Kolisch, Rudolf, 1896-1978

Rudolf Kolisch (b. July 20, 1896 in Klamm, Lower Austria; d. August 1, 1978 in Watertown, Massachusetts) was a prominent Viennese-American violinist and string quartet player. His Kolisch Quartet gave seminal performances and premieres of chamber music that included compositions by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Anton Webern. In 1935, Kolisch immigrated to the United States, where he developed a parallel career as a professor of music at the University of Wisconsin, the New England Conservatory of Music, and other institutions.

The violinist Rudolf Kolisch was born in Klamm, Austria, in 1896. He studied violin, composition and musicology in Vienna, and was close to the circle around his teacher Schoenberg (who married Kolisch's sister Gertrud in 1924). Kolisch's quartet was founded in 1922; first known as the Wiener Streichquartett, then Kolisch Quartett, it became internationally known as one of the protagonists of the Second Viennese School . Bartok, Berg, Webern, and Schoenberg entrusted them with the first performances of many of their works. In 1939, while touring the USA, the quartet in its original formation disbanded. In 1944, after years of struggle, Kolisch became the primarius of the Pro Arte Quartet, in residence at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and later joined the faculty at the School of Music. In 1967 he left that position for the New England Conservatory, Boston, where he taught until his death in 1978. (For additional biographical information, see Claudia Maurer Zenck, "Was sonst kann ein Mensch denn machen, als Quartett zu spielen? Rudolf Kolisch und seine Quartette. Versuch einer Chronik der Jahre 1921-1944," in Österreichische Musikzeitschrift no. 53 (1998), p. 8ff.).

Rudolf Kolisch was a concert violinist, founder of the Wiener Streichquartett (later Kolisch Quartett), 1922, and a member of the Pro Arte Quartet from 1944; taught at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston. He died in 1978.

Biographical Note

Rudolf Kolisch (1896-1978) was a prominent Viennese-American violinist and string quartet player who played his instrument left-handed as a result of a childhood injury. His Kolisch Quartet gave seminal performances and premieres of chamber music that included compositions by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Anton Webern. In 1935, Kolisch immigrated to the United States, where he developed a parallel career as a professor of music at the University of Wisconsin, the New England Conservatory of Music, and other institutions.

The violinist Rudolf Kolisch was born in Klamm, Austria, in 1896. He studied violin, composition and musicology in Vienna, and was close to the circle around his teacher Schoenberg (who married Kolisch's sister Gertrud in 1924). Kolisch's quartet was founded in 1922; first known as the Wiener Streichquartett, then Kolisch Quartett, it became internationally known as one of the protagonists of the Second Viennese School. Bartok, Berg, Webern, and Schoenberg entrusted them with the first performances of many of their works. In 1939, while touring the USA, the quartet in its original formation disbanded. In 1944, after years of struggle, Kolisch became the primarius of the Pro Arte Quartet, in residence at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and later joined the faculty at the School of Music. In 1967 he left that position for the New England Conservatory, Boston, where he taught until his death in 1978.

[For additional biographical information, see Claudia Maurer Zenck, "Was sonst kann ein Mensch denn machen, als Quartett zu spielen? Rudolf Kolisch und seine Quartette. Versuch einer Chronik der Jahre 1921-1944," in Österreichische Musikzeitschrift no. 53 (1998), p. 8ff.]

Epithet: violinist