Louis Krasner

Louis Krasner(21 June [O.S.8 June] 1903 – 4 May 1995) was a Russian Empire-born American classical violinist who premiered the violin concertos ofAlban BergandArnold Schoenberg.

Photo byMax Fenichel(1936)

Biography

Louis Krasner was born inCherkassy,Kiev Governorate,Russian Empire(now part ofUkraine).He arrived in theUnited Statesat the age of 5,and graduated from theNew England Conservatory of Musicin 1922.He continued his studies withLucien CapetinParis,Otakar ŠevčíkinPísek,Czechoslovakia,andCarl FleschinBerlin.His concert career began in Europe, where he championed the concertos ofJoseph AchronandAlfredo Casella.

In 1935 he commissionedAlban Berg'sViolin Concerto,which he premiered on 19 April 1936 in Barcelona, withHermann Scherchenconducting thePablo Casals Orchestra.He also premieredArnold Schoenberg'sViolin Concertoin December 1940, withLeopold Stokowskileading thePhiladelphia Orchestra.Among the American composers whose works he premiered wereRoger Sessions,Henry Cowell,andRoy Harris.

Krasner retired from solo performing to become concertmaster of theMinneapolis Symphony Orchestra,a position he held from 1944 to 1949.From 1949 to 1972 he was professor of music atSyracuse University.In 1976 he joined the faculties of theNew England Conservatory of Musicand theBerkshire Music Center.He won the 1983Sanford MedalfromYale Universityand the 1995 Commonwealth Award.

He died in 1995 inBrookline, Massachusetts,aged 91.

Stradivarius guitar

Main article:Stradivarius

Krasner ownedone of the only surviving guitarsmade byAntonio Stradivari.He purchased the guitar from London based dealerW.E. Hill & SonsthroughRembert Wurlitzer Co.in 1934. The antique guitar, made ofspruceandmaple,is not quite as large as the modern instrument and has five double strings. It is embellished with a decorative carved rose and inlaid mother-of-pearl. In 1986 the guitar was purchased for $165,000 by theShrine to Music Museumat theUniversity of South Dakota.