Quartet in 1927 to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the death of Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
. During the early 1930s Galimir studied with Carl Flesch
Carl Flesch
Carl Flesch was a violinist and teacher.Carl Flesch was born in Moson in Hungary in 1873. He began playing the violin at seven years of age. At 10, he was taken to Vienna, and began to study with Jakob Grün. At 17, he left for Paris, and joined the Paris Conservatoire...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and in 1936, he joined the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, however he was later expelled due to his Jewish background. He then immigrated
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
to join the newly founded Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is the leading symphony orchestra in Israel. It was originally known as the Palestine Orchestra, and in Hebrew as התזמורת הסימפונית הארץ ישראלית The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit...
.
"My mother was Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n, but as my father was Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n, we were considered enemy aliens and lived in fear of internment," he said of his family's plight in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
In 1938 Galimir moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he founded another quartet and served as concertmaster of the NBC Symphony Orchestra
NBC Symphony Orchestra
The NBC Symphony Orchestra was a radio orchestra established by David Sarnoff of the National Broadcasting Company especially for conductor Arturo Toscanini...
from 1939 to 1956. In the 1950s he began acquiring a reputation as a good music teacher and began teaching at The Juilliard School in New York in 1962 and from 1972 at the Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
in Philadelphia. In 1976 he began teaching at Mannes College of Music
Mannes College of Music
Mannes College The New School for Music is The New School university's music conservatory. While the university's main campus is located in Greenwich Village, New York City, Mannes maintains its main academic building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan....
in New York.
Galimir died on November 10, 1999 of natural causes
Death by natural causes
A death by natural causes, as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents, is one that is primarily attributed to natural agents: usually an illness or an internal malfunction of the body. For example, a person dying from complications from influenza or a heart attack ...
and has since been honoured with numerous memorial concerts and competitions made in his name.