Camilla Wicks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Camilla Wicks
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Wicks in 1949
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Camilla Dolores Wicks |
| Born | August 9, 1928 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Died | November 25, 2020 (aged 92) Weston, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Violinist |
| Instruments | Violin |
| Years active | 1942–2005 |
| Labels | Capitol, Music & Arts, Biddulph, Simax |
Camilla Dolores Wicks (born August 9, 1928 – died November 25, 2020) was an amazing American violinist. She was one of the first women violinists to become famous around the world. Camilla played solo concerts with many top orchestras in Europe and America. These included the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
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Early Life of a Violin Star
Camilla Dolores Wicks was born in Long Beach, California. Her father, Ingwald Wicks, was from Norway. He was a talented violinist and a great teacher. Camilla's mother, Ruby Wicks, was a pianist. She studied with a famous composer named Xaver Scharwenka.
Camilla was a true child prodigy, meaning she was super talented from a very young age. She played her first solo concert at age 7. She performed Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 4. A year later, at age 8, she played Bruch's First Concerto. By age 9, she was playing Paganini's First Concerto.
Later, Camilla went to study with Louis Persinger at the Juilliard School in New York City. This is a very famous music school. In 1942, when Camilla was 13, she played her first solo concert with the New York Philharmonic. Her teacher, Louis Persinger, played the piano for her.
A Career Around the World
For the next ten years, Camilla Wicks played with many of the world's best conductors (people who lead orchestras). Some of these famous conductors included Walter and Reiner. She also performed with many top orchestras.
Camilla traveled a lot on long tours in Europe. She was especially popular in countries like Norway, Sweden, and Finland, which are in Scandinavia. The famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius really loved how she played his Violin Concerto. She even recorded it in 1952 for Capitol. She also made recordings for other labels like HMV and Philips.
Camilla Wicks loved to explore many different kinds of music. She helped make less famous pieces of music popular. She especially liked music by composers from Scandinavia. Many of these composers even wrote new music just for her! For example, the Norwegian composer Bjarne Brustad wrote several violin pieces for her.
She also played music by modern Scandinavian composers. She performed concertos by Fartein Valen and Hilding Rosenberg. She was the first person to ever play concertos by Harald Saeverud and Klaus Egge. Camilla also worked closely with the composer Ernest Bloch.
Later Life and Legacy
Camilla Wicks married Robert Thomas in 1951. At the peak of her career, she decided to take a break. She wanted to focus on raising her five children.
Later, Camilla started performing again from time to time. She also became a very popular and respected teacher. She taught music at several universities in America. These included Louisiana State University, the University of Michigan, and Rice University.
In the early 1970s, Camilla was asked to lead the String Department at the Oslo Royal Academy in Norway. She was given a special lifetime Professorship there. Many of her students became famous violinists in Norway's top orchestras. One of her well-known students was Henning Kraggerud.
In 1999, Camilla Wicks received a special award from Norway. She was made a Knight 1st Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit. This was for her great contributions to music in Norway. Before she retired in 2005, Camilla held the Isaac Stern Chair at the San Francisco Conservatory.
Many of her old recordings from concerts and studio sessions have been re-released. You can find them on labels like Music & Arts, Biddulph, and Simax.
Camilla Wicks passed away on November 25, 2020, when she was 92 years old. Her marriage to Robert Thomas ended in divorce. She is remembered by three of her children: Angela Thomas Jeffrey, Erik Thomas, and Lise-Marie Thomas Wertanzl. She also had three grandchildren. Two of her children, Philip and Paul, passed away before her.
Selected Recordings
- The Art of Camilla Wicks (Music & Arts CD 1160)
- Camilla Wicks Concertos by Sibelius, Valen and short pieces (Biddulph CD 80218)
- Camilla Wicks plays Concertos by Walton and Brustad (Simax CD PSC 1185)
- Camilla Wicks: Great Norwegian Performers 1945-2000 Vol. III (Simax CD PSC 1832)
- Camilla Wicks: Violin Concertos & Pieces (Profil CD PH18095)
See also
In Spanish: Camilla Wicks para niños
