Michael Kuttner
Born: December 9, 1918; Hungary
Died: 1975; Bloomington, IN
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In the course of his career, the Hungarian Michael Kuttner was both a noted conductor and an acclaimed violinist. He was a member of a series of superb string quartets, most notably the Hungarian String Quartet, and has left behind an important legacy, not only of performances, but of practical help in terms of a unique scholarship for talented classical players.
His studies were undertaken at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest beginning
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Biography |
by Eugene Chadbourne
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In the course of his career, the Hungarian Michael Kuttner was both a noted conductor and an acclaimed violinist. He was a member of a series of superb string quartets, most notably the Hungarian String Quartet, and has left behind an important legacy, not only of performances, but of practical help in terms of a unique scholarship for talented classical players.
His studies were undertaken at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest beginning in 1935. He received a diploma for professor of music two years later and in the following year was also granted the state artist diploma. After studying conducting at Tanglewood with the late Serge Koussevitzky, Kuttner went on to conduct the New York City Opera and the Trenton Opera Association. His career as a violinist was perhaps even more illustrious as he was featured with the most prestigious chamber music groups of his time. His American career kicked off as first violinist of the Pro Ideale Quartet, also featuring the cellist and composer George Barati. This group was quartet-in-residence at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, from 1938 through the early 1940s. Kuttner was also a member of the Gordon, Léner, Hungarian, and Berkshire Quartets. With the Hungarian String Quartet he recorded a collection of the complete Bartók string quartets which some critics consider the definitive reading of these masterpieces. The intensely spirited live performances by this group, often held on college campuses, drew many new listeners into the world of string quartet music during the '60s. In 1972, Kuttner received an appointment as professor of music at Indiana University in Bloomington. Following his death in 1975, a fund was established through his estate to provide benefits for highly talented students of string instruments. The scholarship actually involves the formation of a string quartet, naturally named the Michael Kuttner String Quartet. Each year, two violinists, one violist, and one cellist are awarded with a chair in the group and a chance to study and perform the string quartet repertoire. |
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